Like many states, Tennessee had a significant grape and wine industry in the 19th Century until Prohibition wiped it out. In fact, the US Department of Agriculture recorded 1,128 vineyard acres and 64,769 gallons in 1880, largely due to German immigrants. The modern grape and wine industry began taking shape in the 1970s with creation … Read more
Tariffs and Retaliation: Wine Suffers After delaying the imposition of widespread tariffs for a month, President Trump imposed them on March 4, bringing an immediate and painful response from trading partners like Canada, Mexico and China. The next day Canada said it would immediately sever electricity to several states (MI, MN, and NY, plus parts … Read more
South Dakota is one of the youngest wine states, officially starting in 1996 when Valiant Vineyards was opened. Given its cold winter climate, the state specializes in cold-hardy Minnesota grape varieties as well as other fruits. Belle Joli’ Winery, whose name was inspired by the beauty of the land, is the passion of Matthew and … Read more
WineAmerica DC Fly-In While WineAmerica is based in Washington, given its function to advocate on federal public policy, only Michael Kaiser actually lives and works there (I live and work in New York’s fabulous Finger Lakes region, with monthly trips to DC.) But we have one major gathering each year: a “Fly-In” for which our … Read more
With its humid, sub-tropical climate and summer temperatures often exceeding 100 degrees, South Carolina is a challenging place to grow grapes and make wine. Still, intrepid souls grow some vinifera, hybrid, and lots of Muscadine grapes which actually thrive in those conditions. Wedged between North Carolina and Georgia with an expansive Atlantic coastline, the Palmetto … Read more