New Mexico was one of earliest places in the country to grow grapes, which were planted by Franciscan priests in 1629 in what is now the Middle Rio Grande Valley AVA. The state’s two other AVAs are the Mesilla Valley and Mimbres Valley. In the 1880’s census, New Mexico had twice the grape acreage of … Read more
Wine World Beat As mentioned last week, FIVS is like a global version of WineAmerica, monitoring and influencing public policy developments on an international level. The organization’s 55 members from 25 worldwide markets represent about 75% of the world’s wine production. Also, like WineAmerica, FIVS publishes regular updates on recent developments such as those in its most … Read more
”The Garden State” may not be the first image that comes to mind for New Jersey, but that’s the state’s official identity, and for good reason. In addition to sharing the Hudson River with New York City, having some great seaside boardwalks, and boasting some great universities, NJ also has a high quality agricultural base … Read more
Congress Crashes, Women Win As mentioned last week, Congress left Washington for six weeks with lots of vital unfinished business, especially in the House where a couple seemingly uncontroversial bills died, hinting at the distinct possibility of a government shutdown at the end of September. But on the Senate side, two women showed how Washington … Read more
New Hampshire is one of those northern states that has really blossomed due to the creation of the cold-hardy “Minnesota” varieties, many of which were developed by Elmer Swenson in Minnesota. Those varieties, plus native fruits and maple syrup, make for a fascinating selection of wines. Averill House Vineyards farms organically, growing Native American varieties like … Read more