West Virginia is one of the smallest states, and with a climate combining continental with humid-subtropical, including cold winters, it has a challenging environment for growing grapes. But French-American varieties are able to weather the weather and support the small but growing grape and wine industry. The state has its own AVA (Kanawha River), and … Read more
Research Reductions A major force behind the American grape and wine industry’s incredible success over the past several decades has been research and extension by land-grant universities throughout the country. The focus on quality, productivity and sustainability has propelled our products into the international arena in terms of awareness, reputation, and sales. It would not … Read more
When I joined the wine industry 43 years ago as Executive Director of the New York State Wine Grape Growers, California dominated the national scene, as it does today, New York was a distant but clear second, and Washington a very distant third. How things have changed over time, with Washington now by far the … Read more
No NOAA? Congress is in recess for the Easter and Passover holidays, so things are quiet in DC, allowing Michael Kaiser to schedule about 80 meetings with legislators on May 6-7. That’s when members of our Board of Directors, State and Regional Associations Advisory Council (SRAAC), and others will come to DC for our annual … Read more
Virginia has had a long and distinguished history in the world of wine, starting with the earliest settlers in 1609, through the colonial period and independence, and most recently from the mid-1970’s when the Italian Zonin family created Barboursville Vineyards. As the Virginia Wineries Association says, Virginia is situated midway between Europe and California, and produces … Read more