Notes From the Vintner Welcome to our column. We hope that you will return to learn interesting notes on wine, and related subjects. Wine is a great gift from God to be used for the enjoyment of man. It is a food, and should be treated as such. It is meant to lift up the body and lighten the soul. 6/1/00 At least 6000 years ago……But, lets look at America Wine was enjoyed at least 6000 years ago, and maybe more. But in the New World, the history is about 500 years old. The Papago Indians fermented juice from cactus growing in what is now Arizona. Cactus wine is still made there, but to a small demand. The Cherokees fermented wild fruit while living in the Carolinas. In 1565, an Admiral of the British Navy reported on wine making from native grapes in Florida. The London Company of Virginia, in 1620, made the first attempt of growing Old World grapes in the New World. They even brought French viticulturists and vines to establish vineyards. However the vines died. As the 17th century progressed, New York wine could be made and sold with out taxation. (The good old days) In 1730, at Savannah, Georgia, Abraham de Lyon from Portugal, planted a very large vineyard. His vines died also. King Charles II ordered that vines be planted in Rhode Island, and again they died. John Mason offered to trade King Charles II all of what is now New Hampshire for 300 tons of French wine, but the good king said “No”. Now if the country could grow great quantities of wild grapes…then why would not the Old World grapes grow. This was a major problem to the wine makers of the New World. What they did not know was Phylloxera vastatrix root louse, and a lack of Hardness against the cold winters. These two reasons banded together to hold back wine production in the New World…..at least for several years. Now this is a little history lesson on the beginning of wine making and the growing of wine grapes in America. Next month we shall see another view of the beginning of American wine making.   Robert G Cowie Wine Maker Email The Vintner Vintner Notes Archive - 5/01/00 Vintner Notes Archive - 4/01/00