VEN 3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 18: Meritage, Nutrition Facts Label, Great French Wine Blight
●Last class we said how the U.S. does not have an indigenous wine tradition and its wine culture
was brought in by the immigrants.
●In the U.S. there are not unique wines that is exclusive to a region, for instance, Riesling for
Germany or Bordeaux 5 for Bordeaux.
●So here varietal labels is all that counts, while geographic appellation is secondary.
●Most parts of the US are not suitable for v.vinifera due to winter cold and pierce’s disease.
●But following the phylloxera epidemic, there became some hybrids.
●Having said that, in all 50 states wine is produced for commercial use. Even in Alaska wine is
produced, albeit by wild berries.
●The wine industry from 1988 to 2013 has increased in number quite considerably. Still, 89.5%
production of US wine comes from California, with other states making up the remaining 11% or
so.
●Grape facts:
○Grapes are the highest value fruit crop in the US.
○It’s the 6th largest fruit crop in tonnage in the US.
○Nearly 25,000 farms grow grapes.
●What kinds of grapes are produced in the US?
○Chardonnay, cabernet, zinfandel, colombard, thompson, merlot, and others.
■However, there is an increase in Merlot production and a decrease in Colombard.
●United States wine labels:
●Varietal labeled wines,
●Generic wines,
○Labeled as “Red table wines.”
○There is no indication of alcohol level.
●Semi-generic wines,
○European wine with a place name with US state of production, such as, California
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Document Summary
Last class we said how the u. s. does not have an indigenous wine tradition and its wine culture was brought in by the immigrants. In the u. s. there are not unique wines that is exclusive to a region, for instance, riesling for. So here varietal labels is all that counts, while geographic appellation is secondary. Most parts of the us are not suitable for v. vinifera due to winter cold and pierce"s disease. But following the phylloxera epidemic, there became some hybrids. Having said that, in all 50 states wine is produced for commercial use. Even in alaska wine is produced, albeit by wild berries. The wine industry from 1988 to 2013 has increased in number quite considerably. Still, 89. 5% production of us wine comes from california, with other states making up the remaining 11% or so. Grapes are the highest value fruit crop in the us. It"s the 6th largest fruit crop in tonnage in the us.