· Most domesticated grapevines have both male and female reproductive structures and are self-pollinated by wind. ^[1]

· The first U.S. AVA region was the Augusta AVA in Missouri. This AVA was federally approved on June 20, 1980, eight months before the Napa Valley AVA in California. ^[2]

· During Prohibition, Alicante Bouschet was the most popular grape varietal for winemaking because of its darker color and its thicker skins allowed for more successful train transportation to the East Coast. ^[3]

· The Norton grape varietal is thought to be the oldest American grape used for commercial production. This grape varietal also has the highest levels of resveratrol – a beneficial antioxidant. ^[4]

· The oldest-known winery is the “Areni-1” cave, discovered in Armenia in 2007. This winery is dated to c. 4100 BC and contains evidence of a wine press, fermentation vats, drinking cups and storage jars.  Scientists also discovered evidence of Vitis vinifera seeds and grapevines. ^[5]

– Irene Scott, WSET-3, CSWS,
UC Davis Winemaking Certificate 2020
OCWS Wine Education Chair

Sources:

[1] Jackson, R.S., Wine Science: Principles and Applications, Fourth Edition, Academic Press 2014

[2] Missouri Wines: History and AVAs, 2018, https://missouriwine.org/about-us/history-and-avas

[3] Lukacs, P., American Vintage: The Rise of American Wine, W.W. Norton & Company LTD, 2000

[4] Wine Searcher: Norton Wine, 2015, https://www.wine-searcher.com/grape-901-norton

[5] Wikipedia: History of Wine, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_wine