In ancient history, wine spread across Europe and the Middle East for thousands of years. Pharaohs and farmers, military men and monks perpetuated the flow, like a river that could not be stopped through the civilizations of the Old World. As history progressed, the boundaries and policies of the Old World became limiting for many people, and they set out seeking fortune, adventure and freedom. They grabbed their wine (because who would travel to a foreign land without it?), and embarked on the long journey across the waters bringing wine to the New World.
The period from the 1500’s to 1700’s marked widespread exploration and conquest in the New World. European settlers who left their Old World homes to start anew were accustomed to wine, and often brought it with them as a staple. The Spaniards, who dominated the exploration and colonization of the New World, during this period, frequently brought sacramental wine on their voyage.
The story of wine in the New World is far-reaching. From Australia and New Zealand, to North and South America, the fascinating progression of the vine is marked by colorful characters, and framed by the usual war, religion, and politics that affected the old World, but the New World of wine faced a new and different challenge. Disease.
In 1883 the rapid spread of phylloxera, an American root louse, proved to be one of the most devastating events for the wine industry as a whole, causing the destruction of acres of vineyards across the globe, until a resistant root stock was discovered. Cuttings of Old World vines (known as “vinifera”) were grafted onto the resilient rootstock and vineyards were replanted, though it took 10-15 years in many cases for entire regions to recover from the devastation.
On the other hand, the lack of strict winemaking regulations coupled with the innovative thinking of New World vintners contributed to the swift advancement of winemaking technologies in Australia, America, Chile and beyond, making them contenders in the global race for wine excellence. The “boom and bust” stories of the New World region were common, especially in the United States, where as many as 20 states, including New York, California, Washington, and Oregon, reported a flourishing grape growing industry.
By the early 1900’s the New World wine industry was flying high - a Chilean wine had won the Grand Prize in Paris, a winery in Australia’s Barossa Valley produces over 2 million liters annually, Canada boasted 40 commercial wineries are and California is home to 140 wineries but another obstacle looms in the future of the wine industry. Prohibition.
In 1920, prohibition and the Volstead Act brings America into 13 dry years, with only 100 wineries allowed to continue production strictly for sacramental wines and medicinal uses. Other countries also felt the sting of Prohibitionist campaigns, but none so forceful as that in America.
While all this upheaval and uprising of vine and wine is occurring across the world, the Old World style still reigned supreme. France remained the leader in fine wines and the benchmark by which all others were judged, until that fateful blind tasting in Paris in 1976. In that famous tasting 12 California wines were tasted against the prestigious French wines of the great regions and chateaux. Two California wines, Chateau Montelena Chardonnay 1973 and Stags’ Leap Cabernet Sauvignon 1973 surprised the French judging panel, by winning.
Suddenly, the Old World was aware… there was a new kid in town! And the story continues as decades roll on. Who can imagine where the next century in wine will take the New World, as tradition gives way to innovation, and past and present combine to fuel a great wine revolution.
