Did you know that Americans have been making wine for centuries? Vines were first planted in the 16th century by European settlers but international acclaim for American wine is fairly recent.
A major event in 1976, known as the Judgment of Paris, changed it all for American wine. Bringing together the crème de la crème of the French wine establishment, the blind tasting put Bordeaux’ biggest names and top Burgundies up against Californian Cabernet Sauvignons and Chardonnays. To the surprise of all judges, a Californian wine took the top spot in each category. This amazing result changed the course of American wine forever.
Over forty years later, here are America’s five key wine regions that you should know about.