Grapegate

Someone is stealing the great grapes of Burgundy, according to the Burgundy wine bureau (BIVB). As reported in Decanter, there have now been four separate reports of thefts of grapes across the region. A possible motive underlying the crimes: the 2016 harvest, which has been so devastating (severe frost and hailstorms) that some vintners have 50% to 90% fewer grapes than in typical years.

The first winery in the Americas was established in which of the following countries?

A. United States

B. Mexico

C. Argentina

D. Peru

Casa Madero, the first known winery in the Americas, was established in 1597 in the Mexican town of Santa Maria de las Parras (“Holy Mary of the Grapevines”). The winery still exists and today, specializes in chardonnay, chenin blanc and shiraz. In the last decade, the Mexican wine industry has grown significantly even as it has moved closer toward high quality wine. Much of the excitement has been centered on the 1,000 + mile long Baja Peninsula south of California. There are now 100 wineries in Baja. The earliest wine made in what is now the United States was produced between 1562 and 1564 by French Huguenot settlers in northern Florida. The wine was made from local Scuppernong grapes, but it appears the settlers did not build a winery.

“A bottle of wine is an investment to keep the people we love at table for an extra hour every day.”

—Wes Hagen, author and winemaker, J. Wilkes Winery

—Wes Hagen, author and winemaker, J. Wilkes Winery

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