Why the US matters
The United States is the world’s fourth-largest wine producer, and grapes grow in all 50 states. But four regions tell the story: California, Washington, Oregon and New York.
- California makes about 90% of all US wine.
- The 1976 “Judgement of Paris” — when Napa beat Bordeaux blind — announced America as a serious wine nation.
- Cool corners (Oregon, NY’s Finger Lakes) prove the US is about far more than ripe Cabernet.
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Key idea: it’s a continent
The US spans deserts, fog-cooled coasts and frigid lake country. “American wine” means a dozen very different climates, not one style.