WINE VARIETIES

Red wine, white wine....The Holidays are coming. Are you looking or searching for the history and particulars of the best ones? This site might be helpful. CLICK HERE: Types of Grape

Viticulture was originally brought to California by Spanish Franciscan friars, who began cultivating grapes at California missions in 1769 to produce sacramental wines. However, it was not until the 1800s that the production of fresh grapes became popular. The first fresh grape vineyard was planted on land just outside of present-day Los Angeles in 1839 (California Table Grape Commission).

During 2008, 7.4 billion tons of grapes, valued at $3.3 billion, were grown commercially in the United States. California accounted for 6.7 million tons, or 90 percent, of these grapes. Other top grape-growing states included Washington (5%), New York (3%), Pennsylvania (1%) and Michigan (1%). (NASS 2009)

Compared to other grape uses, the fresh grape industry accounts for a small portion of the total grapes grown. In 2008 only 978,000 tons of fresh grapes, or 13 percent of all grapes, were produced. The largest producer was California, with 969,000 tons of fresh grapes. However, fresh grapes accounted for only 12 percent, or $366.7 million, of the total value of the state's 2008 grape production. (NASS 2009) May 2009.