Product Description

Only a generation ago, the United States was little more than a footnote in the story of wine. Then, seemingly overnight, everything changed. American varieties began outscoring their counterparts in international competitions and tantalizing palates at home and abroad. Today, American wines not only compete successfully with prestigious imports but also set international standards for style and quality. How did a country with virtually no winemaking traditions of its own suddenly become a world leader?
In AMERICAN VINTAGE, Paul Lukacs tells the story of the improbable rise of American wine. He populates his narrative with a series of quirky heroes and visionaries who changed the course of wine history. They include Nicholas Longworth, the founding father of American wine, a diminutive real estate tycoon who in the decades before the Civil War transformed Ohio into "the American Rhineland"; George Husmann, a nineteenth-century Missouri grape grower who passionately believed that American wines belonged on American supper tables; and Gustave Niebaum, a Finnish sea captain who made a fortune in the fur trade and went on to establish one of California's premier vineyards. Lukacs chronicles the fall of wine during the dark days of Prohibition and then its gradual rise at the hands of the "first families of American wine" -- the Mondavis and the Gallos -- who held opposing views of the new direction that American wine would take, with important consequences for its future.
In chronicling the tumultuous history of wine, Lukacs reveals as much about American culture as he does about wine and viticulture.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #993690 in Books
• Published on: 2000-11-16
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 304 pages

From Publishers Weekly
In a volume that is clear, persuasive and lively, Lukacs charts the history of American viticulture from a brief, promising beginning through the moribund dark ages that lasted for decades after Prohibition, to its rapid upswing in the latter part of the 20th century. Lukacs, the wine columnist for the Washington Times, tells how early wine pioneers had problems producing a quality vintage, as American grape varieties produced wine that was too "foxy" and imported ones scarcely produced any wine at all before falling victim to native diseases. Just as promising work was underway, Prohibition quashed it; afterward, wine gave way to the mass-produced, skid-row fortifieds that dominated the market until the 1960s. Though it took people with an almost artistic vision to reconsider making high-quality American wine, Lukacs explains that it was the intrinsic American faith in science that allowed these dreams to become reality. Today premium, distinct American wines come even from Texas, as "perhaps the most important legacy of the rise of American wine has been the realization that inherent quality rather than reputation defines a classic." Lukacs has a real feel for story, which makes his history exceptionally entertaining. Woven in among facts about American wine species and details about production methods are portraits of important figuresAlike Robert Mondavi and enologist professor Maynard Amerine, whose research into wine's biochemical composition profoundly influenced the way wine was made in California. This combination of erudition and narrative savvy should make Lukacs's work popular even among wine lovers who are not usually readers of history. 8-page photo insert not seen by PW. Author tour. (Nov.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"There are few wine books that could be rationally described as "important," but this one is. Though Lukacs does pay some attention to the art of wine, his game is much bigger and will last long after this year's vintage chart is out of date." -- Review

Review

Customer Reviews

One of the most fascinating books I've read recently
This is definitely one of the most interesting books I have read recently, on or off the topic of wine. It is a fascinating story of changes in morality, of perceptions of wine and the world around us, and how an entire nation moved back and forth on its thoughts about food, culture, wine, and much more.

The story begins back with Jefferson, who in the late 1700s was a huge proponent of wine. He tried unsuccessfully to grow his own vines, and promoted European winedrinking at the white house and in his circles of friends. In 1803 winemaking really begins with Nicholas Longworth in Ohio, with sweet whites.

In the 1850s a huge temperance movement began, and in the 1860s rot came in and destroyed practically all of the vines. At the same time, phylloxera hit heavily in Europe, destroying vines there. It wasn't until the 1870s that solutions began to be implemented for both of these situations ... but by the 1890s there was once again a boom in planting. At the 1900 Paris Expo, 40 American wineries won awards. Wine was on its way up.

Or so people thought. Shortly, the guillotine descended. The death knell for most wineries came with Prohibition in 1917.

Ironically, prohibition resulted in more people drinking to get a buzz, and fewer drinking it reasonably with meals. Home winemaking was legal, so the vineyards that remained open did so by selling "pretty" grapes to this market. These were usually bad for actual winemaking, and the home winemakers worked on making sweet, fortified wines for maximum results and to overwhelm the taste. By the time prohibition ended in 1933, the US winery count had dropped from over 1000 down to 150. Some states stayed dry long after this - Mississippi was the last state to allow alcohol, in 1966.

It was in the late 60s that wine consumption began to rise again - food quality was increasing, people were appreciating more and more foods, and the food they made was able to pair well with wines. At the same time, wine quality was ever increasing. In a famous blind tasting in Paris in 1976, a Stag's Leap 1973 Cabernet and a Chateau Montelena 1973 Chardonnay were rated the top two wines - over two top French wines. Not only that, but the wine tasters consistantly made comments that this one was 'obviously French' or that one was a 'pedestrian American' and were wrong almost every time.

A mere quarter century later, we have fantastic wines being created in just about every state in America, winery tours are booming business, Americans are drinking more and more wine, and the book charts the entire route. The people, events, and situations are richly described, and catch you up in the story.

The book is simply fascinating in many, many ways. Be sure to pick up a copy for yourself!

Wine Lore, U.S. History, and a Great Bibliography
Against the backdrop of 200 years of American life, wine columnist and English Professor, Paul Lukacs, takes us on great ride through the history of wine.

Starting with Thomas Jefferson and the earliest views of wine's role in American society, Lukacs' well-researched volume takes us through the country's movement west, prohibition, wine as big business and then wine as art. Along the way, we meet agrarian idealists, businessmen, teetotalers, bootleggers, immigrants and a host of factions all weighing in on the role of wine in American life.

Wine enthusiasts will love hearing the inside scoop on how some of the big names in wine got to where they are, and how American wine became a brash world leader. Lukacs covers much more than this, however. We learn about the science behind grape growing and wine making, the affects of government policies on wine availability, a bit about American cuisine, and no small amount of general social history.

Lukacs pulls it off. He moves us artfully through these varied sub-topics, and always with a lively, readable style.

Comprehensive, engaging and educational
After seeing a review of this book in the WSJ I quickly ordered it from my independent bookshop. Am I glad I did. As a new owner of a wine shop I have felt overwhelmed by the body of knowledge required to properly sell my products. This book armed me with a solid background on American wine history. It has already helped me sell my local VA wines! It gave me an increased level of comfort with the background of wine in the U.S. and subsequently increased my comfort level when I talk with cusotmers - both the novice and the wine snob.

Anyone who loves wine and enjoys a little historical perspective will adore this book!