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August 14 2006
Over the course of the last couple of months I’ve been running excerpts from a book in the public domain titled The American Vine-Dresser’s Guide by John James Dufour. Published in 1826 the book is the first published North American book on viticulture.
Dufouris also credited in many circles as being the Father of the AmericanWine Industry having the first successful grape-growing AND winemakingoperation in the U.S. around 1807.
Because this first successfulundertaking took place in Vevay, IN and because I live in the Midwest,I find this notable. And, it helps that the book is charming, as well.
I do, however, want to provide a bit of context to the book so the following post is a Cliffs Notes version of the story.
Theunlikely hero who would eventually lead the revolution in American viticulturewas John James Dufour. He arrived aloneand unnoticed on the shores of North America. Had somebody been waiting for his arrival, looking for a vinedresser whocould develop American viticulture, he probably would have passed overDufour.
Dufourdid not fit the stereotypical English view of a vinedresser.
Thoughhe was from the French-speaking part of Switzerland, he was not French. And even though Switzerland was awine-producing country, it was unimportant compared to France in bothproduction and reputation. Second,Dufour was maimed in his left arm. Becauseof his handicap, some people thought him unfit for his chosen profession. Yet, despite these vagaries, which seemed todisqualify him on the first glance, Dufour had qualities of character thatenabled him to be successful where many before him had failed.
Thespirit of the New World captured Dufour at an early age. Near the end of his life, he wrote aboutwhat had influenced him to come to America and attempt grape-growing.
WhenI took the resolution to come to America, to try the cultivation of the grape,I was but fourteen [1777]; and I came to this determination by reading thenewspapers, which were full of the American Revolutionary War, and containedmany letters from the officers of the French army aiding the Republicans, whichcomplained of the scarcity of the wine among them, in the midst of the greatestabundance of every thing else; and by inspection of the maps, I saw thatAmerica was in the parallel of the best wine countries in the world—like Spain,South of France, Italy and Greece. Ithen made the culture of the grape, of its natural history, and all that wasconnected with it, my most serious study, to be better able to succeed here.
Dufourspent the first of many years traveling the settled New World inspecting vinesand making attempts at wine-making, all were largely unsuccessful.
Inthe midst of some early success in Kentucky, Dufour wrote to his relatives andfriends in Switzerland requesting them to join him in the New World. On April 30, 1800, “relations and friends”formed a covenant that was signed by a number of heads of households. The covenant was a contract of thirty-onearticles outlining the relationship the members of the group were to have inAmerica. The group planned to leave forAmerica in November of 1800.
Afterthe election of Thomas Jefferson and the land sale by the government in theNorthwest Territory, Dufour lobbied Kentucky Senator Gallatin and subsequentlyThomas Jefferson for land on the northern banks of the Ohio, on credit.
ThomasJefferson, a celebrated Francophile, was one of the most noted American wineconnoisseurs of his day. Hisrelationship to wine and grape-growing lasted throughout his long life. When he was ambassador to France, he touredthe French vineyards; as president he encouraged the vinedressers andwinemakers with whom he corresponded; and in retirement, he continued to extolthe benefits to be gained from a domestic wine industry.
Dufour had everyconfidence that his latest venture would succeed and he saw the Ohio River asthe heart of his successful future. Inhis lobbying, he was quoted as having written, “The time is not far off whenour seaports instead of receiving wines and liquors, will send some abroad,”and he added, “I forsee the time when the Ohio will compete with the Rhine orthe Rhone for the quantity of vineyards, and the quality of wine.”
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August 14 2006
Over the course of the last couple of months I’ve been running excerpts from a book in the public domain titled The American Vine-Dresser’s Guide by John James Dufour. Published in 1826 the book is the first published North American book on viticulture.
Dufour is also credited in many circles as being the Father of the American Wine Industry having the first successful grape-growing AND winemaking operation in the U.S. around 1807.
Because this first successful undertaking took place in Vevay, IN and because I live in the Midwest, I find this notable. And, it helps that the book is charming, as well.
I do, however, want to provide a bit of context to the book so the following post is a Cliffs Notes version of the story.
PartII
InDecember of 1804, Dufour decided to have a sample of his Firstvineyard winesent to President Jefferson in Washington. However, the colonists did not have enough money to finance the trip ontheir own. Henry Clay, famousKentuckian and subscriber to the Kentucky Vineyard Society, collected a fund of$60 to help finance the journey. JohnFrancis Dufour, newly settled, was chosen to make the trip. After a long overland journey ofapproximately 600 miles, on packhorse with kegs of five gallons each of wine,John Francis arrived in Washington in late February. John Francis met with Jefferson two days later. Jefferson wrote a letter to Senator JohnBrown of Kentucky describing the meeting between himself and John FrancisDufour. Jefferson wrote that heinformed John Francis of the wine’s potential, but he needed to let it furtherage. Jefferson sampled both wines atdinner with his family noting, “They appear to possess a body capable ofbecoming good.”
Atthe settlement on the banks of the Ohio, the settlers had their firstsubstantial wheat crop in 1805. Shortlythereafter, in 1806 or 1807, they enjoyed their first grape crop. In 1808, grape production increased enoughto allow the colonists to make 800 gallons of wine.
Meanwhile,at Firstvineyard, the founding establishment was folding unsuccessfully in1809. In the spring of 1809, a frosttook the whole crop. As John JamesDufour later described it:
“My two brothers, who tried to keep the place, foundthemselves too weak to support it; and one frosty spring having took all theircrop; and knowing that those of the colony, who had begun in 1802 on theborders of the Ohio, were successful and had suffered nothing by the frost,they abandoned the place to an American tenant.”
Whenthis event is compared to the 1,200 gallons of wine produced at New Switzerlandin the same year, one can see that the project at Firstvineyard had run itscourse
Anotherview of the expanding Swiss settlement and its increasingly famous wine wasprovided by a traveler named John Mellish. He wrote on September 16, 1811:
Wewere now in sight of a Swiss settlement on the other side of the river, towhich, on account of the head wine, we moved with difficulty; but on ourarrival we were very much gratified by the appearance of this thriving colony. We were told that they immigrated to Americaabout ten years ago, and first attempted vine-dressing on the Kentucky River,but not succeeding to their wish, they moved to this place, which they found toanswer very well. We found the vineyardsin very good order, and the grapes, which were at full maturity, hung in mostluxuriant clusters. They were of twokinds, claret and Madeira, both reputed to be of the best quality, and thesample which we tasted had an excellent flavor. The wine consisted of two kinds of course, claret andMadeira. The claret was rich inquality, but too acid. It was, however,very palatable and pleasant beverage when diluted with water. The Madeira wine we found very unpalatable,but we were informed that it wanted age. Last year {1810} they sold 2400 gallons at one dollar and a half pergallon; this year they will sell 3000; and they are very sanguine that theywill be able to bring the business to full maturity. Their markets are Cincinnati, Frankfort, Lexington, and St.Louis.
In1813, an ad was run the Niles’ Weekly Register of Cincinnati for Vevaywine. It read:
“Forward.”—DanielDebeltaz, at the Cincinnati, Ohio, advises tavern keepers and others, that hehad received a supply of good red wine, superior to the common Bordeaux claret,which he offers at 2 dollars per gallon. He further says that he will be supplied with the “white and Madeirawines.” This wine is produced at NewSwitzerland, Indiana Territory, where the vine-yards are in the most prosperousstate. The cultivation is rapidlyexpanding on the shores of the Ohio, and has every prospect of soon reachingthe demand. How delightful it is tobehold the opening resources of our country; and contemplate the time when allthat may satisfy our wants or gratify our appetites, shall be found in thegrowth and produce of the republic!
Indianawine and the American wine industry were born.
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August 13 2006
I’m doing a full cross-post of my post for Wine Sediments on the Well Fed Network. You can find the full post below and at the site early this week. The site itself is undergoing something of an evolution as a couple of highly esteemed wine blogging colleagues have moved to other projects, but I anticipate that the scope will evolve to a food and wine aficianado site to fit in with the other sites in the network. If you haven’t checked out some of the other "channels" I urge you do to so ... there are some fresh voices and some scary knowledgeable people on food.
I’veoften thought that a national directory, a Better Business Bureau of sorts, forgood living—vino and foodstuffs—would be a fantastic idea. Everybody has a mechanic, a plumber, a drycleaner, a Chinese joint and other day-to-day essentials nailed down, but whatof the real essentials of the good life?
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August 11 2006
Inspired by the coming wine blog commerce conundrum:
Vinography post on Blogging and Commerce
Josh from Pinot Blogger at Wine Sediments
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August 10 2006
Inspired by Natalie Maclean’s promo for her new book.
Posted in, New World. Permalink | Comments (0) | Print |
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