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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