How has the history of winemaking in the Ohio River Valley developed over the past 200 years?
Following the launch of Dufour’s winery in the early 19th-century, the wine industry in the Ohio River Valley grew by leaps and bounds, and at one time was the largest wine-producing region in North America. By mid-century, however, the burgeoning industry fell into decline as wine growers and winemakers left their fields to fight in the Civil War. Mildew and degenerative crop disease also ravaged the once-thriving trade. In the 20th century, the industry was dealt an additional blow by Prohibition. From there it began to slowly rebound, and, with the emergence of many family-owned wineries in the 1960s, reclaim its spot as a top wine-producing region. Q: What is the status of the Ohio River Valley as a winemaking region today? A: Beginning with a resurgence of the wine industry in the 1960’s, the Ohio River Valley’s winemaking industry is now flourishing. In fact, with a total 16 million acres encompassing four states (West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky), the Ohio River Valley
