American English Podcast 184.2 - Wine Regions in the United States: A Virtual Tour with Key Vocabulary 🍇
Mar 14, 2025
Join a virtual tour through America's iconic wine regions, from Napa Valley's glitz to Texas's rising reputation. Discover how Thomas Jefferson's wine dreams fizzled and celebrate the historic showdown where California took on French legends. Learn how Prohibition nearly derailed the wine industry and find out key vocabulary to wine like a pro. With vivid descriptions of hidden gems like Virginia and the Finger Lakes, this journey is sure to inspire your next adventure—or your next glass!
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Shauna's Wine Country Upbringing
- Shauna grew up near Napa Valley, a major US wine region.
- Her first job was on a fruit farm surrounded by vineyards, and her first boyfriend owned a winery.
Early Winemaking Failures
- Early attempts to grow European wine grapes in North America, starting in the 1600s with Jamestown settlers, failed.
- Native American grapes proved unsuitable for European-style winemaking.
Jefferson's Winemaking Dreams
- Thomas Jefferson, a wine enthusiast, tried and failed to establish Virginia as a wine region.
- A pest called phylloxera destroyed his European vines at Monticello.