A Ban on Wine Consumption?!? Thankfully, That Didn't Last.

One of my favorite classes back in high school was U.S. History.  I had this teacher that would show us old movie reels, probably originally used in the 60’s and 70’s to teach lessons on World Wars, presidents, and even Prohibition.  That may seem like a boring class to today’s students, but it was the old clips that kept my attention for the 90-minute class.  Thinking about those history lessons made me realize that it actually related to my current project.  What did Prohibition mean for the wine industry?  How did they bounce back from a 13 year ban nationwide?  So, I started doing some research.

The passing of the 18^th Amendment and Volstead Act did not have the effect that government officials thought it would.  Instead of stopping the purchase and consumption of alcohol including wine, it set the country up for bigger problems.  From bootlegging to speakeasies and backroom deals, it actually made the nation more violent with open rebellions by its citizens.  Statistics show after the passing of the Volstead Act there were anywhere from 30,000 to 100,000 speakeasy clubs throughout the nation.  It just goes to show that taking away Americans’ freedom of choice may only cause them to fight back against the system. 

Temperance and Prohibition caused many problems for the wine industry in the United States.  While there were exceptions such as the use of wine for religious ceremonies, it did hinder the US economy and advancement of the wine industry tremendously.  Instead of investing in new technologies for winemaking that many other countries such as France and Spain used, the United States wineries’ only option was to spend money on juice making technology.  Improving their grape juice production is what kept the industry alive.  

When Prohibition ended and the Amendment was repealed, other states began opening wineries again and added in retail stores.  Pennsylvania wine businesses, on the other hand, had to wait till 1968 when the PA Limited Winery Act was passed and allowed for the production and sale of wine again.  The state had to wait because while Prohibition ended back in the 1930’s, the regulating power was transferred from the federal to state level.  These extra thirty years are the main reason that Pennsylvania is known more as a grape juice producer and not as much for its wine production.  When the state’s vineyards began producing again, the grapes were sweet and produced a beverage that was often too fruity; therefore, it could not be deemed as a “serious” wine.  To help the industry beat these current challenges in PA, vintners replanted grape seeds on their land to help produce a greater variety of flavors.  This allowed for a greater selection of wine and therefore, PA was able to appeal to a larger audience of wine drinkers.  In recent years, many wineries such as Crossings Vineyards in southeastern Pennsylvania have started achieving recognition and earning awards such as a gold medal from International Eastern Wine Competition in 2010 for its Chardonnay ’08.

I read in an article from an issue of Wine&Vines that Pennsylvania is “a wine region of the brink of discovery.”  Considering that was an article from 2006, I can only imagine how much the state’s wine industry has grown in just five years.  And I can’t wait to see where it is going in the future. 

Random Addition:

February 20, 2011 – My first wine tasting at Buckingham Valley Vineyards.  Amazing!  We even bought a bottle of their Sparkling Reisling.  I’m pretty excited to try it!

Also, Great song to listen to while doing research: Make You Feel My Love by Adele