Good Grape Wine Company

August 14 2006

The Center of The Wine Universe Circa 1807 Pt. 2 of 2

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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