Kentucky wine
| Wine region | |
 |
|
| Official name | Commonwealth of Kentucky |
|---|---|
| Type | U.S. state |
| Year established | 1792 |
| Country | United States |
| Sub-regions | Ohio River Valley AVA |
| Climate region | Humid subtropical/continental |
| Total area | 40,444 square miles (104,749 km2) |
| Grapes produced | Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carlos, Catawba, Cayuga, Chambourcin, Chardonel, Chardonnay, Concord, De Chaunac, Marechal Foch, Merlot, Munson, Niagara, Norton, Riesling, Seyval blanc, Traminette, Vidal blanc |
| No. of wineries | 57 |
Kentucky wine refers to wine made from grapes grown in the U.S. state of Kentucky. About 65 wineries operate commercially in Kentucky, with most recent plantings focusing on Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Franc. Kentucky produced over two million gallons of wine in 2011. Kentucky passed legislation in 1976 allowing wineries to operate, and tobacco settlement funds have provided Kentucky farmers the opportunity to once again explore grapes as a cash crop. The grape and wine industry has seen tremendous growth in the past ten years, with grapevine acreage growing from 67 acres in 1999 to an estimated 600 acres today. In just five years, the number of Kentucky wineries has matured from 15 to more than 65, and is still growing.
One of the first attempts at large-scale commercial viticulture in the United States started in Kentucky in 1799, with plantings by the Kentucky Vineyard Society. The relatively mild climate of Kentucky, especially in the Ohio River Valley, made Kentucky an attractive place for early American winemaking. By the mid-19th century, Kentucky was the third largest wine-producing state in the country. Prohibition in the United States destroyed the wine industry in Kentucky, and the state took a long time to recover after Repeal.
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Wikipedia