Recovery: 1950-Today

In 1951, Gold Seal Winery in the Finger Lakes appointed Charles Fournier president of the company. Fournier was recruited from the Champagne house Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin, and came to Gold Seal expressly to produce New York “champagne.” Upon his arrival he brought on Dr. Konstantin Frank, a Ukrainian researcher with a background in plant science who had been working at the Cornell University Geneva Experiment Station.

Dr. Frank was a staunch believer in the possibility of successfully producing vinifera wines in the Northeast. As a test of his theories, Dr. Frank established Vinifera Wine Cellars in 1962 on Keuka Lake, where he planted Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot noir, Gewürztraminer, and Cabernet Sauvignon, grafted onto native rootstock. Numerous wineries were established throughout the Finger Lakes at this time, inspired by Dr. Frank’s plantings. In 1967 Dr. Frank founded the American Wine Society at his home, focused on education, training, events, and tastings.

In neighboring Pennsylvania, Conestoga Vineyards opened and began selling its wine to state stores. The state soon afterward commissioned a 10-year “feasibility study” of the prospects for growing wine grapes in Pennsylvania, to be conducted by Pennsylvania State University in Erie County. The same year, the First Pennsylvania Wine Industry Conference was held entitled "What Will It Take to Develop This Industry," a sure sign that people were eager to jumpstart wine production. Two years later Pennsylvania passed the Limited Winery Act allowing wineries to sell their products directly to stores, restaurants, and consumers. A number of wineries quickly popped up around the state as a result.

New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut soon passed similar Acts allowing wineries to sell DTC. Throughout the 1970’s many wineries began production throughout the Northeast. In the well-established Finger Lakes, the largest companies were bought up by corporations like Seagrams and Coca-Cola, typically to the chagrin of the other producers. Inexpensive, uninspired wines were churned out of these factories, often blended with wines from California. Toward the end of the decade, however, smaller producers were on the rise, many producing vinifera wines that were attracting acclaim.

Between 1965 and 1975 national consumption increased by nearly 150 percent. For the first time since Prohibition the sale of table wines surpassed that of fortified and dessert wines. Back before Prohibition only high society or immigrants drank wine regularly. Now it had become part of middle-class life. Regions were anxious to define themselves and take advantage of this relatively newfound interest from the American consumer; beginning in 1980, the delineation of American Viticultural Areas began in the Northeast. This period saw the birth of many influential wineries still in operation today such as Paumanok Vineyards, Palmer, The Lenz Winery, Channing Daughters, and Wölffer Estate on Long Island, and Westport Rivers Winery in Massachusetts. Wine trails and winegrowers’ associations appeared in almost every state in the Northeast.

The 1990’s and 2000’s saw the growth trend in the Northeast continue. AVA definition led to studies of terroir in the regions and growers sought to understand which varieties were best suited to which sites. Improved technology in the cellars and in the vineyards resulted in higher quality wine. International attention has once again been attracted by the promise of the Northeast. Australian viticulturist Dr. Richard Smart, on a rare trip to Long Island in February of 2000, stated that the soils of Long Island "are among the finest soils for grape growing that I have ever seen in the world." And in 2013, Wine Enthusiast Magazine included Long Island’s North Fork on its list of the world’s top 10 wine travel destinations for the coming year.

Today, wineries in the Northeast are focused on quality, sustainability, and showcasing their local terroir. These wine regions and wines are developing their own style and presence, and are earning their place in the international wine community.