Spring is a magical time of the year. The trees and flowers awake from their winter slumber and slowly lift their heads from under their earthly blanket. Drive along Indiana's highway and back roads and you'll catch the farmers plowing and tending the fields. In the vineyards across Indiana new life is starting to bud and before we know the winemakers will be ready to harvest the season's grapes.
It may be surprising to know that Indiana has a long wine making history. Travel to Switzerland County in Southeast Indiana and you'll find yourself in the birthplace of the American wine industry. It was here that the first successful winery was established in America.
Dufour's winery, founded by Swiss immigrant Jean Jacques Dufour, known as John James, harvested their first grapes sometime around 1806 or 1807. In those days the town of Vevay, New Switzerland where the Dufour Winery was located was known as the Indiana Territory. Other wineries in the area were not as successful because they used imported European varieties of grapes. Dufour's success came from his research into the art of viticulture (wine growing agriculture) and the use of a native grape, the Vevay Alexander, which he nurtured.
In the early 19th-century, the wine industry in the Ohio River Valley grew by leaps and bounds, and became the largest wine-producing region in North America. By mid-century the art of winemaking became a victim to the Civil War when many of the wine growers and winemakers left their fields to fight in the War. Left unattended the vineyards were later devastated by mildew and degenerative crop disease, and then came Prohibition. Not until the emergence of many family-owned wineries in the 1960s did the Ohio River Valley reclaimed its reputation as a top wine-producing region. Today, with a total 16 million acres encompassing four states, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky, the Ohio River Valley is recognized as the largest designated wine area in the U.S.
It may be surprising to know that Indiana has a long wine making history. Travel to Switzerland County in Southeast Indiana and you'll find yourself in the birthplace of the American wine industry. It was here that the first successful winery was established in America.
Dufour's winery, founded by Swiss immigrant Jean Jacques Dufour, known as John James, harvested their first grapes sometime around 1806 or 1807. In those days the town of Vevay, New Switzerland where the Dufour Winery was located was known as the Indiana Territory. Other wineries in the area were not as successful because they used imported European varieties of grapes. Dufour's success came from his research into the art of viticulture (wine growing agriculture) and the use of a native grape, the Vevay Alexander, which he nurtured.
In the early 19th-century, the wine industry in the Ohio River Valley grew by leaps and bounds, and became the largest wine-producing region in North America. By mid-century the art of winemaking became a victim to the Civil War when many of the wine growers and winemakers left their fields to fight in the War. Left unattended the vineyards were later devastated by mildew and degenerative crop disease, and then came Prohibition. Not until the emergence of many family-owned wineries in the 1960s did the Ohio River Valley reclaimed its reputation as a top wine-producing region. Today, with a total 16 million acres encompassing four states, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky, the Ohio River Valley is recognized as the largest designated wine area in the U.S.
Among the popular evens to join is the summer favorite: the Swiss Wine Festival in Vevay, Indiana in mid August. It has been named one of Indiana's Top Food Festivals! The festivities take place at the Paul Ogle Riverfront Park in downtown Vevay, and include a wine pavilion, craft vendors, a wine pavilion, craft vendors, grape stomp, riverboat cruises, beer garden, live music, rides and games for the kids, and much more to enjoy.
To explore current activities, recreation, attractions, and plan your trip to Vevay and the Switzerland region of Indiana visit the Switzerland County Tourism website.
