Florida

The southeasternmost state of the USA with its capital Tallahassee was discovered by the Spanish as early as 1513. As early as 1562, French Huguenots planted vineyards near Jacksonville, 20 kilometres from the Atlantic coast. They used a wild ancestor of the white Scuppernong variety still planted today, which they gradually cultivated and also made wine from. From the 1760s onwards, Italian, Greek, French and Spanish emigrants tried to plant European varieties (without much success). In this hot climate with high humidity, varieties of the American species Vitis rotundifolia (such as the scuppernong) and Vitis labrusca thrive best. Through the initiative of the American viticulture pioneer Philip Wagner (1904-1996), French hybrids also arrived in Florida from the 1950s onwards. Of the European vines, Cabernet Sauvignon is represented, for example. From the Orlando Seedless, named after the city, mainly table grapes are produced. Fruit wine is also produced in large quantities. Currently, there is no AVA. Of the eight wineries, Eden Vineyards in Alva is worth mentioning; it is the southernmost winery in the USA and also one of the southernmost in the northern hemisphere worldwide. Others are Dakotah Vineyards & Winery, Lakeridge Winery & Vineyards and Oaks Winery.