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AMERICA'S OLDEST WINE REGION

Many people think American wine is a recent innovation. But it was in 1629 that Fray Gracia de Zuniga, a Franciscan, and Antonio de Arteaga, a Capuchin monk, planted vine cuttings at Senecu, a Piro Indian pueblo on the banks of the Rio Grande, slightly north of the present village of San Antonio, New Mexico. Four years later, the vineyards were producing wine for the sacrament. That first variety, called the "mission grape" is still grown in New Mexico along with mainstream varieties such as Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Cabernet and Merlot. Nineteen wineries operate in New Mexico today and this site lists them all, with touring information, locator maps and upcoming events. Visit the site and discover the surprising reason behind wine being the sole source of revenue for the state in 1812.

Thu, 29 Jun 2000 10:05:00 -0700

Submitted by: Peter May