Wine Production - Wineries

Wineries are buildings and their associated properties that are involved in the production and often, the sale of, wine. While smaller wine companies might only operate one winery, larger companies may not only have several wineries to keep up with production demands, but might also operate several warehouses as well. Wineries are enjoying quite a boom in business as the popularity of quality wine is growing.

Wineries generally make the bulk of their money from their wine production and sales, which are entail a hired winemaker lead the process of selecting fruit and fermenting it according to a prescribed winemaking process. Wineries are also known for giving paid tours as well as wine-tasting events, all designed to increase public exposure and interest in a particular winery’s brand.

Wine Making Regions

Wineries are typically located in specific regions in the United States. NapaValley and Sonoma Valley, California are locales which boast a prominent wine making region, and wineries are rather ubiquitous there. While wineries are located in every state in the country, some enjoy more notoriety than others. Behind California, the most wineries are located in Washington State, Oregon, and New York, respectively. Thanks to its wineries, the United States is the fourth largest wine-producing country in the world. California’s wine production alone is more than twice that of Australia!

American Wines

The largest corporate producers of American wine, include the Ernest and Julio Gallo Winery and Constellation brands, who hold within their portfolio the Robert Mondavi and Columbia Wineries. There are several varieties of grape cultivated by American wineries, including the Mission grape, Scuppernong grapes, and Alexander grapes.

Wineries craft their famous brews by blending together different types of grapes to yield specific types of wines.

Whether your tastes run toward sweeter wines or you have a penchant for the drier versions, wineries are worth a visit. Not only are wineries great sources of information on topics such as wine pairings, and the history of particular brands, but they also provide fantastic opportunities to sample new varieties before committing to buying any one type. The next time you are visiting wine country, make sure you include a stop at the local winery in one of your daytrip itineraries.