By Sharon Stajda 

The Spanish conquistadors were the first to introduce wine to Central, and South America.In 1521 conquistador Hernando Cortes defeated the Aztecs in Mexico. Cortes soon became governor of Mexico. Upon entering office he instructed the new Spanish settlers to plant grape vines on the land they had been allotted. The new found Spanish settlers wineries produced an abundence of wonderful wine.

The first , and oldest Winery to produce wine commercially in the America's was that of the "Santa Maria de las Parras". Which translated means, Holy Mary Of The Vines. This winery started producing, and selling wine in 1596, and is still selling wine today. Although somewhere along the way the winery's name was changed , Casa Madero.

The early settlers of North America were unsuccessful with all attempt in cultivating imported European vines. The climate of the Atlantic coast was just not compatible for growing grapes. In the 1800s no one quite know how, but through some sort of cross pollenation grape vines began to pop up in the eastern United States. In the states of Missouri, Ohio , and areas on the shores of Lake Erie, along with finger lake regions in upstate New York. This was the beginning of the wine industry in America.

In the later 1700s Franciscan monks began to establish missions on the Pacific coast. Which would later become California. A Father Junipero Serra was the very first to establish a vineyard in Mission San Diego. He continue to establish 8 new missions to the north, along with new adjoining vineyards. He well earned his nick name of "Father of California Wine."

By the mid 1800s, the gold rush had begun. With it came a population explosion. The vineyards literally covered valley after valley on the California coast. The Sonoma valley had 22,000 acres of vineyards alone. With Napa valley having 18,000 acres planted with grapes. The boom was on. The railroads were built, wine could now be available across the United States , and the world. By the end of the century California became the number one wine producer in the United States, and remains so today...