From Washington Straight

bridizing these days takes place in this country: French law does not allow hybrid planting any longer, because the French are afraid of lessening the prestige of their great Bordeaux and Burgundies, for which they wish to be known— and paid.

Interestingly, many experts now think that you can’t go any further with improving hybrid wines: that they are now as good as they ever will be. I happen to suspect this is true, but, after all, it is a matter of opinion, and winemaking gets more and more scientific—so who knows? Equally interestingly, American taste is turning more and more to vinif-era wines, both domestic (from California, mainly) and imported. Few American grape growers today will not grow at least some vinifera. In New York State, the first vinifera grape vines were planted by the brilliant, though difficult, Konstantin Frank and the equally brilliant, though sunny-tempered, Charles Fournier in the early Fifties. Mr. Fournier, for Gold Seal winery, also produced the first commercially successful vinifera wines in New York State.

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bridizing these days takes place in this country: French law does not allow hybrid planting any longer, because the French are afraid of lessening the prestige of their great Bordeaux and Burgundies, for which they wish to be known— and paid.

Interestingly, many experts now think that you can’t go any further with improving hybrid wines: that they are now as good as they ever will be. I happen to suspect this is true, but, after all, it is a matter of opinion, and winemaking gets more and more scientific—so who knows? Equally interestingly, American taste is turning more and more to vinif-era wines, both domestic (from California, mainly) and imported. Few American grape growers today will not grow at least some vinifera. In New York State, the first vinifera grape vines were planted by the brilliant, though difficult, Konstantin Frank and the equally brilliant, though sunny-tempered, Charles Fournier in the early Fifties. Mr. Fournier, for Gold Seal winery, also produced the first commercially successful vinifera wines in New York State.