Books, Arts & Manners: The Wine Explosion

The wine explosion continues merrily. Total production in the United States in 1976 came to 379 million gallons; in 1980 it was 486 million gallons. In California, where around 80 per cent of all American wine is made, wine-grape acreage grew from 179,854 acres in 1971 to 342,778 acres in 1981, white varieties showing the biggest increase and Cabernet Sauvignon (which California’s

best reds are made from) leading the red varieties.