United States

The United States ranks as the fourth-largest wine-producing country globally, with California alone producing more wine than China, the fifth-largest wine producer. Despite this dominance, wine production extends to almost every state in the U.S. North America’s wine heritage also includes Canada and Mexico. Canada’s key wine-producing regions, such as Ontario and British Columbia, and Mexico’s Baja California and Sierra Madre regions contribute to the continent's viticultural diversity. Wine production in North America began with Spanish settlers in 1521, just one year after their conquest of Mexico, when they planted vines and made wine in what is now Mexico. In Canada, viticulture dates back to 1535 when French explorer Jacques Cartier discovered wild vines on an island in the Saint Lawrence River, which he initially named Île de Bacchus. However, he later renamed it Île d'Orléans to honor the Duke of Orléans, son of King Francis I of France. Jesuit settlers following Cartier in the 1560s are believed to have been the first winemakers in Canada. The earliest recorded winemaking in what is now the United States occurred in Florida. In 1564, French Huguenot settlers in Jacksonville used native Scuppernong grapes to produce wine. This marks the beginning of the U.S.'s long winemaking history.