The known history of Pennsylvania wine begins with William Penn. Over 300 years ago, the state’s founder planted cuttings of Bordeaux grapevines on land that is now part of Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park. Like most vineyards planted in the country’s early years, the vines didn’t survive the native bugs and diseases of the new world.

From colonial times until the early 1900s, most of the grapes grown for wine in Pennsylvania were native varieties or hybrid grapes that were heartier than the European varieties, known as vinifera. It’s not that winemakers didn’t try to grow vinifera, but they had very little success with grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. In 1920, Pennsylvania’s wine industry came to a halt because of Prohibition. When Prohibition ended, Pennsylvania made making and selling wine almost impossible until it passed the Pennsylvania Limited Winery Act is 1968. Penn Shore Winery in Erie County was the state’s first post-Prohibition licensed winery.

By 1976, Penn Shore was one of a dozen wineries open in Pennsylvania. Today, the state has almost 300 wineries that – through science, trial and error – have discovered which vinifera can grow in Pennsylvania and which native and hybrid varieties make good wine, too.

Pennsylvania is home to five designated American Viticultural Areas (AVAs – wine growing regions) and 300 wineries.

There is about 300 miles between Pennsylvania’s Eastern and Western borders and 150 miles between its Northern and Southern borders. The Southeastern part of the state has maritime influences from the Atlantic Ocean with average summer temperatures of 74°F (although humidity often makes it seem much warmer). The Northwestern part of the state is influenced by Lake Erie with average summer temperatures of 68°F and lower humidity. In between there are many mountain ranges, valleys and rivers. All of this ends end up influencing Pennsylvania’s terroir.