The First Vineyard Established 1799

The First Vineyard Established 1799. . , Swiss immigrant vinedresser John James Dufour established The First Vineyard, the nation's first commercial winery. A steep slope above the big bend of the Kentucky River, across from the large shipping port Quantico, provided ideal growing conditions for terraced beds where Dufour planted 35 grape species. The Kentucky Vineyard Society incorporated Nov. 21, 1799, was the first business incorporated by the Commonwealth of Kentucky. In 1803 Dufour and shareholders of the Kentucky Vineyard Society earned the distinction of developing the first commercially produced wine in the U.S. The success of the endeavor ended abruptly in 1809 when a killing freeze destroyed the grape crop. However, thanks to Dufour's generosity in supplying vines to other early vineyards, the Cape grape contributed to winemaking in the U.S. for years. , Certified by the U.S. Department of the Interior as the first commercial vineyard and winery in the U.S., this impressive certification places the winery on the National Register of Historic Places., Thomas Jefferson and James Madison were given casks of the vintage in celebration of the burgeoning industry. The Kentucky Vineyard Society subscribers who backed the endeavor, were a who's who of early America. U.S. Senator Henry Clay, Kentucky Governor James Gerrard, and U.S. Secretary of the Treasury George Bibb are some of the historic investors. Patrick Henry signed the deed to the property. Daniel Boone surveyed the 633-acre tract of land in 1785.