The state with the capital Charleston is located in the Midwest of the USA. It borders Virginia (from which it was seceded in 1863) to the east and Ohio and Kentucky to the west. Classified as AVA are Kanawha River Valley, Ohio River Valley (shared with three other states) and Shenandoah Valley (shared with Virginia). French hybrids, which arrived here through the initiative of the American viticulture pioneer Philip Wagner (1904-1996) from the 1940s onwards, as well as American vines are largely cultivated. The most important European variety is the hardy Riesling, which is mainly grown in the north-east of the state. There are about a dozen production farms, with a focus on viticulture in the north-east near Martinsburg. The main operations are A. T. Gift Company Winery, Forks of Cheat Winery, Kirkwood Winery, Little Hungary Farm Winery (Hungarian style wines and Melomel honey wine ), Potomac Highland Winery, Robert F. Pliska & Co. Winery, West Whitehall Winery and Wolf Creek Winery.
The glossary is a monumental achievement and one of the most important contributions to wine knowledge. Of all the encyclopaedias I use on the subject of wine, it is by far the most important. That was the case ten years ago and it hasn't changed since.
Andreas Essl
Autor, Modena