The work opens with an examination of the Old World grape, Vitis vinifera, chronicling centuries of failed attempts to cultivate it in eastern North America due to native parasites like phylloxera and regional climatic extremes. The narrative then shifts to the rich indigenous grape flora of North America, detailing how explorers and colonists encountered wild vines covering forests and riverbanks from the earliest days of settlement.
Subsequent chapters trace the slow awakening of American viticulture through the nineteenth century, highlighting the transition from relying on imported vines to domesticating native species. The text explores the domestication of four primary native species: Vitis labrusca, Vitis rotundifolia, Vitis aestivalis, and Vitis riparia, which laid the foundation for commercial grape growing and breeding programs.
A detailed examination follows of the principal viticultural regions in New York State, including the Chautauqua belt, the Central Lakes district, the Hudson River valley, and the Niagara plain. The narrative analyzes the unique geological, soil, and climatic factors that determine the success of grape-growing in each specific locality.
The final sections offer an exhaustive botanical taxonomy of the genus Vitis, classifying native American species by their structural characteristics, tendrils, diaphragms, and seed morphology. The text concludes with practical insights into the wine and unfermented grape juice industries, charting their growth and economic significance up to the early twentieth century.
