With its strong, celebrated passion for food and the rich gastronomic histories of its early French and Spanish settlers, why has the Bayou State never developed a vital wine industry? Well, actually, it has a long relationship with wine, dating back to at least the early 19th century. At that time, great volumes of European wine were imported to Louisiana and profitably redistributed along the Mississippi River Delta. A homegrown wine industry did take root, with most of the wine produced in the Florida parishes. However, Louisiana’s hot, humid climate punished French hybrid and vinifera vines, exposing them to Pierce’s disease and downy mildew. Prohibition also proved devastating for the state’s troubled wine industry. By the mid-1970s, enthusiasts were again cultivating their own vines on the loamy soils of the state. Now gaining recognition with such varieties as Norton and Blanc du Bois, Louisiana winemakers are keen to renew the industry and are seeking support for research to determine a perfect ecological fit. Louisiana is home to part of the existing Mississippi Delta AVA and has four bonded wineries, collectively producing about 20,000 gallons per year.