Louisiana Wine Overview
For a state that has been so influenced by French and Spanish culture, one would assume there would be a thriving wine industry in Louisiana.
Make no mistake, wine is popular in Louisiana. Go to any of the great restaurants in New Orleans, Baton Rouge or elsewhere in the state and you’ll see plenty of wine being served. But Louisiana wine? Not especially. You’re more likely to find longtime residents making their own wine from fruit that grows on their land or via the prominent southern grape: the Muscadine.
The truth is, Louisiana’s climate is hot, wet and muggy — three conditions wine grapes don’t like in excess. Most of the grapes that grow here are Muscadine grapes, and Muscadine-style wines are frequently made and consumed here.
Ponchartrain Vineyards produces wines from traditional Louisiana-grown wine grapes.
There are just a small handful of wineries in Lousiana. One is in the northern part of the state, Landry Vineyards and Winery in West Monroe. Four Louisiana wineries are located not far from the state capital, Baton Rouge, which is 80 miles northwest of New Orleans. One winery, Becnel Plantation Winery, is located in the small town of Vacherie in an area known locally as “plantation country.”
Although we wouldn’t be surprised to see a few more wineries surface in Louisiana, we don’t expect a large local Louisiana wine movement to develop. Unlike other southern states with prominent wine industries like Georgia, Alabama and Texas, Louisiana’s climate just isn’t conducive.
Louisiana Wine Trails
As you might expect, there isn’t a wine trail in Louisiana, although you should read our Louisiana travelogue which more or less creates one. It isn’t an official wine trail by any means, but it’s about the closest thing we’ve ever seen to a Louisiana wine travel trip — and it was very enjoyable!
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[…] part of our southern travels, we were able to explore Louisiana’s wineries. Crossing over into Mississippi, we decided to stop for the afternoon in the historic Mississippi […]