United States of America
Did Lord Delaware know what he started when he first planted French varieties in Virginia in 1619. His sheer ambition and, even, gall in some eyes is still a keynote of American winemaking. Robert Mondavi did a Max Schubert and brought America screamingly up to speed in the late 60s, the Californians in the 80s did the rest and the US now produces some of the world's finest wines (Mondavi and de Rothschild's Opus One became known as America’s first ultra-premium wine). And it still galls the Gauls.
