ABSTRACT
Seasonal celebrations and ceremonies have long been associated with agriculture—gods, from Bacchus and Dionysus to the Mother Goddess (idolized more than 8,000 years ago at Catal Huyuk on the Konya Plain of Anatolia in present-day Turkey), have had considerable connections to both the annual renewal of the seasons and the fertility of the soil. Summer rains are seldom critical in American vineyards because water can be provided to thirsty vines by irrigation, if need be, as is done throughout most western vineyards. From late summer on into fall, the grapes are ready to harvest. In America's viticultural landscapes, winter cold may be problematic in places such as Hammondsport and Canandaigua in New York but is much less of a problem, if it is at all, in Napa, Paso Robles, or Temecula in California. During the past three decades, this wine region—including Oregon, Washington, and Idaho—has risen to national prominence.
