As a born and bred Californian, I have to admit that when first moving to the South, I experienced a degree of culture shock. However, today, although I still miss the California sun coupled with a faster paced lifestyle, I now can say that I enjoy experiencing four very different seasons, as well as a slower pace that the southeastern section of the country can offer.
Still, as experts argue that America can be divided into various cultural regions, I’ve always believed that cultural differences also can vary from state-to-state.
For instance, when delving into favorite wines by state, Wisevoter, a bipartisan educational platform that analyzes America’s opinions and choices, ranked the varietal Sauvignon Blanc as the top American favorite. Yet, as 16 states including Washington, South Dakota, California, Wisconsin, Indiana, New York and Florida voted the wine their No. 1 favorite — it appears to be a state-by-state phenomenon rather than a regional one.
Meanwhile, Cabernet Sauvignon placed second, with 10 states including Oregon, Texas, Illinois and Alabama voting the wine as its No. 1.
Further, Pinot Noir ranked No. 1 in eight states, according to Wisevoter. Yet, “white wines are the clear winner by coming out on top in 25 states while red wine is not far behind in 21 states and four states chose Rosé as their favorite,” it says.
Nevertheless, when digging into increased wine consumption during the past 10 years, Wisevoter notes that the United States ranks as one of the highest wine consuming countries in the world.
“Wine consumption in the USA seems to be rising by the year; the nation has seen an increase of almost 10% from 2020-2021,” it says. “The love for wine is such that an average American consumed 3.18 gallons in 2021.”
Regardless of which state they reside, it appears that Americans love their wine — despite the never-ending wine wars.
