Alicia Steffann

Because the focus was on producing grapes that could survive long trips to the East Coast, the wine producers focused on types that could produce tough skinned grapes with lots of color.

These may not have produced the ideal wine, but they were the right grape for the purpose.

Unfortunately, this trend ended in setbacks to winemaking at the end of Prohibition in 1933.

First, the types of grapes dominating the California market were no longer the ones that made high-quality wines.

Second, many of the actual winemaking capabilities of California had eroded.

Farmers kept growing grapes, but much of their crop was shipped out of state, and what remained was used to make a lot of heavy, fortified wine.

This pattern continued for decades, but hope was on the horizon.

The reasons behind the eventual wine boom that finally began in the 1960s are debatable.

Some experts credit more travelers to and from Europe.

Others cite the pallets of soldiers returning from World War II.

But Jim Lapsley suggests that California wine just got better.

Technological improvements such as steel barrel fermentation boosted quality, and baby boomers started drinking these improved wines, starting with whites such as Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

In 1964, the screw cap top became available on many bottles of wine,

Although it may not have had the same perception of haughty quality that the cork did, the screw top provided a contaminant-free seal and was easy to open.

Today, a large percentage of the New World wines are using screw cap tops.

Then, 1976 marked a huge turning point for American wines

At a blind taste test, now known as the Judgment of Paris, California wines shocked the world by taking home some of the top prizes.

A 1973 Chardonnay from Chateau Montelena won top honors among the whites as one of the three American wines in the top five.

Among the red selections, a 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon from Stag's Leap Wine Cellars took first place, topping a 1970 Chateau Mouton Rothschild from Bordeaux.

From a marketing perspective, the judgment of Paris showed the world that American wines could hold their own.