Rausse recalled that local dining habits were entirely different when he first arrived in the region. "When I came here, nobody was drinking wine," he said.
He observed that standard restaurant tables rarely featured wine bottles during the 1970s.
"I would go to a restaurant for dinner, and the man was always drinking only beer.
The lady was drinking a glass of wine occasionally, but there was never a bottle on the table," Rausse said.
Other winemakers confirmed that regional tastes favored traditional local beverages during that era.
"I was asked by people what was it like in Virginia in the 1970s for an Italian family to establish a vineyard.
And I say, 'Well, I think at that time, people were mainly drinking sweet tea and bourbon,'" said Luca Paschina, Barboursville Vineyards estate director.
Modern vineyards continue to honor the exploratory spirit of early American viticulture by testing various European grape varieties.
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"I love that Jefferson was also on the side that it makes sense to try to see what grows," Rausse said.
