Wine - Encyclopedia of Products & Industries - Manufacturing(Vol. 2. )Wine, one of the oldest products enjoyed by humankind, has been a part of civilization dating back to before the Bronze Age. In the United States, however, the passage of the Prohibition Act of 1919, also known as the Volstead Act, nearly destroyed the industry. While a few wineries survived by making medicinal and sacramental wines, production dropped 94 percent between 1919 and 1925. Even after the repeal of Prohibition, recovery of the industry was slow. Before 1920 there were more than 2,500 commercial wineries in the United States. Fewer than 100 survived Prohibition, and by 1960, the number of commercial wineries had grown to only 271.
