Nassau Valley Vineyards

Nassau Valley Vineyards was the first winery in the state of Delaware in the United States, and is currently the largest in the state. When jazz singer Peggy Raley decided to open a winery in Delaware, she first had to get the local state legislature to pass a law allowing wineries in the state. By 1991 she drafted the necessary legislation, and she obtained a license and opened the vineyard in 1993. Until October 2007, when Pizzadili Winery opened, it was the first and only winery in the state. There are eight acres of property at the site, and it caters to the beach-bound tourist traffic in the area.HistoryNassau Valley Vineyards is a pioneer in the modern Delaware wine industry, helping to resurrect the industry in the late 20th century. Prior to the winery's foundation, the history of viticulture in Delaware was sporadic. In the 1630s, the Swedes encouraged their New Sweden settlers in the Delaware River valley to plant grapevines and produce wine that could possibly be exported back to Sweden, a country with little native viticulture of its own. When the Dutch took over the area in the mid 17th century and renamed it New Netherland, they similarly promoted viticulture in the area but found the area more suited for apple orchards. From then on, viticulture and winemaking in Delaware was mostly confined to home winemaking until the late 20th century when Nassau Valley Vineyards opened up the first commercial winery in the state.