| Wine region | |
 | |
| Type | American Viticultural Area |
|---|---|
| Year established | 1984[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Part of | Louisiana,Mississippi,Tennessee |
| Climate region | Region V[2] |
| Precipitation (annual average) | 36.28 inches (921.51 mm)[2] |
| Soil conditions | Sharkey, Dundee, Commerce, Alligator, Dubbs, Forestdale, Robinsonville, Tunica and Tutwiler[2] |
| Total area | 6,000 square miles (3,840,000 acres)[1] |
| Size of planted vineyards | 50 to 250 acres (20–101 ha)[3] |
| Grapes produced | Euvitis,Muscadine[2][4] |
| No. of wineries | 3[5] |
Mississippi Delta is anAmerican Viticultural Area (AVA) on the left (east) bank of theMississippi River, betweenMemphis, Tennessee, andVicksburg, Mississippi. It includes portions of theMississippi Delta and thewatershed of the lowerMississippi River in thestates ofLouisiana (west bank),Mississippi, andTennessee. The appellation was recognized on October 1, 1984 by theBureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF),Treasury after reviewing the petition from Mr. Samuel H. Rushmg of The Winery Rushing, for the establishment of a viticultural area in northwestern Mississippi (with minute segments in Tennessee and Louisiana), to be known as "Mississippi Delta."[1][2]
In the early 1900s, before Prohibition, grape-growing was profitable in the area, and in the late 20th century, the state of Mississippi invested millions of dollars inMississippi State University'sEnology Laboratory, located atStoneville in the heart of the Delta region. This expenditure was based upon belief that the region will someday become "the grape producing area of the Southeast," according to a letter of support submitted by the petitioner from the head of that Laboratory.[3] The few wineries in Mississippi Delta produce wine from the nativeMuscadine grapes.[4] The region has ahumid subtropical climate and thehardiness zone ranges from 8b in the south to 7b in some Tennessee portions of theMemphis metropolitan area[5][6]
An impediment to the spread of the Mississippi Delta's wine industry is the restrictive local laws in the state of Mississippi. AlthoughProhibition lasted from 1920 to 1933, the manufacture and sale of liquor was banned within the state from 1907 to 1966, and currently, almost half of Mississippi's counties are dry although not within Mississippi Delta AVA.[5]
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