The Concord Grape Industry of the Chautauqua-Erie Area

Abstract

T oHE Chautauqua-Erie grape area is located along the southeastern shore of Lake Erie astride the New York-Pennsylvania border (Fig. 1). Stretching along the lake for about 55 miles, this nearly linear strip of vineyards is known locally as the Grape Belt. Through this constricted section of the lake plain of Chautauqua County, New York, and Erie County, Pennsylvania, pass three major highways and the New York Central and Nickel Plate railroads. The Chautauqua-Erie area is bounded along its entire length by the Allegheny Escarpment and extends southwest as far as the Erie urban area and northeast to the Cattaraugus Indian Reservation. In quantitative terms the district can be defined approximately by an isopleth enclosing areas with over 5 per cent of the land in grapevines. Thus defined, the Chautauqua-Erie area occupies about 200 square miles. The Chautauqua-Erie area is distinct from the other commercial districts producing native-American grapes in several respects. The relatively great importance of viticulture in the agricultural enterprise structure of this area is shown clearly on the maps of American orchard and vineyard regions prepared by Olmstead.1 On these maps

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