The Swiss Wine Festival in Vevay, Indiana started this evening and continues through Sunday. The SWF carries a special sentiment this year as we celebrate the Vevay Switzerland County Bicentennial. This special event emerged in 1963 with the Sesquicentennial celebration that included the winemaking facet of the county’s history. The culture of the grape and winemaking was introduced here in 1802 by an adventuresome group of French Swiss from the commune of Chatelard, district of Vevey, Canton de Vaud, Switzerland. John James Dufour acted on his desire to become a vine dresser in America, relayed in this excerpt from The Swiss Settlement of Switzerland County, Indiana by Perret Dufour. "When I took the resolution to come to America, to try the cultivation of the grape I was but fourteen; and I came to this determination by reading the newspapers which were full of the American Revolutionary War, and contained many letters from officers of the French army aiding the Republicans, which complained of the scarcity of vine among them, in the midst of the greatest abundance of everything else; and by inspection of maps I saw that America was in the parallel of the best wine countries in the world – like Spain, South of France, Italy and Greece: I then made the culture of the grape, of its natural history, and all that was connected with it my most serious study, to be better able to succeed here." The Switzerland County Historical Society & the Bicentennial Committee are sharing a booth at the SWF. Come see us!
Posted on: Fri, 23 Aug 2013 01:25:04 +0000
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