Wyoming is a state in the north-west of the US, on the eastern edges of the Rocky Mountains. Covering 97,000 square miles (253,000 square km) of land, Wyoming is the tenth-largest state in the US, and is also the least populous. Only two wineries can be found within the borders of the state, both making wine from Franco-American hybrid grape varieties such as Marechal Foch, Frontenac and Valiant.
Wyoming stretches between the latitudes of 41°N and 45°N, putting it on par with some of Europe's most famous wine-growing regions, including Bordeaux and Rioja. However, other climatic considerations come into play here – Wyoming's climate is definitively continental, and the nearest body of water is Lake Superior, 600 miles (1000km) from the easternmost border of the state. The plains of eastern Wyoming are characterized by hot summers and cold winters, and the temperatures in the mountains of western Wyoming are cool even in summer.
Most of Wyoming is semi-arid, and a high diurnal temperature variation affects most of the state. At higher altitudes this is too extreme to support much viticulture, and on the plains growers have to contend with more unpredictable weather events like thunderstorms and tornadoes. Growers in the region have turned to careful cultivar selection to minimize the worst effects of the climate, and the hybrid grape varieties specifically bred for the cold North American climes have proved best-suited to the terroir of Wyoming.
Wyoming's traditional industries are based around mining (coal, diamonds and uranium) and drilling (both oil and gas), and its agriculture has centered on vegetables and fruit (rhubarb, cherries and apples). Winegrowing is rare, so Wyoming wine is infrequently seen outside the state.
