On one westward seafaring expedition, Eirik's son Leif overwintered in 'Vinland', an area rich in grapevines. Its location is hotly disputed.
Maine, a region where wild grapes grow, has been suggested though no incontestable trace of a Viking presence has been found here. Claimed evidence for this is not so far convincing. This includes the famous Kensington Stone from Minnesota found in 1898, and other supposed inscriptions in runes (the writing used by the Vikings) from the North American mainland.
The Vinland Map, purportedly of the 15th century and showing Vinland along with other lands known at that time, is actually likely to be a 20th century forgery.
A few objects indubitably of Viking manufacture from the North American mainland, such as an 11th century coin from Maine, can be shown to have travelled there through local trade.
This does not, however, mean that Vinland could not have been on the mainland: this remains a tantalizing possibility.
An alternative identification is Newfoundland, where the Norse settlement of l'Anse aux Meadows has been excavated: in this case the vinefruits would have been berries other than grapes.
