Wine
1852 - Frenchman named Etienne Theé founded Almaden Vineyards; succeeded by Charles LeFranc (son-in-law); made first commercial planting of fine European wine grapes in Santa Clara County; continued by Henry LeFranc (son), Paul Masson (Henry's son-in-law); 1892 - Masson's first champagneintroduced at Almaden (eventually became known as "Champagne King of California"; 1901 - Masson start his own winery in Saratoga, CA; 1940s - Almaden introduced "blush" wine (White Grenache Rosé), first popular pink wine in United States; 1951 - merged with Madrone Vineyards, owned by Lucky Lager; control regained by Lefranc Corporations, Almaden’s original owner; 1967 - acquired by National Distributors; 1987 - acquired by Heublein; 1980s - introduced bag-in-the-box packaging; 1994 - acquired by Canandaigua Wine Company; 2008 - acquired by Wine Group.
1854 - Pierre Pellier left France for Santa Clara Valley with grape cuttings ("Black Burgundy" - Pinot Noir, French Colombar, Chasselas, Fontainebleau, Pinot Noir, Madeline, others) and prune cuttings from orchards of Agen; 1856 - with Louis Pellier (older brother) conducted nursery business in San Jose; 1863 - acquired 148.8 acre ranch in Evergreen, CA (part of the Chaboya land Grant) from Louis for $1,000; planted grape cuttings; introduced Pinot Noir; Louis Pellier grafted French prune cuttings onto rootstock of wild plums, produced Santa Clara Valley prunes (offshoot of La Petite d'Agen, native of Southwest France); founded the valley’s wine industry; 1881 - Henrietta (daughter) married neighboring vintner Pierre Huste Mirassou (came to America in 1878, died in 1889); 1929 - peak of prune planting, California had 171,330 acres (267.7 square miles) of prune orchards; 1961 - Edmund Mirassou (fourth genertation) brought first vines to Monterey County, pioneered grape growing on California's sunny Central Coast; June 28, 1977 - Mirassou Sales Co. (dba Mirassou Vineyards Partnership) registered "Mirassou: trademark first used September 1, 1940 (wines); 2004 - acquired by Gallo; 2010 - sixth generation of family management; America's oldest winemaking family.
1857 - Count Agoston Haraszthy (45), first Sheriff of San Diego County, founder of a city in Wisconsin (Sauk City), ferryboat owner and member of the Hungarian Royal Guard, founded Buena Vista Winery in Sonoma, CA; planted some of the state’s first European varietals (Tokay, Zinfandel, and Shiras grape varieties); 1906 - earthquake destroyed its underground cellars; 1940 - Frank Bartholomew, former head of AP, acquired 500 acres of Sonoma land without knowing an abandoned winery came with the property; with help of Andre Tchelistcheff, considered America's most influential post-Prohibition winemaker, restored Buena Vista's vineyards, caves and winery to its original grandeur; 1981 - acquired by Moller-Racke family of Germany; 2001 - acquired by Allied-Domecq; California’s oldest premium winery.
1861 - Charles Krug (27), Prussian immigrant, founded Charles Krug Winery; first in Napa Valley; major local winery figure of his era; 1893 - acquired by James Moffitt; 1943 - acquired by Cesare (60) and Rosa Mondavi, Italian immigrants, for $75,000; 1959 - Rosa named president at Cesare’s death; Robert (son) - General Manager, Peter (son) - Vice President; 1965 - Robert moved south to Oakville, Peter became President; 1966 - Robert founded Robert Mondavi Winery.
1862 - Jacob Schram bought 200 acres near St. Helena, in Napa Valley; established Schramsberg Winery; 1876 - produced 12,000 gallons; 1889 - Schramsberg and Inglenook only CA wines listed on menu at Palace Hotel; 1940 - acquired by John Gargano (California Champagne Company); 1951 - acquired by Douglas Pringle; 1965 - acquired by Jack and Jamie Davies.
1862 - Bohemian Frantisek (Francis) Korbel ("goblet, drinking cup" in Czech), Joseph and Anton Korbel, formed F. Korbel & Bros., opened the first cigar box factory in San Francisco; opened sawmills to produce lumber for use in San Francisco's booming building industry; 1872 - purchased sawmill, property near Guerneville in Russian River Valley of Sonoma County, in partnership with another entrepreneur; brought in another brother, Winsel, from Bohemia, to run business; brothers bought out partner 1882 - ran small winemaking operation, produced some 20,000 to 30,000 gallons of wine from vineyard yields; 1884 - closed dairy, converted all ranch lands to vineyards, devoted all of energy to winemaking; mid-1890s - shipped first champagnes; 1900 - internationally known, award-winning label; 1954 - acquired by Adolf Heck, third-generation winemaker (former president of Italian Swiss Colony Wine Company); 1956 - reintroduced Korbel Brut, lighter and drier than any American champagne on market; introduced Korbel Natural', Korbel Blanc de Blancs (100% Chardonnay), Korbel Blanc de Noirs (100% Pinot Noir), all created using champagne yeasts; October 13, 1970 - Adolf L. Heck and Allan J, Hemphill, both of Guerneville, CA of received two patents for an "Apparatus for Riddling Bottled Wines"; automatic riddling machine allowed each bottle of Korbel champagne to undergo exact turns at precise times to ensure consistent taste and quality in every bottle (riddling done by hand, costly and time-consuming method that left champagne's quality vulnerable to variability of human hands); November 9, 1971 - received a second patent for "Riddling Bottled Wines"; 1982 - Gary Heck (son) appointed president; 1984 - named chairman of board; 2000 - shipped record 1.678 million cases of champagne.
1874 - John Thomann established John Thomann Winery and Distillery in St. Helena, CA (Henry Thomann, uncle, had established vineyard in Sacramento, CA in 1852 on land bought from General John A. Sutter [may have been first vineyard planted in California for purpose of winemaking]; produced first wine in 1856; John Thomann (nephew) joined business in 1858; made peach and grape brandy [one of first in State] in 1859; rented wine business from his uncle in 1860; moved business to Napa County in 1874); made wine from mountain-grown grapes (vs. Mission grapes); 1906 - dilapidated property acquired by Caroline (well-known dressmaker) and Emil Leuenberger for $10 in gold (Caroline Sutter [daughter of San Francisco businessman and sea captain, John A. Sutter] had purchased 80- acres on lower slopes of Howell Mountain [near St. Helena, CA] in 1890, named Sutter Home [in honor of her father]; Caroline and Emil Leuenberger established Sutter Home Wine and Distillery Company on Folsom St, in San Francisco in 1895; winery produced 200,000 gallons in 1900; lost everything in 1906); renamed Sutter Home; sold Howell Mountain Winery; 1909 - no wine produced (decline since Panic of 1907); 1919- Prohibition began, winery went dormant; 1947 - acquired by John and Mario Trinchero; early 1950s - produced 52 different wines; 1958 - Bob Trinchero (son of Mario) joined business; 1960 - John Trinchero interest acquired by Mario and Bob Trinchero; 1968 - produced Amador Countu Zinfandel - first real success; 1972 - introduced white zinfandel; 1986 - acquired Victorian mansion on property built in 1884 (reunited estate); March 4, 1986 - Sutter Home Winery, Inc. registered "Sutter Home" trademark first used in 1900 (first used in business in 1972; wine); 1987 - Sutter Home White Zinfandel best-selling premium wine in United States; 1998 - produced about 4 million cases of zinfandel; sixth largest winery in U.S.; 1999 - renamed Trinchero Family Estates.
1874 - Jean Laurent, immigrant from Bordeaux, France, started Laurent Winery in St. Helena, CA; 1879 - built 6000 square foot stone winery to meet the demands of growing winery production (top-ten wine producers in Napa County); 1890-1978 - changed ownership many times; 1978 - acquired by Bruce Markham, renamed Markham Vineyards; 1988 - acquired by Mercian Corporation.
1875 - Frederick and Jacob Beringer purchased 215 acre parcel of land for $14,500 in Napa Valley; called winery Los Hermanos, or "The Brothers"; 1876 - first crush (approximately 40,000 gallons or 18,000 cases; 1887 - Beringer wines won first awards at Mechanics Institute Exposition in San Francisco; 1934 - first winery to offer public tours, began area's tourist wine business; 1956 - wine tasting offered; 1990 - Beringer 1986 Cabernet Sauvignon named #1 Wine of the Year by Wine Spectator; 1996 - Beringer 1994 Chardonnay named #1 Wine of the Year by Wine Spectator (first time for a white); oldest continuously operating winery in Napa Valley; October 1, 2000 - Beringer Wine Estates Holdings, Inc. acquired by Foster's Brewing Group Limited for $1.2 billion.
1876 - Giuseppe and Pietro Simi founded Simi Winery; had traveled from Tuscany, Italy, to California during the Gold Rush; 1881 - moved winemaking operations to Healdsburg (northern Sonoma County); 1890 - completed construction of first stone cellar.
1880 - Gustaf Ferdinand Nyborn (changed name to Germanic Gustave Niebaum in 1873), Finnish fur-trader (had established Alaska Commercial Company in 1868 in San Francisco with $600,000 in furs), acquired 78 acres of Inglenook (Scottish for ‘cozy corner’) and 124 acres of farmland, from Judge S. Clinton Hastings (founder of University of California’s Hastings Law School), for $48,000; founded Inglenook Winery in Rutherford, CA; 1933-1964 - John Daniel Jr. (Niebaum’s wife’s grand-nephew) took over, produced competitive Cabernets; 1964 - acquired by Allied Grape Growers, unit of United Vintners, for $1.2 million; 1969 - acquired by Heublein; 1970s - known for jug wine; 1975 - Daniel's residence acquired by Francis Ford Coppola, started Niebaum-Coppola Estate winery; 1995 - acquired old Inglenook winery; 2006 - name changed to Rubicon Estate.
1880 - Augustus Quitzow established winery in Geyserville in the Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, CA; 1882 - constructed winery with 20,000-gallon capacity on hillside across from Geyser Peak Mountain; 1887 - acquired by Edward Walden & Company (importers of French brandy), 80 acres of vineyards for $10,000; 1908 - defaulted, repossessed by Farmers' and Mechanics' Bank; 1910 - partnership formed, Ciocca Lombardi Wine Company took control; 1937 - acquired by Italy Industries (founded by Bagnani family), renamed Redwood Empire Wines; 1945 - ceased operation, American Industries continued production of bulk wines; November 1972 - acquired by by Schlitz Brewery; grew to ninth largest winery in California; 1982 - acquired by Henry, Victor and Mark Trione of Santa Rosa, CA; 1998 - acquired by Jim Beam Brands Co.
1881 - Genoa-born Andrea Sbarbaro, founder of San Francisco's first savings and loan association, organized Italian Swiss Agricultural Colony (Swiss board member) in Sonoma Valley as a collectivist colony modeled after the cooperative theories of John Ruskin and Robert Owen; gained reputation for fine dry wines; 1942 - acquired by National Distillers Products Corp.; April 1953 - acquired by Petri Wine Co. for reported $16 million (nation's third largest producer of domestic wines).
1882 - Alfred Loving Tubbs bought 254 acres just north of Calistoga, at foot of Mount Saint Helena; co-founded Napa Valley Wine Company; 1886 - 50,000 cases produced; 1896 - Chateau Montelena was seventh largest winery in Napa Valley; 1958 - acquired by Yort Wing Frank, Chinese electrical engineer, and his wife, Jeanie, as retirement home; 1968 - acquired by Lee and Helen Paschich; 1972 - began producing wines again, under James Barrett; 1976 - Chateau Montelena Chardonnay 1973 won first place in Judgment of Paris wine competition over four white burgundies and six California Chardonnays (bottle of that vintage in Smithsonian National Museum of American History).
1883 - C. H. Wente, first-generation immigrant from Germany, purchased 48 acres in Livermore Valley, planted vineyards; learned about winemaking from Charles Krug; 1918 - Ernest and Herman Wente (sons) joined business; Ernest managed vineyards, Herman acted as winemaker; company passed on to Ernest's only son Karl; 1935 - introduced California's first varietal wine label, Sauvignon Blanc; 1977 - Eric (Karl's son) took helm; 2006 - managed by fourth, fifth generations of Wente family (2,000 acres of vineyards in Livermore Valley, San Francisco Bay, 700 in Arroyo Seco, Monterey); California's oldest continuously family-owned and operated winery.
1883 - James Concannon planted first vines in Livermore Valley, CA; established Concannon Vineyards, one of California's oldest wineries; first Irish vintner; 1961 - produced world’s first Petite Sirah; discovered America’s first female winemaker, Hungarian ballerina named Katherine Vajda.
1885 - Bernard Ehlers, Sacramento grocer, acquired dying vineyard from Reverend Alfred Todhunter (bought it in 1882) for $7,000 in gold coin; 1886 - completed planting vineyards, constructed stone winery building (remains focal point of Estate); 1923 - acquired by local resident Alfred Domingos; when prohibition ended, Domingos brothers established Old Bale Mill Winery (named for English physician Edward Turner Bale who had married General Mariano Vallejo's niece, was awarded 17,000 acre land grant in 1841), ran successfully until 1958; 1987 - Parisians Jean and Sylviane Leducq acquired 7 acres of vineyard that were part of original land tract prior to 1882; May 2001 - acquired original stone winery, estate home built by Bernard Ehlers; reunited Ehlers Estate.
1890 - Anton Nichelini founded winery in Chiles Valley Wine Region in the Eastern part of Napa Valley; 1934 - Bill Nichelini (oldest son) acquired winery; 1959 - Jim Nichelini (Bill's son) assumed control; 1990 - acquired by partnership formed by three of Jim's cousins and his sister; specialize in wine production of Chiles Valley grapes; oldest "Family owned and operated " winery in Napa Valley.
1893 - Horace Chase and his wife, Minnie Mizner Chase, daughter of U.S. Senator and Ambassador to Central America, founded Stags' Leap Winery seven miles north of Napa, CA; named "Stags' Leap" after Wappo Indian legend that, one version says, told of stag leaping across crags of palisades (bordering east side of estate) to escape hunters; 1913 - acquired by Mrs. Frances Grange; 1971 - acquired by Carl Doumani, underwent vast restoration; 1997 - acquired by Beringer Wine Estates (acquired by Foster’s Brewing Group, Ltd. in 2000).
1894 - Percy Morgan, British accountant, seven of state's leading wine distributors and wineries, formed California Wine Association; legal monopoly, controlled two-thirds of output of California wine; 1900 - majority of state's wineries had joined(Stag's Leap, Greystone Cellars at St. Helena, Italian Swiss Colony, Cucamonga Vineyards, Glen Ellen Vineyards, more); at peak - largest wine-producing cooperative in world: 52 wineries were members, controlled all aspects of winemaking, from planting of grapes in field, to production, bottling, shipment of wine; 1901 - majority interest acquired by Isaias Hellman, president of Nevada Bank, and syndicate fir $1 million; reportedly controlled 87% of wine made in California; 1907 - bought 47 acres in Richmond, CA, prime spot with access to transcontinental railroad, port for ocean-going vessels; built one of country's most massive wineries, luxury hotel, cabins for workers, railroad that wound through property; sold many varieties of wine under CALWA brand; 1919 - Prohibition passed, caught with warehouse full of wine that it couldn't be sold; shut down winery, left it to sit unoccupied on edge of San Pablo Bay; 1941 - site and adjacent land acquired by U.S. Navy, constructed fuel depot, turned hotel into barracks, mess hall; used until 1995.
1895 - Angela and Edoardo Seghesio purchased 56 acres in northern Alexander Valley, CA; planted "Home Ranch" to what became family’s lifeline – Zinfandel; 1902 - began Seghesio Winery; 1910 - acquired additional acreage in "Chianti, California"; planted 10 acres, North America’s oldest planting of Sangiovese; 1919 - acqired Italian Swiss Colony (4,000,000 gallon capacity winery, 1100 acres of vineyards) for $127,500; 1920 - brought on partners, his brother-in-law, Enrico Prati, Rossi Family (previous owners); 1933 - sold his shares; 1958 - sons formed partnership in bulk wine business, produced most of red wine made in Sonoma County; 1983 - first wines bottled under Seghesio label by Ted Seghesio, fourth generation family winemaker; 1993 - produced 130,000 cases; fifth generation took control of the winery; eliminated all but home-grown wines; reduced production to 30,000 cases.
1896 - Giovanni Foppiano purchased working winery known as "Riverside Farm" in Healdsburg, in Sonoma County; founded Foppiano Wine Company; 1910 - Louis A. Foppiano (son) got loan from his wife's family, bought winery; 1937 - Louis J. Foppiano (grandson) rebuilt winery; one of first Sonoma County wineries to bottle wine under its own winery label; 1940-1945 - second largest bottler of wine in Sonoma County; founded Sonoma County Wine Growers Association with 14 other wineries; 1994 - fifth generation Foppianos began working at vineyard.
May 1900 - George and Fernande de Latour purchased four acres in Rutherford, CA; knew cure for phylloxera (vine-destroying louse); imported resistant rootstock; 1919 - had national contract to supply altar wine to churches across country; 1923 - bought stone winery built in 1885 by former California Senator Seneca Ewer; 1933 - winery production capability expanded three times, volume grew to more than one million gallons; September 1938 - André Tchelistcheff, of Institut National Agronomique in Paris, became winemaker; 1969 - acquired by Hublein Corporation; increased winery's production to about 450,000 cases annually; 1982 - Heublein acquired by RJR Nabisco; 1987 - GrandMet acquired Heublein Inc. from RJR Nabisco for $1.3 billion.
1904 - Louis Kunde, German immigrant, Germany, acquired 1,000 acre Wildwood Vineyards ranch (iron-rich, ancient red volcanic soils (first planted in 1879 by pioneer John Drummond with imported cuttings from Chateaux Margaux and Lafite Rothschild); crushed first Estate harvest; 1920 - operated during Prohibition, manufactured, purchased, sold "non-beverage wine" or sacramental wines; 1922 - Arthur "Big Boy" Kunde (son) took over; closed during WW II (sons drafted); 1955 - Bob and Fred (Arthur's sons) took over; 1977 - acquired 1,000 acre Kinneybrook Ranch.
1904 - Samuele Sebastiani, immigrant from wine producing region of Tuscany, Italy, acquired land, grew grapes in Sonoma, CA; 1944 - August and Sylvia Sebastiani (son, daughter-in-law) purchased winery from father's estate; increased winery's production hundredfold - put premium varietal wines in popularly priced magnums, introduced "Noveau" Gamay Beaujolais to America, created blush wine known as Pinot Noir Blanc (called "Eye of the Swan"); 1980 - Mary Ann Sebastiani Cuneo (daughter, third generation) joined winery.
1933 - Ernest (24), Julio (23) Gallo founded winery in California's Central Valley (Modesto) with $5,900 in start-up capital ($5,000 loan from Ernest's mother-in-law), rented warehouse, bought crushing, fermentation equipment on credit; contracted grapes from local growers; promised payment when grapes sold; 1957 - E. & J. Gallo Winery introduced Thunderbird (lemon-flavored) wine - higher alcohol content at cheaper price; (had watched black customers mix concentrated lemon juice with white port); January 7, 1958 - registered "Thunderbird" trademark first used April 22, 1957 (wines); 2009 - world's largest family-owned winery (distributes wine to 90 countries , largest exporter of California wine).
1966 - Robert G. Mondavi founded Robert Mondavi Winery; first major winery built in Napa Valley in post-Prohibition era; December 22, 2004 - acquired by Constellation Brands for nearly $1.303 billion.
(Buena Vista), Brian McGinty (1998). Strong Wine: The Life and Legend of Agoston Haraszthy. (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, Great-Great-Grandson). 579 p. Haraszthy, Agoston, 1812-1869; Vintners--California--Biography; Viticulturists--California--Biography. Built first stone wineries in California, introduced more than 300 varieties of European grapes, planted more than thousand acres of wine vineyards; first Hungarian to settle permanently in United States, author of second Hungarian-language book about United States, founder of one of earliest towns in Wisconsin; assessment of contributions to American immigration, agricultural history.
(Bonny Doon Vineyard), Randall Grahm; foreword by Hugh Johnson. (2009). Been Doon So Long: A Randall Grahm Vinthology. (Berkeley, CA, University of California Press, 318 p.). Founder of Bonny Doon Vineyard in 1983. Wine and wine making --Humor; Wine and wine making --Miscellanea. Made mark in exploration of Rhone varieties, innovative production techniques, imaginative marketing; embraced the practice of biodynamic farming; ; state of wine; history of Rhône Ranger wine movement, vineyard.
(Calera Wine Company), Marq de Villiers (1994). The Heartbreak Grape: A California Winemaker’s Search for the Perfect Pinot Noir. (San Francisco, CA: HarperCollinsWest, 197 p.). Veteran Canadian Journalist. Calera Wine Company; Pinot noir (Wine)--California; Wine and wine making--California).
(Ferrari-Carano Winery ), Mike Weiss (2005). A Very Good Year: The Journey of a California Wine from Vine to Table. (New York, NY: Gotham Books, 288 p.). Reporter (San Francisco Chronicle). Wine and wine making--California; Viticulture--California.
(Fetzer Vineyards), Paul Dolan (2003). True to Our Roots: Fermenting a Business Revolution. (Princeton, NJ: Bloomberg Press, 240 p.). President and CEO (Fetzer Vineyards). Fetzer Vineyards--Management; Wine industry--United States--Management; Vineyards--California--Mendocino County--Management; Organic farming--California--Mendocino County.
(Fetzer Vineyards), Kathleen Fetzer with Sarah Suggs (2005). Kathleen's Vineyard: The Fetzer Family Matriarch Shares Her Story. (Fort Bragg, CA: Cypress House, 240 p.). Fetzer, Kathleen, 1921- ; Fetzer family; Vintners--California--Biography; Wine and wine making--California--History.
(Gallo Wine), Ellen Hawkes (1993). Blood and Wine: The Unauthorized Story of the Gallo Wine Empire. (New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 464 p.). Gallo family; Vintners -- California -- Biography; Wine and wine making -- California -- History.
(Gallo Wine), Ernest and Julio Gallo; with Bruce B. Henderson (1994). Ernest and Julio: Our Story. (New York, NY: Times Books, 358 p.). Gallo, Ernest; Gallo, Julio; Vintners--California--Biography; Wine and wine making--California--History.
(Italian Swiss Colony), Jack W. Florence (1999). Legacy of a Village: The Italian Swiss Colony Winery and the People of Asti, California. (Chandler, AZ: Raymond Court Press, 320 p.). Wine and wine making; Italian Swiss Colony; Asti, California.
(Paul Masson), Robert Lawrence Balzer (1970). This Uncommon Heritage; The Paul Masson Story. (Los Angeles, CA: Ward Ritchie Press, 118 p.). Masson, Paul, 1859-1940; Paul Masson (Firm).
(Mondavi), Cyril Ray (1984). Robert Mondavi of the Napa Valley. (New York, NY: Warner Books, 171 p.). Mondavi, Robert, 1913- ; Vintners--California--Biography; Wine and wine making--California--Napa Valley--History.
(Mondavi), Robert Mondavi with Paul Chutkow (1998). Harvests of Joy: My Passion for Excellence. (New York, NY: Harcourt Brace, 364 p.). California Vintner. Robert Mondavi, Wine Industry, Napa Valley.
(Mondavi), Olivier Torres (2006). The Wine Wars: The Mondavi Affair, Globalisation and "Terroir". (New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan, 192 p.). Assistant Professor at the University of Montpellier (ERFI-GREG), Associate Researcher at EM Lyon, France. Mondavi, Robert, 1913- ; Robert Mondavi Winery; Wine industry--France--Languedoc-Roussillon; Globalization--Social aspects--France; Globalization--Political aspects--France. Anti-globalization rebellion (ecologists, communists, neo-rurals, wild boar hunters) halted Mondavi venture in small, world-renowned wine-producing village in south of France.
(Mondavi), Julia Flynn Siler (2007). The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty. (New York, NY: Gotham Books, 464 p.). Reporter (Wall Street Journal). Mondavi family; Robert Mondavi Winery--History; Vintners--United States--Biography; Family-owned business enterprises--United States--Case studies; Wine industry--United States--Case studies. Four generations of talented, visionary family - genius, sibling rivalry, betrayal; blood feuds as spectacular as business triumphs. Cesare Mondavi's sons, Robert and Peter, came to blows; Robert’s sons, Michael and Timothy, battled with each other for control of company, led to board coup, sale of company.
(Niebaum-Coppola), Steve Kolpan (1999). A Sense of Place: An Intimate Portrait of the Niebaum-Coppola Winery and the Napa Valley. (New York, NY: Routledge, 234 p.). Professor of Wine Studies and Gastronomy at Culinary Institute of America. Wine and wine making--California--Napa Valley; Wineries--California--Napa Valley.
(Sutter Home Winery), Kate Heyhoe and Stanley Hock (2004). Harvesting the Dream: The Rags-to-Riches Tale of the Sutter Home Winery. (Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 235 p.). Sutter Home Winery--History; Wine and wine making--California--Napa Valley--History; Wineries--California--Napa Valley--History.
(Wine), Vincent P. Carosso (1951). The California Wine Industry, 1830-1895: A Study of the Formative Years. (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 241 p.). Wine and wine making--California.
(Wine), Joseph Novitski; photographs by Nick Pavloff (1983). A Vineyard Year. (San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books, 119 p.). Viticulture --California --Dry Creek Valley (Sonoma County); Wine and wine making --California --Dry Creek Valley (Sonoma County); Vineyards --California --Dry Creek Valley (Sonoma County). Pains and triumphs of tending a vineyard through the year, from the frost warnings of early spring which endanger young shoots to the scramble of harvest.
(Wine), Thomas Pinney (1989). A History of Wine in America: From the Beginnings to Prohibition. (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 553 p.). William M. Keck Distinguished Service Professor and Chairman of the Department of English (Pomona College). Wine and wine making--United States--History. America's alluring promise of wine - baffled, begun, realized.
(Wine), James Conaway (1990). Napa. (Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin, 529 p.). Wine industry--California--Napa Valley--History; Napa Valley (Calif.)--History.
(Wine), William F. Heintz (1990). Wine Country: A History of Napa Valley: The Early Years, 1838-1920. ( Santa Barbara, CA: Capra Press, 333 p.). Wine and wine making --California --Napa Valley --History; Viticulture --California --Napa Valley --History; Napa Valley (Calif.) --History.
(Wine), James T. Lapsley (1996). Bottled Poetry: Napa Winemaking from Prohibition to the Modern Era. (Berkeley, CA, University of California Press, 296 p.). Continuing Education Specialist with University Extension (University of California, Davis). Wine and wine making --California --Napa Valley --History. Title from Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Silverado Squatters" (reference to elite vineyards of France); how collective vision of excellence among winemakers, keen sense of promotion transformed region, its wines following repeal of Prohibition; formative years of Napa's fine winemaking, 1934 to 1967; wine boom of 1970s - social context, role of Napa vineyards in beverage's growing popularity; stories behind names (Beaulieu, Beringer, Charles Krug, Christian Brothers, Louis Martini, Inglenook); success due to much more than beneficence of sun and soil (craft, vision, determination).Title from Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Silverado Squatters" (reference to elite vineyards of France); how collective vision of excellence among winemakers, keen sense of promotion transformed region, its wines following repeal of Prohibition; formative years of Napa's fine winemaking, 1934 to 1967; wine boom of 1970s - social context, role of Napa vineyards in beverage's growing popularity; stories behind names (Beaulieu, Beringer, Charles Krug, Christian Brothers, Louis Martini, Inglenook); success due to much more than beneficence of sun and soil (craft, vision, determination).
(Wine), William F. Heintz (1999). California’s Napa Valley: One Hundred Sixty Years of Wine Making. (San Francisco, CA: Scottwall Associates, 488 p.). Wine and wine making --California --Napa Valley --History; Viticulture --California --Napa Valley --History; Napa Valley (Calif.) --History.
(Wine), James Conaway (2002). The Far Side of Eden: New Money, Old Land, and the Battle for Napa Valley. (Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin, 365 p.). Wine industry--California--Napa Valley--History; Napa Valley (Calif.)--History; Napa Valley (Calif.)--Social conditions; Napa Valley (Calif.)--Economic conditions.
(Wine), Alan Deutschman (2003). A Tale of Two Valleys: Wine, Wealth and the Battle for the Good Life in Napa and Sonoma. (New York, NY: Broadway Books, p.). Wine industry--Social aspects--California--Sonoma Valley; Wine industry--Social aspects--California--Napa Valley; Wealth--Social aspects--California--Sonoma Valley; Wealth--Social aspects--California--Napa Valley; Social conflict--California--Sonoma Valley; Social conflict--California--Napa Valley; Sonoma Valley (Calif.)--Social life and customs; Napa Valley (Calif.)--Social life and customs; Sonoma Valley (Calif.)--Rural conditions; Napa Valley (Calif.)--Rural conditions.
(Wine), Charles L. Sullivan; foreword by Paul Draper (2003). Zinfandel: A History of a Grape and Its Wine. (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 224 p.). Grapes--California--History; Viticulture--California--History; Wine and wine making--California--History. Definitive history of Zinfandel - from Austria to East Coast of U.S. in 1820s, to Gold Rush California, through early days of state's wine industry; ups and downs of grape's popularity, two great mysteries: myth of Agoston Haraszthy's role in importing Zinfandel, heated controversy over relationship between California Zinfandel and Italian Primitivo.
(Wine), Thomas Pinney (2005). A History of Wine in America: From Prohibition to the Present. (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 532 p.). William M. Keck Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus and Former Chairman of the Department of English (Pomona College). Wine and wine making--United States--History; Wine industry--United States--History. Definitive account of winemaking in the United States.
(Wine), George M. Taber (2005). Judgment of Paris: California vs. France and the Historic 1976 Paris Tasting That Revolutionized Wine. (New York, NY: Scribner, 336 p.). Paris Correspondent (Time Magazine). Wine tasting--France--Paris--History--20th century; Wine industry--France--History--20th century; Wine industry--California--History--20th century; Wine and wine making--France--History--20th century; Wine and wine making--California--History--20th century. True story of the legendary Paris Tasting of 1976 - revolutionary impact on the world of wine.
(Wine), Steve Heimoff / foreword by H. William Harlan (2007). New Classic Winemakers of California: Conversations with Steve Heimoff. (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 300 p.). West Coast editor for Wine Enthusiast. Vintners--California--Biography; Wine and wine making--California--History. Survey of multibillion-dollar business with global reputation, oral history of contemporary California winemaking; personalities, intellects, philosophies, passions of individual winemakers, opinions on recent high-alcohol vintages, globalization, "cult" wine phenomenon.
(Wine), photographs by George Rose; essay by Rod Smith (2007). The Art of Terroir: A Portrait of California Vineyards. (San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books, 112 p.). Photojournalist; Writer. Vineyards--California, Northern--Pictorial works; Vineyards in art; Landscape photography--California, Northern; California, Northern--Pictorial works. Phenomenon of mystical melding of light, water, soil, air, human touch that creates a wine unique to its origin - through photographs showcasing seasonal beauty of Northern California wine country.
(Wine), Richard Mendelson (2009). From Demon to Darling: A Legal History of Wine in America. (Berkeley, CA: UC Press, 320 p.). Wine Law Specialist at Dickenson, Peatman & Fogarty in Napa, CA. American wine law from colonial times to present; country's early support for wine as a beverage, moral and religious fervor that resulted in Prohibition, governmental controls that followed Repeal. emergence of authentic, significant wine culture; how current laws shape wine industry (pricing and taxation, licensing, appellations, health claims and warnings, labeling, domestic and international commerce); concerns that have made wine alternatively demon or darling of American society; ways in which lives, livelihoods are affected by rise, fall of social movements.
(Wine), Vivienne Sosnowski (2009). When the Rivers Ran Red: An Amazing Story of Courage and Triumph in America's Wine Country. (New York, NY: Palgrave, 256 p.). Editorial Director of Examiner newspapers. Vintners --California, Northern --History --20th century; Wine --Social aspects --California, Northern --History --20th century; Vintners --California, Northern --Biography; Prohibition --California, Northern; Prohibition --United States; Violence --California, Northern --History --20th century; California, Northern --History --20th century; California, Northern --Social conditions --20th century. How California's Italian-American wine families struggled to keep their business, industry alive during 14 years of Prohibition (1919-1933); turned to struggle, subterfuge; Prohibition took effect three months after one of greatest California grape harvests of all time; violence, chaos descended on Northern California; Federal agents spilled thousands of gallons of wine in rivers and creeks, gun battles erupted on dark country roads, local law enforcement officers, sympathetic to winemaking neighbors, found ways to run circles around intruding authorities; surviving Prohibition meant facing impossible decisions for state's winemaking families: give up idyllic way of life their families had known for generations or break aw to enable their wine businesses, their livelihood to survive; how ordinary people fought to protect beautiful and timeless culture in hills and valleys of wine country.
Business History Links
California Wine Industry Interviews, The Bancroft Library
http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/ROHO/wine.html
Oral histories on the California wine industry - autobiographical interviews with persons who have contributed significantly to the development of California and the West.
Growing Up in the Wine Industry
http://marketplace.publicradio.org/shows/2006/11/16/AM200611162.html
Transcript and audio of a 2006 radio interview with E.&J. Gallo Winery president Joseph Gallo "about learning the family business from Ernest and Julio, and passing it on." Also includes a brief history of this California winery, which "has earned a reputation for being a pioneer and tastemaker, from being the first company to introduce screw-cap bottles in the 1940s to being one of the first wine producers to advertise." From American Public Media.
Sonoma County Wine Library
http://www.sonoma.lib.ca.us/wine/index.html
Special service and collection of the Sonoma County Library, the collection comprises 5,000 books on wine and related subjects, subscriptions and backfiles to over 80 wine-related periodicals.
The Wine and Wine Industry Collection
http://www.csupomona.edu/~library/LibraryInfo/special/WineIndCol.html
A special collection at Cal Poly Pomona which documents and honors the Southern California wine industry, including wine-related organizations and events. Information is collected on California wine, with emphasis on Southern California. Also included is information on regional wineries, wine selling, wine competitions, wine organizations, and wine events. Business and organization archives, archival records relating to festivals and events, documentation on the history of viticulture and winemaking in Southern California, family histories and reminiscences of local growers and vintners, and archives of individual wineries are collected. Geographic areas include Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Ventura Counties.
Wine Industry Oral History
http://libweb.sonoma.edu/regional/subject/wineoral.html
Sonoma State University Library's North Bay Regional Collection provides access to a wide range of information about the North Bay counties of Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Solano and Sonoma.
Wine Institute
Public policy advocacy association of California wineries. Wine Institute brings together the resources of 715 wineries and affiliated businesses to support legislative and regulatory advocacy, international market development, media relations, scientific research, and education programs that benefit the entire California wine industry. The Mission of the Wine Institute is to initiate and advocate state, federal and international public policy to enhance the environment for the responsible consumption and enjoyment of wine.
World of Pinot Noir
http://www.worldofpinotnoir.com/.
Our mission is to bring extraordinary Pinot Noir producers from around the globe together with Pinot Noir enthusiasts for a weekend celebration and education about our collective passion…Pinot Noir! Annual event (started in 2000) takes place the first full weekend in March and includes two days of in-depth Tasting Seminars, Grand Tastings (each with a unique roster of wineries), a Featured Tasting with a guest Burgundian producer, two Gala Pinot Noir Dinners featuring prominent guest chefs and culminates with a Santa Barbara style Paulée. These extraordinary food and wine extravaganzas will be hosted by participating wineries and feature an outstanding panel of Sommeliers from across the U.S.
