The complete history of California wineries

Best California Wineries

Best California Wineries

There are evidences that the first vineyard in California wants to be planted in 1683, but it could not be developed and was ultimately abandoned. It was not until 1779 the vineyards actually got developed. This happened when Father Serra, with the help of some missionaries, planted vineyards to produce wines that would be used only for religious purposes. The commercial wine industries started in the mid 19th century. Even then, most of the industries and vineyards were in the southern California. In 1859, the wine industries in Los Angeles got a significant boost when the lands being used for planting grapes became tax-free.

The birth of Napa Valley

Today, Napa Valley is famous around the globe for producing the best quality wine. But the wine industries came here only when Abraham Lincoln was president. Before that, most of the traditional wines of America were produced in Virginia, New York, Ohio, etc. In 1836, a man named George Calvert Yount started planted vineyards in the northern California. John Patchett is credited with planting the first official vineyard here in 1954 and began producing wine in 1857. Two years after that he constructed his cellar. The next year his wine was featured in the first ever official wine review.

The following years

In the following years, California wineries flourished and grew beyond expectations. By 1889, around 150 wineries had started wine in California. The most popular of these were Charles Krug, Schramsberg, To Kalon, Beringer, Simi, Inglenook, etc. The main problem faced by wine producers during this period was glass bottles. They were very expensive and hard to find. It was very common for the industries to recycle used bottles. But soon the problem vanished when a vine owner, named Charles Kohler, started producing wine bottles. Later he also started a wine distribution and export company with his partner.

The wines of California faced a major setback when the competitors accused them of adulteration. This went on for about 20 years. Then the wines became famous outside the state and no one dared to question them. By the end of 19th century, more than 200,000 acres of vines were planted, which was more than America could consume. Overproduction was accompanied by the lack of demand due to depression. Also, most of the production was done without considering quality standards. To solve all these problems, California Wine Association was created in 1984.

The start of 20th century

Everything started running smoothly in the California wineries by 1919. But then the Volstead Act was passed. This act made producing and selling alcoholic beverages illegal. The owners abandoned most of the wineries and the vines were left to die. Out of the 2500 wineries in America, less than a 100 were left by 1933.

When the situation was just starting to improve, the World War II made it worse. But the new generation of businessmen did not give up. They continued developing the wine industry, no matter how bad things were. Their efforts led the popularity of California wines that we see today.