Once upon a time

Winemaking in California began over 200 years ago. In 1769, Father Junipero Serra, a Franciscan missionary, brought settlers from Mexico into the area known as San Diego. He established a mission there and in 1779 planted the first known vineyard at Mission San Juan Capistrano. As he moved north along the route that became known as El Camino Real (now highway 1 and part of highway 101), he and others established 21 missions linking San Diego in the south to Sonoma in the north. To each, Father Serra brought the cultivation of the grape. The first wines were produced for sacramental purposes and the daily table needs of the missions. The grape variety planted came with the missionaries from Mexico and was known as the "Mission" grape.

From mission to vision
About 1830, the commercial era started through the efforts of a Frenchman, Jean Louis Vignes. Arriving from Bordeaux, he saw the land's potential and soon imported cuttings of many varieties of the native European Vitis vinifera. His vineyard was located in what is now downtown Los Angeles. Shortly thereafter, a group of German Utopians started a large vineyard in Anaheim, now home to the world-famous Disneyland. In 1848, the discovery of gold forever changed the northern half of California. With it came an tremendous increase in population, wealth and settlements. Among those attracted to the pursuit of gold were many immigrants from France, Italy, Germany, Great Britain and other countries. A few struck it rich. Many of those who did not, especially the Europeans, had a background in grapegrowing and winemaking, realized the unlimited potential and started planting vineyards. 1848 was also the year of the "Bear Flag Revolt" and the subsequent annexation of California by the United States.

Good wine becomes better
Between 1860 and 1880 the industry grew rapidly as numerous wineries were established. That quality of California wines improved during this period is generally credited to Count Agoston Haraszthy of Hungary, who brought many vine cuttings back to California from his trips to Europe. Around 1880, the University of California established a major research center in Berkeley and experimental vineyard plots in many areas of the state, which also improved quality of winemaking in California. This development evolved into the now famous Department of Viticulture and Enology at the University of California (UC) at Davis.

The grape depression
With the completion of the transcontinental railroad system in 1869, California wines were soon well represented in the eastern United States and many wineries even started exporting to Europe. By 1890, the industry was producing about 100 million liters of wine per year. At the Paris Exposition in that year, nearly half of the California wines entered in the wine competition earned gold medals. The California wine industry was booming, but not for long. Phylloxera, the dreaded vine pest, appeared in California and by the turn of the century, it had ravaged many vineyards. Old vineyards had to be uprooted and new ones planted with Vinifera varieties that had been grafted to American rootstock, which was immune to phylloxera. An even more devastating blow to the California wine industry was the adoption of Prohibition in 1919, which banned the production and sales of alcoholic beverages in the United States. A few producers remained in operation making sacramental wines, but most vineyards were either removed or replanted to table grapes or thick-skinned varieties that could be shipped great distances for home winemaking, which was still allowed.

A new start
After the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, the wine industry faced the arduous task of rebuilding from the ground up. The renaissance did not really begin until the late 1940s. Before then, progress was slowed by the Great Depression and World War II. Back on its feet in the early 50's, the industry produced about 500 million liters.

First place
In the 1960's the California wine industry began to lay the foundation for a wine boom in the 1970's. Consumer tastes began to change, dry wines with varietal names became increasingly popular, replacing sweeter wines. Many new wineries were started, especially in Sonoma and Napa Valley. In 1976, during the now famous comparative tasting of the best French and California wines held in Paris, California wines won first place in both the red and white wine categories. Almost overnight, California was recognized by the international wine critics as one of the top wine producing regions in the world.

Expansion name of the game
In the late 1970's, California wines came of age. Production and sales reached record levels and the market for California wines became global. To meet growing demand, new vineyards were planted. Between 1960 and 1995, total vineyard land increased from 40.000 hectares to more than 135.000 hectares and the number of wineries grew from 227 to well over 800 in that period.

Better match
History repeated itself as phylloxera returned to California in the late 80's, 100 years after its first appearance. Yet this time, the knowledge and money were available to replant the affected vineyards. Although the industry had to invest heavily in replanting its vineyards, it allowed the wineries to increase yields by planting more vines per hectare and, more importantly, to better match the right grape varietals to the right vineyard location and soils.

New players
California's larger wineries expanded their operations throughout the state, planting more vineyards and building new wineries. Smaller wineries expanded as well and many new players entered the market, often with a very small but very high quality production. European wineries and winemakers offered their own form of flattery by purchasing vineyard land and producing wine in California. There are now more than 900 wineries and 4.400 grape growers in California, farming 224.000 hectares of vineyards. Production in 1998 was 1.855.000.000 liters, making California the 4th largest wine producer in the world, right behind France, Italy and Spain.

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