1883: 150 Vineyards in San Luis Obispo County
Can you imagine—150 Vineyards in San Luis Obispo County in 1883? The first commercial winemaker in...
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Author: Libbie Agran
Pierre Hypolite Dallidet (1822-1909)
Pierre Hypolite Dallidet is celebrated as the first commercial winemaker in San Luis Obispo County, and he confirmed his fame when he also became the first commercial distiller in the county. His legend is one of adventure, upheaval, service to his country, viticulture, and travels abroad—from his village in southwestern France to Tahiti to Hangtown and finally to San Luis Obispo, California.
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Wine History by Decade: 1970s
The first large scale commercial vineyards are in San Luis Obispo County, financed by serious capital investors and partnerships shaping history in San Luis Obispo County. For the previous 100 years, the vineyards and wineries were individual or family-owned enterprises.
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Henry Ditmas (1845-1892)
In 1878, Henry filed a government claim for 560 acres adjoining Ranchita Arroyo Grande and named it Rancho Saucelito for its many bordering willow trees, willow in Spanish is sauce. The following year, 1879, Henry cleared land and planted Zinfandel and Muscat grapevines. The vines were sent from Europe and purchased locally according to the Ditmas family. This is the first documented planting of Zinfandel in the upper Arroyo Grande Valley.
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