The people behind the bottle - both past and present.
Janell was born into the fourth generation of a famous Italian family who settled in Paso Robles and Templeton in San Luis Obispo County in the 1920s. She was born and raised in the Dante Dusi Vineyard and by the age of 12 knew she wanted to pursue winemaking. Dante was her mentor.
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The Wine History Project Honors Vicki Carroll as a wine educator in San Luis Obispo County who promoted local winemakers, growers and agriculture in the 1990s. She founded her own marketing consulting firm before becoming the President and Executive Director of Hospice du Rhône with the mission of improving the business conditions for grape growers and wine producers of Rhône variety wines and grapes throughout the world.
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The Wine History Project honors Karen MacNeil as the most influential wine educator and writer in the United States. She not only produced the most comprehensive and accessible “Bible” on viticulture, wine history and wine culture throughout the world, but continues to make wine accessible to everyone through her blogs, wine quizzes, seminars, films, special events and wine tastings. She is always available to educate you with delight and passion.
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Hello, readers and champions of this phenomenal SLO Wine History Project. My name is Gail Unzelman, a California wine historian of many decades, now pretty much retired. (Which we all know is impossible.) SLO Director Libbie has asked me to contribute a little something about my California wine history writings and experiences — which I am honored to do.
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Third-generation Italian grower and winemaker at the famous Pesenti Winery and his own ZinAlley in Templeton. Frank is proud of his heritage and continues to strengthen the Legacy of both the Nerelli and Pesenti families.
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Robin Baggett and Bob Schiebelhut were working as young lawyers in San Francisco soon after graduating from law school. Within a few years they were both dreaming of moving to an area with a more laid-back and idyllic lifestyle. The dream of living in a beautiful area on the Central Coast of California found its roots in childhood. Both men had family backgrounds “steeped” in agriculture.
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Romeo (Meo) made wines sourced from the finest grapes in San Luis Obispo County. He harvested his own grapes. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay came from the MacGregor Vineyard in the Edna Valley, and Zinfandel from the old vines in the Benito Dusi Vineyard in Paso Robles. Meo had a long history making wine at home in his laundry room in Southern California as a hobby starting in the 1960s. However, when he retired to the Edna Valley his talents and passion for winemaking brought him into the limelight. He started new careers as a grower and winemaker at age 75.
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Summary Domaine Alfred Winery, founded by Terry Speizer in 1994, changed the history of...
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Norman Goss was a “renaissance man ”; he had several remarkable talents, passions, an extensive knowledge of international wine regions, and built multiple careers that spanned most of the twentieth century. He traveled the world, and explored cultures and their cuisines, wines, music, and arts. He was a Californian, born in Los Angeles, who traveled to Europe in the “Grand Tour” fashion with his parents as a child; he was raised in Pasadena, which also became his home for a number of years in adulthood.
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Phillip developed a passion for wine and ancient winemaking techniques during his travels. After much research he became the first person in San Luis Obispo County to pursue Biodynamic Farming in the vineyard when planting 17 acres with eleven grape varieties in Templeton.
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To continue the International Celebration of Women’s History Month, I want to introduce you to some of the heroines, winemakers, and owners of the Champagne Houses, who promoted, innovated and made French champagne during the past 250 years…
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Vailia From describes herself as a traveler by nature and says “Desparada is what carries me.” Vailia arrived in Paso Robles in the year 2007, bringing her home on wheels with her. Within a few days she was parked in a vineyard owned by one of the early biodynamic farmers in the area and working at a local co-op as a cellar rat. This story is about the middle of her life journey and the birth of Desparada. The adventure continues…
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Manu Fiorentini moved to Paso Robles with his wife Jordan, winemaker at Epoch Estate Wines, in 2010. He brings a variety of experiences and areas of expertise which have profoundly influenced winemaking in San Luis Obispo County. Manu was born in the city of Rome in Italy and grew up outside Milan. He spent most summers with his grandfather in Tuscany. He studied in France and speaks both Italian and French fluently. He founded the first local business to offer both technical services and a complete range of supplies and equipment for winemaking. He imports French Oak barrels, Italian-made concrete tanks, Italian-made winemaking equipment (including filters, crush equipment, tanks and bottling lines), Tuscan anfore and provides wine treatment services (including filtration and wine adjustments).
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The Wine History Project spent several years developing criteria for the person, place, grape, vineyard or event to be selected as a LEGEND for our archives and website. In general each LEGEND has made an impact that has profoundly influenced the Wine History of San Luis Obispo County. Daniel Callan is the youngest person selected to date. He is the Assistant Winemaker at Thacher Winery. But he also has developed several historical research projects that include identifying the “Lost or Forgotten California Vineyards” where grapevines have flourished over 100 years ago. His love of history has brought new attention to heirloom grape varieties planted in California in the 19th Century and the winemaking techniques used in each era. Daniel is researching, cultivating and making wine from these forgotten grapes.
Read MoreJohn H. Foott served as the agricultural advisor to San Luis Obispo County from 1966 to 1991 when he retired from the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources Department of University of California Statewide Extension (UCCE). Everyone knew him as Jack Foott. His legacy surrounds us in the vineyards, fruit orchards, avocado groves and vegetable fields that grow throughout San Luis Obispo County.
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Stephanie Terrizzi is a viticulturist with years of experience and training, who focuses on sustainable farming and building healthy soil in the vineyards. She is known for planting Nebbiolo, Trebbiano, Sangiovese, Friulano and Ribolla Gialla that thrive in San Luis Obispo County.
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Brian Terrizzi grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio in an area with a large German population. As a child he was identified as Italian by his schoolmates. Maybe it was the vowel at the end of his name. He was curious about his heritage. He spent his Sundays with his grandparents. They loved to cook and eat special foods from Italy. They taught Brian about his Sicilian heritage in the kitchen and around the dinner table.
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Sherman Thacher has a special affinity for preserving the unique ecosystem and wildlife corridor on his property located in the Adelaida region on Vineyard Drive in San Luis Obispo County. He has become a steward of his land that was once a part of the original Old Kentucky Ranch established in 1869, just west of the town of Paso Robles.
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Blake Printery, founded in the city of San Luis Obispo, established the business of producing and printing wine labels for the wine industry with a graphic design team and cutting-edge technology that has become one of the most famous and dynamic in the world.
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First-generation winemaker Lorenzo and his wife, Cesarina Nonini planted a vineyard and built their winery in 1917, naming it Templeton Winery. Templeton Winery was the second winery in San Luis Obispo County bonded after Prohibition was repealed in 1934.
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Aldo Nerelli and Victor Pesenti, the second generation of winemakers (1946–1969) at Pesenti Winery.
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Frank Pesenti founded the first winery that was bonded after Prohibition in 1934, Pesenti Winery famous for Zinfandel and generic red table wines sold in gallon jugs.
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A third-generation winemaker and the only one of Frank Pesenti’s twenty grandchildren who continued to work at the Pesenti Winery until it was sold to Larry Turley in 2001, Frank Nerelli is the founder of ZinAlley Winery.
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Stephen Ross Dooley is a mentor and wine consultant that has helped local winemakers and wineries produce award-winning wines in both the Edna and Arroyo Grande Valleys. He founded Stephen Ross Wine Cellars after being the winemaker at Edna Valley Vineyard and Moro Bay Vineyards. He is a co-founder of the Edna Valley Vintners Association and worked with Brian Talley to establish World of Pinot and in developing the Stone Corral Vineyard.
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Catharine Niven was the first woman in San Luis Obispo County to plant her own vineyard and to make wine under her own label, Tiffany Hill, in the Edna Valley. She is also the first winemaker in the Niven family, owners of the Paragon Vineyard Co., who planted extensive vineyards in the Edna Valley in 1973 and became famous for the quality of their Chardonnay grapes.
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This article focuses on the history of the Kentucky Ranch from 1850 when San Luis Obispo County was established to the year 2004 when Sherman Thacher purchased a portion of the old Kentucky Ranch with the KY historic barn and founded Thacher Winery. Sherman built the first winery on the property and planted grape varieties to produce wines that reflect the terroir and sense of place.
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Art initiated a movement of small growers focusing on premium grapes for local winemakers crafting small production fine wines when, in 1972, he planted the first vineyards of Zinfandel and Barbera on Vineyard Drive in the Adelaida region in west Paso Robles.
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Doug and Nancy Beckett enjoyed California wines in the early 1970s, never dreaming that they would found their own winery, Peachy Canyon Winery, and become internationally known for the quality of their Zinfandel wines which have been sold in every state of the nation, Europe, Asia, Canada, and Mexico.
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The Talley family established Talley Farms and Talley Vineyards, farmed by three generations since 1948, to provide premium quality vegetables to thousands of local customers, produce markets and restaurants for over 72 years.
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The Casteel family was one of the early pioneers to settle in Dover Canyon in 1887. Four generations of the Casteel family have worked and owned ranches in Northern San Luis Obispo County. Clarence Casteel planted vineyards in 1914 at the east end of Jensen Road. His son Mel who worked in those vineyards, later acquired his father’s ranch property in 1956 and became well known for his Zinfandel grapes grown on some of the oldest Zinfandel clones in California. He sold his grapes to many winemakers including David Benion of Ridge Vineyards in Santa Clara County, who favored old vine Zinfandel.
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