The Wine History Project of SLO County preserves and presents two centuries of local viticulture through research, interviews, exhibitions, publications, talks and tastings. We work with local museums, galleries, archives, and wineries to organize events and exhibitions in venues throughout the county.
Together We Can Preserve the Story of Central Coast Winemaking
3592 Broad Street,
Suite 104,
San Luis Obispo,
CA 93401
(805) 439-4647
libbie@winehistoryproject.org
By Appointment
Adolph Siot was the first vintner in the area just west of the town of Templeton. The vineyards and winery that we know today as the Rotta Winery were established by Adolph Siot, who purchased the land in 1891 from the West Coast Land Company.
1930sAmerican Wine Labels: New York Wine Merchant Frank Schoonmaker developed the description that we read on a wine label today. The grape variety, which is listed below the name of the producer or the producer’s brand, is the most common way to designate wines in...
July Ackerman has been instrumental in shaping the wine history of the Paso Robles AVA and the Wine and Viticulture Program at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. She served as the first Executive Director of the Paso Robles Vintners and Growers Association founded in 1992.
Today we enjoy drinking the Super Tuscan wines of Italy. The area we now know as Tuscany was the home of the Etruscan civilization in ancient Italy. The civilization had its own language and dates back to at least 700 BC based on the earliest Etruscan inscriptions...
The oldest known evidence of the domestication of potatoes is found in the North Creek Shelter Site in Utah’s Escalante Valley. Potato starch residues have been found on stone grinding tools, which are 10,900 years old. The type of potato is a species known as the...
1990Tablas Creek imports vine cuttings from partner estate Château de Beaucastel in France including clones of Mourvédre, Grenache Noir, Syrah, Counoise, Roussanne, Viognier, Marsanne, Grenache Blanc, Picpoul Blanc, and a variety of rootstocks. They begin a...
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.
Romeo “Meo” Zuech was an Italian-born aerospace engineer who retired from Rocketdyne in 1983 and established the Piedra Creek Winery in the Edna Valley in 1984 with his wife Margaret. Margaret and Romeo “Meo” Zuech were Legends for introducing grape varieties from the Alto Adige, Italy region to San Luis Obispo County and Edna Valley. Together they planted Gewurztraminer, Lagrein, Dornfelder, Marzamino, and Teroldego. Margaret and Meo were the first to bring the Lagrein grape to the United States from Meo’s homeland in Bolzano, Italy.
Ian McPhee changed the food and wine scene in San Luis Obispo County by bringing a new approach to selecting, preparing and serving great food in local restaurants. He was the first chef to focus on pairing those meals in his restaurants with the best local wines being produced in the county. He introduced himself to local winemakers, tasting and purchasing their wines for Ian’s Restaurant in Cambria and McPhee’s Grill in Templeton.
Open March 1 to April 10. Featuring original works and art etchings on wine bottles, including original works by James-Paul Brown, Yuroz, Gary Conway, Candice Norcross, Colleen Gnos, Michael Masicampo, and artists of the Mano Tinta Project.
The story of the Zinfandel Grape and early growers and winemakers.
June 2018
Last night’s opening of Wine Becomes Art in the historic Dallidet Adobe of 1860 was a joyous occasion!
We would love to hear from you.