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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 Templeton Winery was the second winery in San Luis Obispo County bonded after Prohibition was repealed in 1934.
Aldo Nerelli and Victor Pesenti, the second generation of winemakers (1946–1969) at Pesenti Winery.
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.
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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