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
Frank Pesenti immigrated to the San Luis Obispo County from Italy in 1914. He started working in the York Mountain area, clearing timber and making charcoal for the railroads for fuel. He planted Zinfandel vines in 1923. After Prohibition ended in 1933,...
During Prohibition the California Wine Industry appeared to “dry up” but there was much activity beneath the surface. The Eighteenth Amendment allowed the sale of wine grapes to heads of households who could convert grape juice into wine as long they did not produce over 200 gallons of wine per household per year.
“Wine is about passion – a passion for life, a passion for food, a passion for people. I am in the winery seven days a week because this is what I truly believe in. I have never had another career and I am living my dream.”
Vintner John Munch was a maverick before arriving in Paso Robles, so it’s no wonder he was drawn to the wild west spirit of the region and decided to put roots down in the late 1970s. An intrinsic part of Paso Robles wine history, the legendary winemaker will be roasted and toasted by his peers and friends at the 4th Annual Fryers Celebrity Roast on October 28 at Terra Mia in Paso Robles.
Wine history is in Egypt is painted on the walls of the ancient Tombs. Thus we can visualize the vineyards along the Nile where the western bank of the river was the best area for planting vines. Terrace were built on higher grand to protect the vineyards from...
The Greeks were known for diluting their wine with water. There were two styles of wine making described in Greek literature: early harvest wines which were short lived and likely to sour and late harvest wines with high alcohol and a sweet rich taste. Most Greeks preferred the sweet wines made from ripe grapes. After harvest, the grapes were placed on mats in the sun where they baked until the grapes were shriveled to raisins with the sugar and flavor concentrated in the fruit. The shriveled grapes were placed in clay jars filled with grape juice for a week before being pressed and fermented.
When did man meet the vine and start making wine? It happened long, long ago. Archaeological evidence indicated that wine making has been around at least 8,000 years. Ancient clay pots, known as Kvevri, have been found in the Transcaucasus region. There are villages in the country of Georgia where wine making today is done in the ancient traditions.
Well, surely you remember Noah, the ship builder and sailor, who loaded his wife and the animals two by two onto his ark to save them from the giant flood. The Book of Genesis in the Bible tells the story that as soon as the great flood waters receded around 2350 B.C. Noah, his family and the animals, two by two, disembarked. Noah found a plot of land nearby and began to plant a vineyard. It may not have been the very first vineyard to be planted on earth, but it was the first documented ownership of a vineyard.
Sarah Lohman is a culinary historian the author of Eight Flavors: The Untold Story of American Cuisine. Sarah is a Food History Project advisor. She visits the Central Coast multiple times a year to conduct Food History Week lectures and events.
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