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San Antonio Winery in Los Angeles and Paso Robles Celebrating 101 Years

Los Angeles was the center of California’s small commercial winemaking industry in the 1850s.

Celebration of Hank Donatoni’s 40th Anniversary Crush

Anniversaries, Awards, and Celebrations, Winemaker, Winery Owner/Founder

Hank Donatoni celebrated his 40th crush of wine grapes in October 2018 in Paso Robles. Friends and Wine Club Members gathered at his Donatoni Winery on both Saturday and Sunday, November 3rd and 4th to reminisce and taste a variety of wines. The Vertical Blend of...

Pesenti Winery

Wine - 1920s & 1930s History

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,...

Prohibition in California – vineyard acreage increased to meet demand for grapes and home winemaking thrives

Wine - 1920s & 1930s History

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.

Gary Eberle (1944 To Present) Visionary Who Saw The Importance Of Creating A Regional Identity, The Paso Robles AVA And Hospitality By Meeting His Customers At The Door Of His Tasting Room Every Day

Grower, Winery Owner/Founder

“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.”

Winemaker John Munch: A Paso Robles Maverick

Winemaker, Winery Owner/Founder

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.

Tombs, Trellises and Troughs

Wine - Ancient History

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...

Greek Wines And Greek Poetry – Both Sweet In 2000 B.C.

Wine - Ancient History

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.

Kvevri – Winemaking in an Earthenware Jar 6000 B.C.

Wine - Ancient History

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.