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The First Vineyard Owner – 2350 B.C.

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, Food Historian

News - Overview

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.

Romeo (Meo) Zuech (1926 – 2017) An Italian Immigrant Who Worked In Aerospace, Enjoyed Home Wine Making Classes, Retired To Care For An Edna Valley Vineyard, Introduced Grapes Including Lagrein, Dornfelder, Marzamino And Teroldego From His Native Alto Adige And Founded His Own Winery, Piedra Creek

Grower, Winemaker, Winery Owner/Founder

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.

Size Matters: Is the Bigger Bottle Better?

Wine - 21st Century History

Due to the ubiquitous nature of wine and champagne in today’s society, most people can identify what a standard bottle looks like. Some are even able to recall the term “magnum” as a way to describe a bottle larger than average. Outside of the world of...

Its 1977 and there is a Wine Revolution going on in California

Wine - 1970s History

It is 1977 and there is a Wine Revolution going on in California. The phrase, “California Wine Country,” had referred only to the areas around the San Francisco Bay: Napa, Sonoma, Monterey, and Santa Clara Counties. Today vineyards and wineries have been spawning from...

1977 Estrella River Winery – A Star is Rising

Wine - 1970s History

It is 1977. The Estrella River Winery is rising on a hill that dominates the countryside on the Estrella Plains, just east of the Paso Robles Airport. The magnificent structure is surrounded by the 700-acre Estrella vineyards rolling out like a lush carpet over the...