An update on the Heritage Mission Vineyard Project at the Dana Adobe: Twenty-eight Mission vines propagated from the vines growing for centuries at the Mission San Gabriel will be planted at the historic Dana Adobe in late April or early May. The vineyard will be surrounded by a stone wall to be built in April which in turn will be surrounded by a garden of native plants and cactus. This project is supported by many local residents, viticulturalists: Jim Efird, Randy Heinzen, Don Campbell, and Rod Gross with the support of Dana Adobe board members and volunteers Jim Corridan, Len Hoskins, Garrett Dana, Bill Weiger, Tara Machin and Nick Wilkinson. If you would like to support this project please visit the Dana Adobe website and donate to this historic and beautiful project.
Twelve more Mission vines will be planted in the Trestle Vineyard at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in the spring. The design for the trellis is underway by the Viticulture Department. Our thanks to Benoit LeCat and Jean Peterson Dodson for their collaboration on this exciting project.
The Wine History Project will be designing educational panels at both locations to share the unique history of agriculture, Mission grapes and winemaking in San Luis Obispo County brought by the Spanish in the late 1700s. We are documenting the Mission grapevines still growing in the county. We have discovered Mission vines planted in the 1860s and still thriving. The oldest vine may date to the 1840s – stay tuned for photos and more history. Please contact us if you have history to share at libbie@winehistoryproject.org.
