From the Earliest Days to the Present

Have you ever wondered about the historical "roots" of the Wine Country?  If so, our history tour is the perfect way to travel back in time.  Aquaint yourself with the founders of the wine country and the industry’s earliest beginnings.  Meet Father Altimura, General Vallejo, George Yount, Charles Krug, Hamilton Crabb (who?), Gustave Niebaum, Josephine Tychson, the Beringer Brothers and so many others that founded the wine industry.

We'll begin our day in Sonoma aquainting ourselves with the missionary priests that planted the first vineyards and started making the first wine in the area.  We'll get to know the early Mexican settlers and how they affected the settlement and viticulture of the area. 

 

Before leaving Sonoma, we'll stop by and say quick 'hello' to Count Harazthy, who founded of the oldest winery in California, Buena Vista, in 1857. Then, we’ll travel over to Napa to acquaint you with an overview of the wine history there. We’ll visit a number of historic spots including a few of the earliest winery sites. We’ll also visit FOUR different cemeteries where we will visit the graves of  many of these remarkable characters and ‘bring them to life’ for you.

By the end of your tour, you will fully understand the progression from wilderness to Wine Country by visiting the places and meeting the people that founded Napa and Sonoma. We will aquaint you with a number of historical references and share pages of history that you will find useful in your future study.