A HISTORY OF THE SACRAMENTO VITICULTURAL DISTRICT Comprising the counties of Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Sacramento, Shasta, Sutter, Tehama and Yolo WITH GRAPE ACREAGE ST ATISTICS AND DIRECTORIES OF GRAPE GROWERS An Unpublished Manuscript by Ernest P. Peninou ©1965, 1995, 2000 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED NOW PRESENTED BY NOMISPRESS FOR THE WINE LIBRARIANS ASSOCIATION 2004 All history is made up from the statements and records of others; there can be no originality in the facts of history. Dedicated to all those who shared their memories and answered my questions the past forty years .. LI. CONTENTS A HISTORY OF THE SACRAMENTO VITICULTURAL DISTRICT Beginnings I Sacramento County............................................................................... 1 Butte County ............................................................................................................ 22 Colusa County........................................................................................................... 23 Sutter County ........................................................................................................... 24 Tehama County......................................................................................................... 25 Yolo County .............................................................................................................. 37 GRAPE ACREAGE STATISTICS, 1856 - 1992 ............................................................ 58 DIRECTORIES OF THE GRAPE GROWERS AND WINE MAKERS,1860-1900 ....... 97 1860 (Peninou & Greenleaf, A Directory ... ) Butte County ......................................................................................................... 98 Sacramento County................................................................. : .............................. 98 Sutter County ........................................................................................................ 99 Tehama County.................................................................................................... 100 Yolo County ......................................................................................................... 101 1870 (U.S. Census) Butte County....................................................................................................... 102 Colusa County ........................................................................ ,............................ 103 Sacramento County.............................................................................................. 103 Shasta County ..................................................................................................... 106 Sutter County ....................................................................................................... 107 Tehama County.................................................................................................... 107 Yolo County ......................................................................................................... 107 1880 (U.S. Census) Butte County....................................................................................................... 109 Colusa County ..................................................................................................... 112 Sacramento County.............................................................................................. 112 Shasta County ........................................................................ , ............................ 117 Sutter County....................................................................................................... 117 Tehama County.................................................................................................... 119 Yolo County ......................................................................................................... 120 1884 (San Francisco Merchant, No.21, 1884) Butte County........................................................................... 1••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 123 Colusa County ..................................................................................................... 123 Sacramento County.............................................................................................. 123 Shasta County ..................................................................................................... 125 Sutter County ....................................................................................................... 125 Tehama County .................................................................................................... 125 Yolo County ......................................................................................................... 126 1888 (C.B.S.V.C., Directory of Grape Growers, Wine Makers ... ) Butte County....................................................................................................... 127 Colusa County ..................................................................................................... 128 Sacramento County.............................................................................................. 129 Shasta County .........................................................................,, ........................... 130 Sutter County....................................................................................................... 131 THE SERIES: A History of the Seven Viticultural Districts of California, by Ernest P. Peninou - Sonoma Viticultural District. Published by Nomis Press, 1998. ISBN 9626543-1-0 - Napa Viticultural District. Unpublished manuscript. - San Francisco Viticultural District. Unpublished manuscript. - Los Angeles Viticultural District. Unpublished manuscript. - Sacramento Viticultural District. Unpublished manuscript. - San Joaquin Viticultural District. Unpublished manuscript. - El Dorado Viticultural District. Unpublished manuscript. COMPANION VOLUME: The California Wine Association & Its Member Wineries, 1894-1920, by Ernest P. Peninou and Gail Unzelman (Nomis Press, 2000), 414 pp., with index) COMPANION VOLUME: A Statistical History of Wine Grape Acreage in California, 1856-1992. Compiled by Ernest Peninou. Unpublished manuscript. This volume, index, and illustrations were prepared by Gail Unzelman, Nomis Press, 2004, in honor of Ernest Peninou (1916-2002). All volumes are available from Nomis Press P.O. Box 9023 Santa Rosa, CA 95405 Tehama County .................................................................................................... 131 Yolo County ......................................................................................................... 132 1889 (Frona E. Wait, Wines & Vines ... ) Sacramento County.............................................................................................. 133 Tehama County .................................................................................................... 134 Yolo County ......................................................................................................... 135 1891 (C.B.S.V.C., Directory of Grape Growers, Wine Makers ... ) Butte County....................................................................................................... 136 Colusa County ..................................................................................................... 137 Sacramento County.............................................................................................. 138 Shasta County ..................................................................................................... 142 Sutter County ....................................................................................................... 145 Tehama County.................................................................................................... 146 Yolo County ......................................................................................................... 147 INDEX ............................................................................................................................ 148 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS .......................................................................................... 152 THE SEVEN VITICULTURAL DISTRICTS OF CALIFORNIA [Established by the California Board of State Viticultural Commissioners, 1880) !ST DISTRICT- SONOMA SISKIYOU MODOC 2ND DISTRICT - NAPA }RD DISTRICT - SAN FRANCISCO 4TH DISTRICT - LOS ANGELES 5TH DISTRICT - SACRAMENTO 6TH DISTRICT - SAN JOAQUIN 7TH DISTRICT - EL DORADO S.IMBEIURDIND © RIVERSIDE IMPERIAL v SACRAMENTO VITICULTURAL DISTRICT. The county of Sacra­ mento and the central valley counties to the north, which together comprised the Sacramento Viticultural District, were represented by Yolo County grape grower Russell B. Blowers of Woodland, acknowl­ edged to be the first vineyardist in the State to preserve grapes as raisim and to ship fresh grapes to the East Coast. Blowers was followed by Dr. W. S. Manlove (1887-1890) and R. D. Stephens (1891-1894), a politi­ cally minded gentleman who was Postmaster of Sacramento. vi 5TH VITICULTURAL DISTRICT - SACRAMENTO Comprising the counties of Sacramento, Yolo, Sutter, Colusa, Butte, Glenn, Tehama and Shasta Land Area: 13,477 sq.mi. I 8,625,280 acres The climate and soil of the Sacramento Valley are as well suited to thl production of dessert wines as the San Joaquin Valley, yet unlike its r southern neighbor, the Sacramento Valley did not develop into an 1 extensive winemaking or grape growi