Wine making in Calaveras County began in the early years of the Gold Rush, with the first 1,000 vines set out on the lower Calaveras River in 1851 (Sacramento Transcript, March 14, 1851). Those early day grape growers had reportedly been impressed by the healthy thickets of the native grape, Vitus californica, which grew along the banks of the rivers and streams in the county. Although the varietal was not noted, the vines planted must have been of the Mission grape, whose origins have been traced back to the Old World over 500 years ago.
(by Judith Marvin, Foothill Resources, Ltd., Murphys, CA, 2006)
