Mission Grapes - Rancho Cucamonga, CA - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

The plaque says ,"On display are Mission grapevines, the first Vitis vinifera species planted in North America by the Spanich.

Introduced to California by Father Juan de Ugarte, the vine plantings followed the development of California's Missions as far north as San Jose. The wine was used in religious sacraments as well as for daily meals.

Due to its associated with the church, the grapes were given the name Mission, and from 1967 until well into the 20th century, the dominated vineyards in California.

Known for its hardiness, its requires little car, is resistant to disease, and cane live for more than a century. Mission grapevines are one example of a "heritage crop" in California, where groups are working to protect and preserve pieces of its agricultural past. The primary use of the mission grape is to produce the sweet, fortified wine Angelica - which is considered California's original wine."

Mission vine cuttings from the San Gabriel Mission in Los Angeles County were introduced to Cucamonga in 1838. they turned out to be well-suited for this area's sandy loam and climate and they consequently thrived. Routinely yielding 0 tons per acre, Mission grapes became the foundation for many area wineries. In fact, the oldest commercial winery in California, Casa de Cucamonga, was founded by John Rains and later became the Thomas Brothers Winey, and is lass than a mile east from this spot.

Over time, Mission graps lost acreage in California for numerous reason, including urban development and lack of marketing appeal; but pockets of this large-producing grap reimain, including here in the historic Cucamonga Valley. Today, less than 1,000 acres of Mission grapes are being cultivated in the entire state.

Local area vintner families Biane-Tibbetts, Filippi, Galleano, and Hofer utilize Mission grapes for the production of their award-winning, barrel-aged wines.

The Grape Harvest Festival original so local vintners could proudly present their wines and celebrate the end of the harvest season. Grape stomping remains a highlight of the local festival which continues to this day.

These Mission grapevine plants were obtained as cuttings from the University of California at Davis plat repository."

Group that erected the marker: Unknown Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: Rancho Cucamonga, California URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: Not listed

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Date Logged Log   04/09/2021 bluesnote visited it