Winery – California’s Gold (1008)

Napa Valley has become one of California’s main tourist attractions. Thousands of people flock to the area for wine tasting and vineyard tours every year. What most people don’t realize is that California’s rich wine history got its start in southern California.

In this grape filled adventure, Huell travels to one of the oldest wineries in California. The Guasti family established their winery in 1904 and at one time had 4000 acres of grapes in the Rancho Cucamonga area. A virtual town was built to house the employees and their families. It had its own school, firehouse, inn, church, and post office. In 1917 Guasti was the largest winery in the world.

As a special treat, Huell attends a “Guasti” reunion filled with ex-employees and their families that had lived and worked at the winery throughout its history. We’ll look at old photos and listen to some wonderful stories. We’ll also visit Joseph Filippi Winery which has been family run since 1922. Huell goes to the vineyards to take a close a look at what makes southern California wine so special.

 1999