Rancho Cucamonga in San Bernardino County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

From Vineyards to Cities

— The Vintners Walk —

Photographed by Adam Margolis, March 5, 2023

1. From Vineyards to Cities Marker

Inscription. The post-war migration to Southern California from all parts of the country, when combined with other key factors, eroded the Cucamonga Valley viticulture industry irreparably. Starting in 1942 with Kaiser's mammoth steel plant in Fontana, which destroyed over 2,000 vineyard acres, decades-old vines were ripped out for new industry and housing tracts. The years after World War II also brought about a change in palate for many Americans, who unlike immigrants earlier in the century, preferred drier varietals to the Valley's specialty sweet wines. Locally, vineyard planting shifted to Temecula Valley, where the first vineyards were planted from Cucamonga cuttings. Residential and commercial development in the 1950s and 1960s also increased dramatically the price of land, and many vintners deemed it wiser to sell than to continue to farm. A new law in the early 1970s legalized the sale of wine in grocery stores, so no longer were the many tasting and sale rooms as big of a draw. As of this writing, approximately 1,200 acres remain in wine grape cultivation in the Cucamonga Valley. Three wineries, the Filippi Winery, the Galleano

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Winery, and the Rancho de Philo Winery still produce a wide variety of wines and wine-related products. Interestingly, all three of these wineries are run by the descendants of early valley vintners, and represent many generations of winemaking families.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1942.

Location. 34° 6.364′ N, 117° 32.8′ W. Marker is in Rancho Cucamonga, California, in San Bernardino County. It can be reached from Foothill Boulevard 0.1 miles west of Rochester Avenue, on the right when traveling east. The marker is located on a pathway in front of the entrance to the Denny's restaurant in Masi Plaza. Best accessed via the parking lot. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 11899 Foothill Boulevard, Rancho Cucamonga CA 91730, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Los Angeles,

in the Inland Empire,

in the Peninsular Ranges,

and specifically in the Transverse Ranges.

It is also in the American Southwest.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the

Photographed by Levi Gonzalez, December 31, 2019

2. From Vineyards to Cities Marker

Ring of Fire,

on the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Boom or Bust: Prohibition and the Great Depression (a few steps from this marker); The Masi Brother's Winery (a few steps from this marker); Guasti and the Italian Vineyard Company (a few steps from this marker); Grapes in the Desert (within shouting distance of this marker); The First Vineyards (within shouting distance of this marker); The Lafourcade Family and its Winery (within shouting distance of this marker); The Vintners Walk (within shouting distance of this marker); Etiwanda Grape Products Company Site (approx. 1.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Rancho Cucamonga.

More about this marker. Marker is part of the Vintner's Walk, which has a series of markers retelling the history of the area.

Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker.

Photographed by Craig Baker, June 12, 2020

3. From Vineyards to Cities Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on March 23, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 6, 2020, by Levi Gonzalez of Rancho Cucamonga, California. This page has been viewed 604 times since then and 44 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on March 22, 2023, by Adam Margolis of Mission Viejo, California. 2. submitted on May 6, 2020, by Levi Gonzalez of Rancho Cucamonga, California. 3. submitted on June 12, 2020, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.