Buena Vista Vinicultural Society

Buena Vista Vinicultural Society. 1863 – 1878. The Buena Vista Vinicultural Society (BVVS) was established in 1863. It was the first of its kind – a corporation dedicated to expanding and modernizing winemaking. It enabled the continued expansion of Sonoma viticulture and the Buena Vista Winery, which was producing record amounts of wine in the 1860s. , The BVVS helped continue the legacy began by its founder, the Count of Buena Vista, after his departure in 1869. He had always sought to establish his winery as one of the finest in the world, and Buena Vista received more than its fair share of awards and accolades at several international expositions held in the 1870s, proving to the world that California wines were poised for greatness. In 1873 alone, Buena Vista received numerous winemaking accolades and awards in London, Vienna, Antwerp, Australia, Chile, Japan and Paris., Unfortunately, the country was gripped in the throes of a rock-bottom economic depression in the 1870s and Phylloxera, a pest that caused terrible parasitic root disease, ravaged vineyards throughout California. Times were tough at Buena Vista. Despite its incredible success, the BVVS succumbed to financial pressures and ceased producing wines in 1878. No wine would be produced at the property until the 1940s., California’s First Premium Winery , ~1857~.