DeRose Winery

DeRose Winery. . French immigrant Theophile Vaché planted a vineyard here in 1851. He chose his location well. Its elevation at about 1100 feet provides a moderate climate and a long growing season. The nearby Gabilan and Santa Clara Mountain Ranges temper the cool coastal climate, and the Diablo Mountain Range buffers the heat of the San Joaquin Valley. Warm days, cool nights, moderate rainfall and good drainage help to make this spot ideal for growing wine grapes. Vaché started selling his wines in 1854. This is the oldest continuously producing vineyard in California. Vaché had no idea that his vineyard was directly atop the San Andreas Earthquake Fault., William Palmtag, of Hollister fame, bought the property in 1880 and took advantage of the terroir to produce quality wines that won silver medals at the 1900 world exposition in Paris. In 1953, the property was sold to Almaden Vineyards, and the wines were marketed under the Almaden-Cienega label. The vineyard was sold to Heubleine Spirits in 1987, who then sold it to the DeRose and Cedolini families in 1988. During the transition from production to premium product, the wines were marketed as the Cienega Valley Winery. The untra-premium DeRose Winery label was introduced with the 1993 vintages., Both sides of the San Andreas Fault are under cultivation. Soils to the East of the fault line (or to the left when reading this plaque) have fragmented granite and crumbled sandstone. Soils on the West side (to the right of this plaque) are mostly granite and limestone. Both sides have very little clay or hardpan layers and provide excellent drainage. Both sides provide a first-rate medium for growing ripe well- balanced grapes., April 11, 2026 , 1846 E Clampus Vitus ,