Sebastiani Vineyards' history dates back to 1825.
That year, Franciscan missionaries, with the assistance of local Native Americans, planted the first vineyards near Solano, San Francisco, and these vineyards eventually became some of the oldest in Northern California.
Founder Samuel Sebastiani immigrated to the United States in 1895 and had experience in wine production in Tuscany, Italy, when the vineyard was acquired by him in 1904.
Samuel saved up enough money by hauling stone from quarries in the Sonoma hills and mountains.
These stones formed the foundation of San Francisco's sidewalks and remain to this day.
Using the skillful and advanced techniques he learned before moving to the United States, he began producing high-quality Sonoma wines.
Soon after Samuel's death in 1944, his son Augusto Sebastiani and his wife Silvia carried on their father's legacy, increasing the winery's production by a factor of 100 and leading the winery to success with its innovative ideas and premium varietal wines, including popular magnums priced at a fraction of the price.
They introduced "Nouveau" Gamay and Beaujolais to America and also produced a blush wine known as "Eye of the Swan" and Pinot Noir Blanc.
The colour of this wine reminded me of the pink eyes of Australian black swans.
As a result of all his endeavors, August has quickly earned a reputation as one of America's most accomplished and innovative winemakers.
Marie-Ann, a third generation member of this renowned winemaking family, continues to play a leadership role as President and Chief Executive Officer of Sebastiani Cuneo.
Today, Marie Ann's focus is on a long-awaited two-year project to restore and improve the winery to its original 1903 state.
All of the traditional grape varieties are thriving in Sonoma.
But there seems to be an ideal spot in the county for each variety, in terms of climate, soil, altitude, sunshine and the potential of the vineyards themselves.
After nearly 100 years of growing grapes and making wine in Sonoma County, we feel deeply that these are premium grapes worthy of being emulated.