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Italian Vineyard Company

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California vineyard established 1900

The Italian Vineyard Company was a 5,000 acre vineyard established by Secondo Guasti in 1900. The vineyard was located in a town named Zucker in the Cucamonga Valley, and by 1910 the town's name was officially changed to Guasti.

The Italian Vineyard Company eventually became recognized as one of the leaders of the grape growing and wine producing industry in California. By 1917, Guasti had succeeded in creating one of the largest vineyards in the world that produced nearly 5 million gallons of wine per year.

History

Secondo Guasti arrived in Los Angeles, California in 1883, and in just four years he began to produce wines for local Los Angeles restaurants. Eventually, Guasti's love for wine led him to establishing the Guasti Winery, and by the late 1890s Guasti was recognized as one of the key producers of wine in Los Angeles.

According to legend, Guasti arrived to the Cucamonga Valley in the early 20th century and dug twenty-four feet into the earth, uncovered water, and immediately recognized that he found an opportunity to expand his wine business. In 1900, Guasti took a risk and organized a group of investors to purchase eight square miles of land in Cucamonga, California and founded the Italian Vineyard Company. In order to construct and run the vineyard, Guasti, with the help of the Italian consul in Los Angeles, encouraged Italian immigrants to come work for him in Cucamonga Valley. As a result, Guasti created his own town for the newly imported Italian workers that included institutions such as a fire station, school, market, bakery, boarding house, and a doctor's office.

In 1910, Guasti built a mansion in the West Adams district in Los Angeles. Located at 3500 W. Adams Boulevard, the home is Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 478. After his death, the family sold the home to choreographer Busby Berkley.

References

  1. "Guasti Plaza | City of Ontario, California" (PDF). June 20, 2011. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  2. Cal Poly Pomona's Southern California Wine and Wine Industry Collection. "Guides: Southern California Wine and Wine Industry Collection: History of Wine in Southern California". libguides.library.cpp.edu. Retrieved 2020-03-30.
  3. ^ Susan Straight (2012-12-01). "Spirits of Guasti: Between the 60 and the 10". Boom: A Journal of California. 2 (4): 60–67. doi:10.1525/boom.2012.2.4.60. ISSN 2153-8018.
  4. ^ Mollno, Linda Frances (2008). Deep Roots and Immigrant Dreams : A Social History of Viticulture in Southern California, 1769-1960. The Claremont Graduate University. p. 140. OCLC 726742142.
  5. ^ "From Penniless Immigrant to 'Wine King'". Los Angeles Times. 2000-10-08. Retrieved 2020-03-30.
  6. George M. Walker & John Peragine. (2017). Cucamonga Valley Wine : the Lost Empire of American Winemaking. The History Press. ISBN 978-1-4396-6254-0. OCLC 1012846648.
  7. "Guasti Villa - Busby Berkley Estate". LACity.org. Historic Places Los Angeles. Retrieved 8 July 2024. The property meets the criteria for HCM designation because it is identified with 'a historic personage,' as the home of well-known film director-choreographer Busby Berkeley.
  8. "Secundo Guasti". West Adams Heritage Association. westadamsheritage.org. Retrieved 8 July 2024. After his death, the Guasti family sold the house to film choreographer and director Busby Berkeley.
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