In the 1860s, Sheldon “Rufus Butler and his family planted about 7 acres of Concord grapes. While most of the grapes grown in this original vineyard were transported on trains to cities where they were sold on the fresh market, Rufus was also a winemaker and was listed in the the 1891 Directory of the Grape Growers, Winemakers and Distillers of California, and of the Principal Grape Growers and Wine Makers Of the Eastern United States Published by the Board of State Viticultural Commissioners of California. Today, the Concord vineyard Rufus planted remains one of the most productive vineyards on the property and is lovingly referred to as the “Old Vineyard”.
