A very interesting article was just published by Baja Bound Insurance in their September Bulletin from Nomad 'GregN' (author of Baja Legends and Baja
Fever, and more)...
[Edited on 9-19-2020 by David K]JZ - 9-19-2020 at 07:49 AM
Story goes on for many paragraphs saying Mission Santa Gertrudis was the birth place of California wine. Then reveals, no the first wine in Baja was
from San Bruno 69 years earlier. And a number of other missions were making wine before the German priest at San Gertrudis.
Weird article, and not sure how a blind Indian over saw the construction.
[Edited on 9-19-2020 by JZ]David K - 9-19-2020 at 09:00 AM
Perhaps Greg will step in here and clear up your confusion?
Grapes were planted at many missions and the article mentions that. It was Arthur North in 1906 who visited Santa Gertrudis and shared the winemaking
padre's story, which GregN simply shared.
Greg is also giving a lot of history of Mission San Gertrudis... in addition to the Jesuits and Dominicans, the Franciscans were in charge there for 5
years (1768-1773). TMW - 9-19-2020 at 05:13 PM
Many missions made wine for communion services but the wine at Santa Gertrudis was also used for trade and was of better quality.David K - 9-19-2020 at 06:11 PM
Oak barrels were not available for wine casks, so Padre Retz had boulders hollowed and used them to store the grape juice that would become wine.AKgringo - 9-19-2020 at 06:17 PM
