Pleasant Valley Wine Company facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Pleasant Valley Wine Company
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Pleasant Valley Wine Company, April 2011
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | SR 88, Rheims, New York |
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| Area | 5.2 acres (2.1 ha) |
| Built | 1860 |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| NRHP reference No. | 80002773 |
| Added to NRHP | November 18, 1980 |
The Pleasant Valley Wine Company, also known as the Great Western Winery, is a very old and important place where wine is made. It is located in a small area called Rheims, which is part of the Town of Urbana in Steuben County, New York.
This special place has nine historic buildings made of fieldstone, which is a type of natural rock. Five of the oldest buildings were built in the 1860s. They show off a beautiful style of building called Italianate. Because of its history and unique buildings, the winery was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
Today, the winery grows a lot of Chardonnay and Riesling grapes. These are two popular types of grapes used to make wine in New York.
Contents
The Story of the Winery
Starting a New Business
The Pleasant Valley Wine Company began on March 15, 1860. It was started by a person named Charles Champlin and 12 other people who invested their money. This winery holds a special record: it was the very first "bonded winery" in the United States. Being "bonded" means it was officially registered with the government to make and sell wine. It was given the number "Bonded Winery #1."
From Grapes to Sparkling Wine
When it first opened, the winery made wine from Isabella and Catawba grapes. These were common grapes at the time. A few years later, in 1865, the winery started making sparkling wine. This is a bubbly wine, like champagne. The sparkling wine became so famous that Pleasant Valley earned the nickname "the Reims of America." Reims is a city in France that is very well-known for its sparkling wines.
The local post office even used the postmark "Reims, NY" until 1945. This shows how important the winery's sparkling wine was to the area.
Surviving Tough Times
The winery faced a big challenge during the Prohibition period in the United States. This was a time, from 1920 to 1933, when it was illegal to make, sell, or transport alcohol. Many wineries and breweries closed down. However, Pleasant Valley Wine Company found a way to survive. They made special wines that were still allowed, such as sacramental wine for religious ceremonies and medicinal wine for health purposes.
New Owners Over the Years
After Prohibition ended, the winery was sold several times. In 1961, it was bought by the Taylor Wine Company. Later, in 1977, Taylor Wine Company was sold to Coca-Cola, and Pleasant Valley went along with that sale.
In 1983, Coca-Cola sold the winery to Joseph E. Seagram & Sons. Then, in 1987, it was sold again to a company called Vintners International. Finally, in 1995, the Doyle family bought the winery. They have owned it ever since.
Images for kids
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Pleasant Valley Wine Company, April 2011
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Brickstone Cellars, a second label of Pleasant Valley
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Views inside the winery, 1899.
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Great Western Champagne advertisement (1898)
