Schramsberg Vineyards facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Schramsberg Vineyards |
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| Location | Calistoga, California, USA |
| Appellation | Napa Valley |
| Other labels | J. Davies |
| Founded | 1862 by Jacob Schram 1965 reopened by Jack and Jamie Davies |
| Key people | Hugh Davies (CEO) |
| Known for | California Sparkling Wine |
| Distribution | International |
| Tasting | Open to the public |
| Website | www.schramsberg.com |
| Designated: | 1998 |
| Reference #: | 98001251 |
| Designated: | 1956 |
| Reference #: | 561 |
Schramsberg Vineyards is a famous winery in Calistoga, California. It is located in the beautiful Napa Valley region. This vineyard was started in 1862 by Jacob Schram, an immigrant from Germany. Schramsberg is well-known for making sparkling wines. They use the same special method as the famous Champagne from France. Many people think Schramsberg makes some of the best sparkling wine in California. It was even the first U.S. wine to be as good as the best French Champagnes.
The winery was not active for almost 50 years. Then, in 1965, Jack and Jamie Davies bought it. They started making sparkling wine again using the traditional French method. Today, Hugh Davies, the youngest son of Jack and Jamie, manages Schramsberg.
Contents
The Story of Schramsberg Vineyards
How Schramsberg Started (1862–1905)
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In 1862, Jacob Schram bought the land that would become Schramsberg. It was in the hills of Napa Valley. He wanted to grow grapes and make wine there. Jacob came from a family of winemakers. But he worked as a barber to earn money. He was one of the first winemakers to come to Napa in the mid-1800s. Jacob was born in 1826 in Pfeddersheim, Germany. He moved to the U.S. in 1852. In 1859, he married Annie Weaver, who was also from Germany.
After clearing the land, Jacob and Annie planted many different types of grapes. They wanted to make wine. In the 1870s, Schram dug wine cellars into the hills on his property. By 1876, Schramsberg was making 12,000 gallons of wine. In just a few years, the vineyard grew to over 50 acres (20 ha). It was producing 12,000 cases of wine every year.
Schramsberg became very famous in the 1880s. This was because it was mentioned in a book. The book was called The Silverado Squatters by Robert Louis Stevenson. Stevenson, his wife Fanny, and her son Lloyd visited Napa Valley in 1880. They were on their honeymoon. In his book, Stevenson wrote about his adventures there. He also wrote about the people who helped build the region. He said he tasted eighteen different wines when he visited Schramsberg. Stevenson wrote:
- "I was interested in California wine... A California vineyard... all is green, solitary, covert. We visited two of them, Mr. Schram's and Mr. McEachran's, sharing the same glen..."
Schramsberg continued to do well until the end of the 1800s. Annie Schram passed away in 1901. Jacob Schram died four years later in 1905. He left the winery to his son, Herman Schram.
Schramsberg's Quiet Years (1905–1965)
Herman tried to keep the business going. But after only a few years, he sold the property. It was bought by the Sterling Investment Company. In 1916, the property was sold again to W. J. McKillop. He was a rich businessman from San Francisco. McKillop used Schramsberg as his summer home instead of making wine.
After McKillop, the property was sold many times over the next 40 years. None of the owners used it as a vineyard. Schramsberg was sold to Captain Raymond C. Naylor. Then it was sold to John Gargano in 1940.
In 1951, Douglas Pringle bought Schramsberg. His wife, Katharine Cebrian, worked hard to get the winery recognized. Because of her efforts, it was named a state historical landmark on December 31, 1956. After the Pringles divorced in 1959, the property was not used for several years.
The Davies Family Brings Schramsberg Back (1965-Today)
After many years of being unused, Jack and Jamie Davies bought Schramsberg in 1965. The couple had spent a year looking for a property in Napa Valley. They wanted to make wine. When they bought it, Schramsberg was run-down and had been empty for years.
Most wineries in Napa at that time made typical wines. But the Davies decided to make Champagne. To be exact, they made sparkling wine using the same method as in France.
In 1972, something very special happened. Schramsberg's 1969 "Blanc de Blancs" wine was served. It was at the "Toast to Peace" in Beijing, China. This was a meeting between U.S. President Richard Nixon and Chinese Premier Chou Enlai. Since then, Schramsberg wines have been served by every U.S. president.
Schramsberg has won many awards over the years. In 1995, they received a Lifetime Achievement Award. This was from the International Festival of Méthode Champenoise. In 1996, the James Beard Foundation gave Schramsberg an award. It was for making a big impact in the wine industry.
In 1996, Hugh Davies joined the winery full-time. He is the youngest son of Jack and Jamie Davies. Hugh had studied winemaking at the University of California, Davis. He was born in 1965, the same year his parents bought Schramsberg. In 1998, the winery was added to the National Register of Historical Places. This means it is a very important historical site.
Jack Davies passed away in 1998. Jamie Davies passed away in 2008. Today, Hugh Davies is the CEO of Schramsberg.
Images for kids
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The main house at Schramsberg
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A wine tasting at Schramsberg
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Tasting room at Schramsberg
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Schramsberg's "Blanc de Blancs" sparkling wine was served during the "1972 U.S./China Toast to Peace"
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Schramsberg wine cellars (entrance)
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Schramsberg wine cellars
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Bottles during sparkling wine production
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Old barrel in the wine cellars
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Old bottles in the wine cellar
