Speech #860147786

But the great change from the Mission grape to finer. pedigreed European varieties occurred a generation later and was brought about by Agoston Haraszthy. This Hungarian nobleman. since called the father of modern California viticulture. first grew new European varieties in San Diego in 1849. In 1857 he established his Buena Vista vineyard near Sonoma. north of San Francisco. As did other immigrants with wine growing backgrounds. Haraszthy realized that California was a wine land of bright promise. Here was little of the excess .of cold or sun. or hailstorms. or severe mildew. or other factors often troublesome in European wine districts.