• Type: Winery
• Status: Historic
• Founded: 1898 (acquired by Giuseppe Locatelli; pre-existing McLaughlin winery from 1880s)
• Closed: 1978 (fire destroyed winery)
• Region / AVA: Santa Cruz Mountains
• Location: Eagle Rock Ranch, northwest of Felton, Ben Lomond area
• Founders: McLaughlin family (1880s); Giuseppe Locatelli (acquired 1898)
• Current Owners: N/A (closed)
• Winemakers: Giuseppe Locatelli (1898-1910s); Dante Locatelli (Prohibition era); Vincent Locatelli (1934-1950s)
• Associated vineyards: Eagle Rock Ranch (~75 acres by WWII); Ben Lomond Wine Company vineyards at Bonny Doon (acquired pre-WWI)
• Successor / predecessor entities: McLaughlin homestead/winery (pre-1898)
• Historical designation: None
• Historical significance: One of the last surviving pre-Prohibition vineyard systems in the Santa Cruz Mountains; major continuity family bridging 1880s → Prohibition → postwar era

Eagle Rock Winery was an Italian-American family winery operating from 1898 to 1978 on Eagle Rock Ranch northwest of Felton in the Ben Lomond area. Giuseppe Locatelli acquired the pre-existing McLaughlin homestead and winery in 1898, building it into one of the largest surviving mountain vineyard operations with ~75 acres by WWII. The family continued clandestine brandy production under Dante Locatelli during Prohibition (1920-1933), then resumed legal operations under Vincent Locatelli from 1934 through the 1950s using the "Eagle Rock" label. The winery declined in the 1960s, with a brief revival attempt in 1976-1978 ending when fire destroyed the facility in 1978. Eagle Rock was one of the last surviving pre-Prohibition vineyard systems in the Santa Cruz Mountains and represents a major continuity family bridging the 1880s pioneer era through the postwar period.

• 1880s — McLaughlin family establishes homestead winery near Eagle Rock peak
• 1898 — Giuseppe Locatelli acquires McLaughlin homestead and winery
• Pre-WWI — Locatelli family takes over Ben Lomond Wine Company's vineyards at Bonny Doon
• 1915-1916 — Active commercial winery operation (documented worker fatality)
• 1920-1933 — Dante Locatelli continues clandestine brandy and wine production during Prohibition
• 1934-1959 — Vincent Locatelli operates winery under "Eagle Rock" label (listed in directories)
• WWII era — Eagle Rock Ranch maintained ~75 acres of vineyard (one of last major vineyards in region)
• 1960s — Vineyard abandonment/decline begins
• 1976 — Keith Hohfeldt leases site for brief revival
• 1978 — Fire destroys winery, ending operations

The original Eagle Rock site was established by the McLaughlin family in the 1880s as a mountain homestead with vineyard and winery infrastructure. The remote location near Eagle Rock peak above Boulder Creek in the San Lorenzo Valley provided suitable conditions for mountain viticulture.

Giuseppe Locatelli acquired the McLaughlin homestead and winery "near Eagle Rock" in 1898. Part of the wave of Italian immigrants who established wineries in the Santa Cruz Mountains in the late 19th century, Giuseppe built Eagle Rock into a multi-generational family operation that would survive for 80 years.

Before World War I, the Locatelli family expanded their vineyard holdings by taking over the Ben Lomond Wine Company's vineyards at Bonny Doon. This acquisition demonstrates that the Locatellis were not small farmers but major regional vineyard operators who absorbed part of the earlier regional wine infrastructure as the Ben Lomond Wine Company declined.

Eagle Rock operated as an active commercial or semi-commercial winery through the early 20th century. A 1915-1916 worker fatality at the Locatelli winery near Ben Lomond confirms the operation was functioning at bonded or commercial scale. The winery produced wine using traditional Old World methods brought by the Italian immigrant family.

When Prohibition took effect in 1920, Dante Locatelli continued clandestine brandy and wine production at Eagle Rock Winery. Operating a still and producing high-proof brandy, Dante maintained winemaking informally throughout the "dry years." The remote Ben Lomond location made enforcement difficult, allowing the family to:

• Maintain winery facilities and equipment
• Preserve winemaking knowledge and skills through illegal production
• Continue the family tradition despite federal prohibition
• Sustain the cultural heritage of Italian winemaking

This was a fully active survival winery, not dormant. Many Italian families in the Santa Cruz Mountains maintained some level of wine and brandy production through Prohibition, viewing it as preserving cultural heritage rather than lawbreaking.

After Repeal, the Locatelli family resumed legal commercial operations. Vincent Locatelli operated the winery from 1934 through the 1950s, producing wine under the "Eagle Rock" label. The winery appears in directories as "Locatelli (Eagle Rock Winery) — Santa Cruz — 1934–1959" and is described as "Locatelli Winery on Eagle Rock Ranch… northwest of Felton."

The business model during this era was a hybrid system:

• Estate vineyard (~75 acres by WWII)
• Winery (family-run)
• Contract/private production for various clients

By World War II, Eagle Rock Ranch (~75 acres) was one of the last major vineyards remaining in the region, demonstrating the Locatelli family's resilience as other operations collapsed or converted to orchards.

By the mid-1960s, the Eagle Rock vineyards were being abandoned or shrinking as the last generation of pre-Prohibition vineyard operators aged out. The property faced the same pressures affecting all mountain vineyards in this era: labor costs, suburban development, and changing economics.

In 1976, Keith Hohfeldt leased the Eagle Rock site in an attempt to revive the winery. This brief revival ended in 1978 when fire destroyed the winery, marking the final physical endpoint of the 80-year operation.

• Unknown — likely traditional Italian varieties common in early Santa Cruz Mountains viticulture

• Estate vineyards: Eagle Rock Ranch (~75 acres by WWII era)
• Ben Lomond Wine Company vineyards: Bonny Doon area (acquired pre-WWI)

• Traditional Italian winemaking methods
• Family-operated estate production
• Bonded/commercial scale (documented by 1915-1916)
• Brandy/distillery operations during Prohibition era
• Post-Repeal production under "Eagle Rock" label through 1950s
• Hybrid model: estate production + contract/private production

Eagle Rock Winery was located on Eagle Rock Ranch, northwest of Felton in the San Lorenzo Valley (Ben Lomond/Boulder Creek area), situated near Eagle Rock peak (~2,400 ft elevation range). The remote mountain location featured:

• Winery building (destroyed by fire in 1978)
• ~75 acres of vineyard (WWII era)
• Ranch/homestead infrastructure from McLaughlin era
• Distillery/still operations during Prohibition

The site operated as a mountain ranch winery combining residential, agricultural, and wine production functions.

• Locatelli Family — Owners and operators (1898-1978)
• Giuseppe Locatelli — Founder/acquirer (1898)
• Dante Locatelli — Prohibition-era operator (1920-1933)
• Vincent Locatelli — Post-Repeal operator (1934-1950s)
• Joseph Locatelli — Vine Hill connection
• Keith Hohfeldt — Lessee during revival attempt (1976-1978)
• McLaughlin family — Original homesteaders (1880s)

• Eagle Rock Ranch — Primary estate vineyard (~75 acres)
• Ben Lomond Wine Company vineyards — Bonny Doon area (acquired pre-WWI)

• Ben Lomond Wine Company — Acquired vineyards from this earlier major producer
• Part of the broader Italian winemaking community in Ben Lomond/Boulder Creek
• Locatelli Brothers' Lumber Company — Family business connection

• Italian immigrant community in Santa Cruz Mountains
• Boulder Creek/Ben Lomond civic and business community
• Ben Lomond Wine Company network

Eagle Rock Winery matters to the regional story for several reasons:

1. Last surviving pre-Prohibition vineyard system — One of the few operations to survive continuously from the 1880s pioneer era through the postwar period, maintaining ~75 acres when most other vineyards had been abandoned or converted to orchards

2. Major continuity family — The Locatellis were not minor players but one of the primary families bridging 1880s pioneer viticulture → Prohibition survival → postwar era, operating Eagle Rock and expanding to other sites including Vine Hill

3. Infrastructure absorption — By acquiring the Ben Lomond Wine Company's Bonny Doon vineyards before WWI, the Locatellis absorbed and preserved part of the earlier regional wine infrastructure as larger commercial operations collapsed

4. Prohibition-era survival model — Demonstrates the hybrid survival strategy of clandestine brandy/wine production that preserved both winemaking knowledge and physical vineyard infrastructure through the "dry years" (1920-1933)

5. Multi-generational family operation — Three documented generations (Giuseppe → Dante/Vincent → subsequent generation) maintained continuous family commitment spanning 80 years (1898-1978)

6. Ben Lomond viticultural district — Establishes Ben Lomond/Boulder Creek as a major Italian winemaking district and demonstrates the regional Italian family network structure that sustained mountain viticulture

• Operations: Closed (1978, fire destroyed winery)
• Tasting Room: None
• Production: Ceased 1978
• Ownership: Unknown; property status unclear
• Physical Site: Winery building destroyed by fire; vineyard status unknown

• Giuseppe Locatelli background: Origin in Italy, immigration date, family structure
• Vincent Locatelli identity: Relationship to Giuseppe and Dante (son? nephew? brother?), birth/death dates
• Dante Locatelli identity: Exact relationship to Giuseppe (son? nephew?)
• McLaughlin winery details: Original founder's full name, vineyard size, production scale, why they sold
• Production volumes: Gallons produced in various eras, commercial vs private production split
• Varietals: Specific grape varieties planted and wines produced
• Exact parcel boundaries: Legal descriptions, acreage measurements over time
• 1915-1916 worker fatality: Name of worker, circumstances, newspaper coverage
• Ben Lomond Wine Company acquisition: When exactly, how much acreage, transaction details
• 1976-1978 revival: Keith Hohfeldt's background, what he attempted, how fire started
• Current property status: Does Eagle Rock Ranch still exist? Current use? Any remaining vineyard traces?
• "Eagle Rock" label archaeology: Do any bottles or labels survive? Where are they held?
• Locatelli family tree: Full reconstruction of Giuseppe → Vincent/Dante → Joseph and other branches
• Connection to Vine Hill: How did Joseph Locatelli acquire Vine Hill property? When exactly?
• Anna Maria Locatelli relationship: Was she Giuseppe's daughter or sister? How does she connect to the Eagle Rock Locatellis?

• California wine industry directories (1934-1959) — Lists "Locatelli (Eagle Rock Winery) — Santa Cruz — 1934–1959"
• Santa Cruz Sentinel — "The Locatelli family" (September 26, 1980)
• Santa Cruz Sentinel — Locatelli Brothers' Lumber Company references
• Santa Cruz Sentinel — 1915-1916 worker fatality at Locatelli winery
• Coroner records and newspapers — 1915-1916 incident (to be researched)
• Land deeds and records — 1898 Giuseppe Locatelli purchase, Bonny Doon vineyard acquisition (to be researched)

• Locatelli family descendants — Vincent, Dante, Joseph lines (to be contacted)
• Pesenti family descendants — Joe Pesenti line connected through Anna Maria Locatelli (to be contacted)
• Boulder Creek/Ben Lomond community oral histories

• Sullivan, Charles L. wine history materials — "Vincent Locatelli Winery… produced wine under the Eagle Rock label through the 1950s"; "Locatelli Winery on Eagle Rock Ranch… northwest of Felton"
• Late Harvest (1983) — Giuseppe Locatelli "bought a vineyard and the Eagle Rock Winery in 1898"; "father bought winery near Eagle Rock in 1898"
• Santa Cruz County History: Locatelli, Dante
• Santa Cruz Mountains wine history research

• Santa Cruz Public Library local-history index — Multiple Locatelli family entries
• FamilySearch — Anna Maria Locatelli Pesenti, Joe Pesenti genealogy
• Find a Grave — Anna Maria Locatelli Pesenti (1879-1960)

• Giuseppe Locatelli acquired property 1898 (documented in Late Harvest and Sullivan)
• Pre-existing McLaughlin homestead/winery infrastructure (Sullivan)
• Location: Eagle Rock Ranch, northwest of Felton, Ben Lomond area (Sullivan, directories)
• Active commercial operation by 1915-1916 (documented worker fatality)
• Dante Locatelli's clandestine Prohibition-era brandy operations (Late Harvest, SC County History)
• Vincent Locatelli post-Repeal operations 1934-1950s under "Eagle Rock" label (Sullivan, directories)
• ~75 acres vineyard by WWII era (Sullivan)
• 1978 fire destroyed winery (Sullivan)
• Ben Lomond Wine Company vineyard acquisition pre-WWI (Sullivan)

• McLaughlin as original 1880s founder (named but limited details)
• Scale as "one of last major vineyards" in region (based on 75-acre size relative to regional decline)
• Family network structure connecting Eagle Rock → Vine Hill operations (strong circumstantial evidence, direct documentation pending)
• Continuous Locatelli family ownership 1898-1978 (directory listings show gaps)

• Exact relationship between Giuseppe, Dante, and Vincent Locatelli (generational structure inferred from ages/timing)
• Exact production volumes and varietals
• Details of 1915-1916 worker incident
• Specific terms and acreage of Ben Lomond Wine Co. vineyard acquisition
• Keith Hohfeldt 1976 revival details
• Current property status and whether any vineyard traces remain
• Anna Maria Locatelli's exact relationship to Eagle Rock Locatellis

---

See Also:

• Locatelli Family
• Dante Locatelli
• Italian-American Wine Families
• Ben Lomond Wine History
• Prohibition-Era Continuity
• Historical Wineries