JARVIS BROTHERS VINEYARD - scmwine/Wineries GitHub Wiki
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | Scotts Valley / Vine Hill, Santa Cruz Mountains |
| First Planted | 1850s (likely planted), well established by 1864 |
| Type | Historic vineyard |
| Founders | Jarvis family |
| Region | Santa Cruz Mountains |
| Status | Historic site with exceptional continuity |
The Jarvis Brothers Vineyard represents one of the earliest commercial vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains, with plantings dating to the 1850s. The site demonstrates exceptional continuity of place, with over 170 years of viticultural history on the same land.
1850s-1860s: The Jarvis family established one of the earliest vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains. County history sources indicate the vineyard was likely planted in the 1850s and well established by 1864.
1879: The property was sold to Henry and Nellie Mel, who renamed it Villa Fontenay.
1895: After Villa Fontenay's foreclosure, the site passed through several owners while remaining in agricultural use.
1975: Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard was founded by Ken Burnap on or linked to the historic Jarvis site. Burnap specifically chose the location for its historic significance and established vineyard heritage.
The Jarvis Brothers Vineyard → Villa Fontenay → Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard lineage represents one of the longest continuous viticultural sites in California, spanning from the 1850s to the present day.
The Jarvis Brothers Vineyard is one of the foundational sites in Santa Cruz Mountains wine history. Along with John Burns' Ben Lomond vineyard and Perrone's Monte Bello winery, the Jarvis vineyard demonstrated that high-quality wine grapes could be grown in the challenging mountain terrain.
The exceptional continuity of viticulture at this site—over 170 years on the same land—is rare in California wine history and provides a direct link between the pioneering era of the 1850s and modern Santa Cruz Mountains winemaking.
- Villa Fontenay - Second era of the site (1879-1895)
- Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard - Modern continuation (1975-present)
- Vine Hill - Geographic district
- John Burns / Ben Lomond Vineyard - Contemporary early mountain vineyard