Emil Meyer came to the Santa Cruz Mountains in 1883, planted a vineyard, and built Mare Vista winery. The winery became one of the better-known Santa Cruz Mountains labels of the late 19th and early 20th century, and remarkably survived Prohibition before finally closing in 1939.

1883: Emil E. Meyer arrived in the Santa Cruz Mountains and established a vineyard near the summit.

1883-1899: Meyer built Mare Vista winery and developed the property into a significant wine estate. The winery gained recognition for its mountain-grown wines.

1899: A destructive wildfire swept through the area, damaging portions of the property.

1920-1933: Unlike many California wineries, Mare Vista survived Prohibition, likely through production of sacramental wine or other legal channels.

1939: Mare Vista winery finally closed, ending over 50 years of operation. The closure came as the Santa Cruz Mountains wine industry entered a quiet period that would last until the post-World War II revival.

Mare Vista's survival through Prohibition is notable, as many Santa Cruz Mountains wineries closed during this period. The winery represents the resilience of some mountain wine operations and their ability to adapt to changing legal and market conditions.

The winery's 56 years of operation (1883-1939) spanned some of the most tumultuous periods in California wine history, including phylloxera, economic depressions, Prohibition, and the Great Depression. Mare Vista's ability to survive these challenges made it one of the longest-operating wineries of its era in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

• Jarvis Brothers Vineyard - Contemporary mountain vineyard (1850s)
• Villa Fontenay - Contemporary mountain estate (1879-1895)
• Hallcrest Vineyards - Later revival-era winery that also survived challenging periods (1941)

• Santa Cruz Public Library - Local History Archive - Mare Vista
• A History of Wine Making in the Santa Cruz Mountains by Ross Eric Gibson