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COPYRIGHT 2001 Hiaring Company
Delicato/San Bernabe
The Indelicato family had been grape growers and winemakers in Italy for generations when Gaspare Indelicato immigrated to the United States. He planted the first vines for what became the Delicato Family Vineyards in 1924, in the midst of the national madness called prohibition.
The grapes were sold to home winemakers across the country. After the repeal of prohibition, Indelicato decided to start making wine on his own. It was the heart of the depression. Grape prices were down and he was gambling that the wine would bring in cash that grapes didn't.
Using techniques learned from his father in Italy, he and his brotherin-law and their twin wives took turns at a hand-driven press, set up in an old haybarn beside the vineyards, to produce their first vintage in 1935, a grand total of 3,451 gallons of wine.
As the reputation for Delicaro wines grew, the family began making wines for other brands and slowly adding vineyards in order to maintain a consistent supply of grapes.
Over the years, Delicaro maintained a steady reputation as a reliable producer of good everyday table wines. In the 1980s, the family saw that the market was moving toward premium wines and they bought an Bernabe vineyard in Monterey County in 1988.
Not Just Any Vineyard
San Bernabe is not just any vineyard. I was totally blown away when I first saw the operation a few years ago. The first thing that struck me was the sheer size. San Bernabe is the world's largest vineyard. There are 9,400 acres in vines out of a total of 13,248 acres on the estate. The vineyard covers about 20 square miles. Think of it this way: if San Bernabe were laid over Napa Valley, it would stretch from Yountville to St. Helena....
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