Viticulture 1888

The Directory of the Grape Growers and Wine Makers of California was published in 1888, and revised in 1891. In the brief period between these dates, Madera County witnessed an explosion in the number of farms dedicated to grape growing. The fifteen grape growers, listed below for 1888, had grown eightfold to 121 by 1891. The development of the John Brown Colony was partly responsible for this growth. Viticulture still thrives in Madera County. Table grapes, raisins and wine grapes are still grown on about 80,000 acres at over 450 farms. In 1997 Madera County produced over 1.2 billion pounds of grapes (Ag Census), adding over 173 million dollars to the local economy. Wine and port can be sampled at a number of vineyards along the Madera Wine Trail.

1888
A. B. Dyer (Minturn) J.W. Minturn (Minturn)
Sierra Vista Vineyard Co. (Minturn)
Webster & Sargent (Minturn)
Miss M. B. West (Minturn)
Mrs. A. B. West (Minturn)
Jos. Borden, Jr. (Madera)
R. E. Doyle (Madera)
E. Moore (Madera)
Madera Vineyard (Madera)
S. J. Nichelson (Madera)
Stockton Vineyard Co. (Madera)
L. L. Sledge (Madera)
A. L. Sayre (Madera)
Orange Sharp (Madera)

(Madera Vineyard & Wine Company was exhibitor at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco held in 1915). It was organized by James Leaman in 1878.