Concannon Vineyard Celebrates 130 Years, 1883-2013

LIVERMORE, Calif., July 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Concannon Vineyard celebrates its 130th Anniversary this year as America's oldest, continuously operating winery under the same family label and stewardship and 130 years of growing and producing California Cabernet Sauvignon. "We are extremely proud to celebrate 130 continuous years of wine production under the Concannon Vineyard label, a history made possible by four generations of leadership," said John Concannon, fourth-generation vintner. 

Concannon Vineyard has been recognized for many pioneering contributions to California winemaking and viticulture, including its history with Cabernet Sauvignon and proud legacy of industry "firsts." In 1883, James Concannon not only established the first successful winery founded by an Irish immigrant, but also established Concannon as a Founding Family of the California wine industry. James was well-known for his study of winemaking techniques and viticulture early on and imported vines directly from Bordeaux to first plant Cabernet Sauvignon at Concannon Vineyard in 1883, bottling one of California's first Bordeaux-style wines in 1886.

It was second-generation vintner Captain Joe who kept Concannon operating through Prohibition as the winery was permitted to produce sacramental wine. While many other California wineries had to close their doors during Prohibition, Captain Joe was able to maintain the Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards and improve winemaking techniques.

The famous Concannon Cabernet Clones 7, 8 and 11 are Concannon Vineyard's most significant contributions thus far to the California wine industry. The Concannon Clones resulted from the highly successful, collaborative work between third-generation vintner Jim Concannon and UC Davis in selecting and preparing for heat treatment cuttings from a single Cabernet Sauvignon vine which James Concannon had earlier imported from Bordeaux. The Concannon Clones played a key role in the enormous expansion of Cabernet Sauvignon plantings in California beginning in the 1970s, and are credited for the widespread healthy expansion we continue to see today.

Jim Concannon is also recognized for his highly significant contribution of being first to release a bottling of Petite Sirah as a standalone varietal. After its first release from his 1961 vintage, Jim became well-known for introducing "America's First Petite Sirah®" and has garnered great respect as the "Father of Petite Sirah."

Fourth-generation vintner, John Concannon, continues his family's legacy of preserving the past while engaging the future. Since stepping into his role at the winery, Concannon was first to place its vineyard into the Tri-Valley Conservancy Land Trust and was one of the first to become Certified Sustainable by the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA). A ten year revitalization project was also completed which includes a state-of-the-art, solar powered, small lot winery and the restoration of the original, historic winery. Today, the winery proudly produces Cabernet Sauvignon in each of its five wine production tiers: Heritage, Reserve, Conservancy, Selected Vineyards, and Glen Ellen Reserve.

"I am firmly committed to upholding the Concannon family values of integrity, excellence and respect for the land, all required within the Concannon name which, in ancient Gaelic, means 'Wisdom Without Compromise'," said John Concannon. "My family's history of firsts and legacy of producing and growing Cabernet Sauvignon for over 130 years inspires me and drives us to continue this tradition for many years to come."

For more information about Concannon Vineyard's legacy and Cabernet history as well as information about Concannon's Cabernet Day celebrations or to buy tickets, please visit www.concannonvineyard.com/cabernet. Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About Concannon Vineyard
Concannon Vineyard is America's oldest, continuously operating winery under the same family label and stewardship. Founded in 1883, James Concannon not only established the first successful winery founded by an Irish immigrant, but also established Concannon as a Founding Family of the California wine industry. Concannon Vineyard's four generations have made many pioneering contributions which include the famous Concannon Cabernet Clones 7, 8, and 11, currently the most widely planted Cabernet Sauvignon clones in California, as well as the introduction of "America's First Petite Sirah®." Located in the historic Livermore Valley, Concannon Vineyard was first to place its vineyard into the Tri-Valley Conservancy Land Trust and was one of the first to become Certified Sustainable by the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA).  Committed to preserving the past while engaging the future, Concannon Vineyard's continuous crafting of outstanding wines of uncompromising quality and character symbolizes building an eternal bond with the past by creating bold, new chapters in Concannon family history. For more information please visit: www.concannonvineyard.com.

SOURCE Concannon Vineyard