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Prohibition was almost a death sentence for
region's wine industry. With a few isolated exceptions, almost all was lost. A few Zinfandel vineyards in Mendocino Ridge survived and are thankfully still alive today. However, all of wineries were closed during Prohibition.
The Parducci Family is credited as being stewards of wine industry during ensuing difficult years. In 1960s they owned and operated only winery in county. It is located near Redwood Valley.
The Renaissance
The industry began to come alive with rest of California wine industry during 1960s and 1970s. In 1968, Fetzer family established a winery near McDowell Valley. Finally Parducci Family had some company. Substantial investment went into planting vineyards, but not much wine was actually produced in Mendocino. Most of region's grapes were sold to non-resident wineries and used in faceless blends.
Thankfully, this has changed. There are currently many high-quality wineries in county. In recent years, region has gained a reputation for producing many varietals exceptionally well. The practice of shipping grapes to other regions for production lessened as large AVA's renown increased. It currently contains over 15,000 acres of planted vineyards.
Benjamin Bicais lives in the Napa Valley and is the webmaster of http://www.california-wine-tours-and-accessories.com
