Buena Vista Winery

Buena Vista Winery
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
California Historical Landmark #392
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Location	18000 Old Winery Rd., Sonoma, California
Coordinates	38°17′58″N 122°25′23″W / 38.29944°N 122.42306°W / 38.29944; -122.42306Coordinates: 38°17′58″N 122°25′23″W / 38.29944°N 122.42306°W / 38.29944; -122.42306
Built	1857
Architect	Agoston Haraszthy
Architectural style	Other
NRHP Reference #	86001902
CHISL #	392
Added to NRHP	July 24, 1986

Buena Vista Winery is a winery located in Sonoma, California, United States. It is the oldest commercial winery in California. It was founded by Agoston Haraszthy in 1857. The winery is located on its original grounds, just east of Sonoma, California.

Buena Vista Winery was founded in 1857 by Agoston Haraszthy. Haraszthy was unable to sustain the estate financially, and in 1863 financial support came by way of the Buena Vista Vinicultural Society; a group of financiers led by San Francisco banker William Ralston. Within two years of the society's founding, Buena Vista was producing 2 million gallons of wine a year. The success of the budding wine industry in California led to wine prices dropping dramatically as expenses rose. In 1866 Haraszthy was forced to resign from his position of superintendent of the winery. During the 1870s the winery would produce about 100,000 gallons of wine a year from approximately 500 acres of vineyards. Sparkling wine was a popular seller. During the depression of 1873-77 the society was forced to liquidate its assets and file for bankruptcy. The estate, in the 1880s, would become the home of businessman Robert C. Johnson.

Phylloxera would destroy the vineyards just before World War I and Prohibition would postpone any hopes of reopening the winery. In 1941, 435-acres of Buena Vista land was acquired by Frank Bartholomew at auction. He replanted some of the original vineyards and in 1943 he bonded the winery and became one of the first entrepreneurs to invest in the California wine industry after Prohibition. He would sell the property in the 1968 to Vernon Underwood of Young's Market. Bartholomew would retain most of the original vineyards, which would form the basis for Hacienda Wine Cellars.