Mountain Winery
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Paul Masson Mountain Winery
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| Location | 14831 Pierce Road, Saratoga, California |
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| Coordinates | 37°15′37.34″N 122°3′53.77″W / 37.2603722°N 122.0649361°WCoordinates: 37°15′37.34″N 122°3′53.77″W / 37.2603722°N 122.0649361°W |
| Built | 1901 |
| NRHP Reference # | 83001239 |
| CHISL # | 733 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | June 9, 1983 |
| Designated CHISL | 1960 |
The Mountain Winery, formerly the Paul Masson Mountain Winery, is a winery in Saratoga, California, United States, North America. It was founded by Paul Masson, a pioneer of the California wine industry. The winery became famous for its slogan, voiced by Orson Welles in television commercials: "We will sell no wine before its time."
The winery is a California Historical Landmark (#733) and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Masson originally worked for Charles Lefranc, one of a number of French immigrants who had expanded the viticulture introduced into the Santa Clara Valley by the Catholic mission fathers. After Lefranc's death in 1887, Masson had a short-lived partnership with Lefranc's son Henry. Masson bought out Henry's share in the Almaden Vineyards and in 1892 Masson's first sparkling wine was introduced at Almaden, and he eventually became known as the "Champagne King of California".
In 1901, Masson purchased the Saratoga property. He later centered his sparkling wine production here in Saratoga while other wines were developed at the Almaden operation.
In 1905, on a knoll above the winery, Masson built his house, dubbed "The Chateau", where he developed a reputation as an unrivaled host. His wife Louise Masson was a prohibitionist and did not attend the lavish dinner parties held at The Chateau. Masson was able to weather the strains Prohibition placed on the wine industry by selling grapes to the wholesale market and by receiving a special dispensation to sell sacramental wines.
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