La Borgata, founded by Gerry Iuliano, was one of the wineries whose owners were forced to retire after the fire’s devastating toll, including the vineyards, tasting room, inventory and equipment. There is a sad note about the 2020 LNU Lightning Complex, a massive August fire that swept through Solano County, destroying not only homes, trees and grasslands but also acres of area vineyards. It was owned by the Altiera family and used for many years in their basement winery. The 19th-century wooden press, we learn, is of “the basket variety,” used mainly from the late 1800s to Prohibition (1920 to 1933). They discuss Suisun Valley and why it is a prime location for vineyards. The video, created by EH LearnMedia, includes an interview with Chuck Wagner of Caymus and TZ Estates’ Mike Oman.

At the same time, it provides details about the science behind growing grapes and creating good wine.įor the young and young at heart, the exhibit features interactive aspects for visitors of all ages, including - but not limited to, says Moxon - a scavenger hunt and an “aroma station.” museum, the exhibit, which opens at 1 p.m., boasts items from a number of Solano wineries, including Mangels and Wooden Valley. Sponsored primarily by First Northern Bank and continuing to May 18 at the 213 Buck Ave. Collectively, they cast an eye on wine’s contribution to the region as they explore the hardiness of growers and the bountiful soil and beneficial climate in which the grapes thrive. Moxon and volunteers, “Fruit of the Vine: A Grape Story” tells a tale in some 100 historical artifacts (how about an old wooden wine press?), new and old photographs, ephemera (a letter granting permission to make wine during Prohibition), video of a vintner on a 22-minute loop, illustrations and texts.

The public has always been able to learn about Solano County history by going to the Vacaville Museum, where major shows over the years highlighted sources of water and the Nut Tree to aviation and ethnic enclaves.īut it is grapes, the land on which they are grown, winemaking and the people who make it happen that are the focus of the venue’s newest exhibit, which opens Saturday.Ī month in the making and largely through the efforts of Exhibits Manager Kaitlyn S.

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