Historic Vineyard Preservation
The City of Rancho Cucamonga and the Historic Galleano Winery have partnered to preserve and protect the City's Century-old grapevines at Central Park, celebrating Rancho Cucamonga's place in history of winemaking.
As part of this exciting collaboration, 2-3 acres of new grapevines will be planted in Spring 2025, followed by an additional 5 acres to follow.
The healthiest of the remaining 150 old vines, which are head-trained, dry-farmed, and own-rooted, will be highlighted in designated “Historic Blocks” within Central Park.
For the past several years, Gino L. Filippi and the Historic Galleano Winery have cared for Central Park’s old vines including pruning, fertilizing, water, pest management, and more. This expertise and commitment have been instrumental in maintaining these historic vineyards.
In October 2024, the partnership between the City of Rancho Cucamonga and Galleano Winery took a major step forward to not only preserve the existing vines but also expand the vineyard acreage. The upcoming planting will feature traditional "Goblet" training, a historic method that connects to Rancho Cucamonga’s heritage as one of California's most significant winegrowing regions.
Cucamonga Valley Grape-Growing Heritage
The history of the Cucamonga Valley's vineyards dates back to 1839 when the Mexico’s acting Governor, Juan Batista Alvarado, granted approximately 13,000 acres of land to Don Tiburcio Tapia of Los Angeles. Under Tapia's stewardship, a small vineyard was established, consisting of twelve rows of forty-seven vines each - most likely of the Mission variety - planted by Jose’ Maria Valdez, Tapia’s foreman and caretaker.
An adobe winery was then constructed, earning the distinction of being California's first commercial winery.” This landmark is recognized as California State Landmark No. 490 and is located along Historic Route 66 at the intersection of Foothill Boulevard and Vineyard Avenue.
Stay tuned as we continue to celebrate and grow this incredible legacy!