“If you travel on Route 66 to Haven Avenue, you can’t miss her. She’s been standing on the same northwest corner for 75 years. ” So wrote John in his 1984 Chaffey College article featured in the college newspaper about the Virginia Dare Winery. The article continued: “Abandoned since 1960, she survived mysterious fires that swept through her in 1964, and in 1969. She even survived floods which devastated much of San Bernardino County.”
The Virgina Dare Winery in Rancho Cucamonga, California, was built in 1908 by Chinese laborers who also built the aqueduct above Cal State San Bernardino, and several other projects. The Winery was originally called the “Mission Winery.” In 1985, the old Virginia Dare was reborn into the place you see today. Only the bell tower remains of the original buildings.
The history of Southern California wine making began when the first vineyards were planted in Cucamonga back to 1839. Cucamonga was one of the few places in California that retained its old Indian name, said to be derived from “Cucamongabit,” meaning “Land of Many Springs.”
In 1910 the operation was purchased by the “Garrett Winery” out of Brooklyn, New York. Wine making persisted and, around the turn of the century, had a renewal in the Cucamonga district. The deep sandy soils of Cucamonga made it more or less immune to the attack of phylloxera, a grape vine-eating aphid, at a time when vineyards nearly everywhere else in California were being rapidly destroyed.
By 1911, the winery was in full production with over 750 acres of vineyards, second in size only to Guasti Vineyards in Ontario, California. Inside the winery were the large redwood tanks, some holding 52,000 gallons, in which the grape juice was stored and fermented in the old tradition.
The wine was never bottled at the Virginia Dare plant, however. It was shipped by rail to the company’s winery in Brooklyn for this final step. It was the Brooklyn address that appeared on the label, even though it was actually a California wine.
Mission Winery, 1925. Courtesy of Rancho Cucamonga Library Services
The origin of the winery’s name is a peek into history. Virginia Dare (born August 18, 1587), was the first Christian child born in the British Colonies in the New World. She was born to English parents, Ananias Dare and Elyonor (Eleanor) White and named after the Virginia Colony.
What became of Virginia and the other colonists remains a mystery. The fact of her birth is known because John White, Virginia’s grandfather and the governor of the colony, returned to England in 1587 to seek fresh supplies. When White eventually returned three years later, the colonists were gone. Virgina Dare, at the age of three, was never seen again, and now lives on through legend.
Virginia Dare Winery, 1984. Photograph by John Earl.
During the past four hundred years, Virginia Dare has become a prominent figure in American myth and folklore, symbolizing different things to different groups of people. She has been featured as a main character in books, poems, songs, comic books, television programs and films. Her name has been used to sell different types of goods, from vanilla products to wine and spirits.
Virginia Dare Winery, 1984. Photograph by John Earl.
When Prohibition started in 1920, it created all sorts of contradictions in the wine industry. It lasted until December 1933 when it was repealed. Prohibition shut down the regular operation of wineries, but it did not necessarily put an end to them. The ingenuity of Americans lives on today.
Mission Winery, 1925. Today, a busy Haven Avenue follows the path of the Eucalyptus Trees. The trees were originally planted as wind breaks for the vineyards. Photo courtesy of Rancho Cucamonga Library Services
One surprising contradiction during Prohibition was the provision that each head of household was permitted to make up to 200 gallons of wine each year for use at home. America was a nation of immigrants and many had come to this country with a tradition of home wine making and were used to drinking wine with each meal.
Medicinal Wine! Sound familiar? Today we have medicinal marijuana. Only the times have changed. This label was personally given to John by Sam Elder, while being interviewed in Upland in 1984.
There were many wine tonics made during Prohibition, but you had to request a prescription from your pharmacist. Wine could also be used in cooking. So not surprisingly, during Prohibition, with the provision for home wine-making, the sale of wine grapes skyrocketed. Vineyard acreage doubled during Prohibition.
Virginia Dare Winery, 1925. Courtesy of Rancho Cucamonga Library Services
“During Prohibition we stayed in business making sacramental wine,” said Sam Elder when he was interviewed by John in 1984. Mr. Elder worked for the winery beginning 1929. He liked the work, so he stayed on for over 30 years, until the winery closed in 1960.
“It was pretty easy going then. We had a government agent at the winery called a gauger, to monitor our compliance with federal regulations. There was always a pot of coffee going in the gauger’s office and we would all stop working around 10:00 in the morning for coffee in his office.”
Virginia Dare Winery, 1925. Courtesy of Rancho Cucamonga Library Services
During the second World War, the Virginia Dare Winery did her part. Pumice from the crushed grapes was used by the government in the making of explosives, since pumice has such a high content of potassium. After the war in 1947, the Garrett-Virginia Dare Winery bought the Guasti Italian Vineyard Company of Ontario.
By 1950, wineries decreased from its height of 163 in the mid-1930s to 68. Wineries continued to drastically diminish by the 1970s and were practically extinct by the 1980s. San Bernardino County, where the Cucamonga district lies, had 23,000 acres of grapes in 1960. By 1997 only a scant 1,000 acres remained.
Mysterious fires gutted the winery’s buildings in the 1960s. Photograph by John Earl, 1984.
The end came in 1960. The doors to the Virginia Dare Winery closed for good. Sam Elder by then was head vintner, went into the real estate business. The Garrett Company tried to stay in business with its other holdings, but before the year was over they were out of business after over 100 years in the wine trade. Garrett may have gone out of business but Virginia Dare wasn’t ready to retire.
Hollywood discovered the buildings in the early 1960s and they became a popular background in television shows, including the Combat series, where the site was often used because of its European look. In 1964, the winery was damaged by fire. Sam Elder suspected the movie industry was at fault but it was never proven. Afterwards, the gutted interiors of the buildings resembled any town square in Italy after an Allied bombing run.
To look at the six walls, it was hard to believe that the structure was unsound; some of them were over two feet thick of solid concrete. Unfortunately, not reinforced concrete. The Chinese laborers who erected the walls in 1908 had no reinforcing rod, and the contractors couldn’t foresee the building codes of the future.
A transformation of the aged winery took place in 1984. “We’d like to save the buildings and remodel them as they are, but according to the state engineers, it can’t be done,” explained Dave Michaels, Vice President in charge of marketing. “As it is, we’re going to spend $500,000 just to save the building in front with the bell tower.”
At the time, plans called for saving the grape-crushing building in the back to be used as a museum dedicated to the history of the Virginia Dare Winery. It would contain many mementos owned by Sam Elder, who was possibly the only person around with first hand knowledge.
Virginia Dare Winery became a business center, featuring professional and medical offices. The bell tower remains as its focal point.
It is believed on some rare moonless nights one can still hear the rolling of heavy redwood barrels, the deep hiss of a steam engine and the deliciously sensual perfume of fermented grapes on the breeze. We think the long ago departed Sam Elder would be pleased.
Note: There are other namesake Virginia Dare Wineries located in Geysersville, California owned by legendary film maker Francis Ford Coppola; Brooklyn, New York, and Chesterfield, Missouri.
20 thoughts on “Grapes of Past on Route 66: The Virginia Dare Winery”
This is fascinating. Paul Garrett was a distant relative of mine; he was my grandfather’s uncle, during the depression, Paul Garrett hired my grandfather, Wilson Battle Tillery as an East Coast wine salesman. My father also worked for the company in New York until he enlisted in the new York national guard and was called up for service when WWII broke out.
Living in Washington 10 yrs ago, I knew a lady 90+ years old, who told me that she & her husband had leased on orange grove in 1936 on the SW corner of Baseline & Haven . Halfway down (say) to Foothill was the property line; on the other side of the fence was Virginia Dare winery. All along Haven was a line of 100-150-ft-tall eucalyptus trees. planted as windbreaks…do any of these trees on Haven survive today?
Anyway the winery folks would dump the final remains of the processed grapes (I think the name for this stuff is must).along the fence, under the trees in the NE corner of the property…the flock of crows that lived in the eucalyptus trees gorged on the must, and got drunk…funny to see crows staggering around..
Wow, we know exactly the spot she spoke of. Some of the Eucalyptus trees remain but most have been removed. Sadly,he orange grove is not what it used to be either. Thank you for your comments!
I knew the spelling of pumice not pomace, thanks dic.com!
Thanks so much for you article. I was raised in Riverside, been there since 1945.
I’ve visited the winery when it was opened for business, also, years later after the fire when I lived in Ontario.
Thank you for the article..
I remember this place well. I use to live in (Rancho) Cucamonga. I have visited the winery ruins in my youth. It was full of bats!!! But, after a rain you could STILL smell the sweet aroma of wine in the remains of the huge, old wooden vats. Back then the small gauge railroad tracks still crossed back & forth over Haven Blvd. It was a massive vineyard, and a train came in handy during harvest. Kind of a sad place, actually.
Back in the 1950’s Cucamonga still held a grape festival with carnival rides etc. Would shut down Archibald to traffic. I was told that this was how Klusman Ave came to pass – with Archibald closed the was no close way for the fire engines to go south from the then fire station on Archibald. Mr Klusman was a contractor and graded a road along his property to provide this access. It later became a true street and was named after him.
I went to Chaffey College in 1967-1969. The winery ruins were the only things between Foothill and the new (1960) Chaffey College. We all knew those winery ruins were used by the popular WWII TV series Combat staring Vic Morrow. I still remember the music……da da da da..da da! The abandoned winery looked just like bombed out ruins in France.
The rows of eucalyptus were very prominent. Cucamonga then was basically wine vineyards surrounded by the rows of the tree windbreaks. I remember Cucamonga then had a 15,000 population, while my hometown, a “big” settled city nearby Ontario had a whopping 35,000 people!
We agree, the winery was a wonderful place back in the day, even abandoned. Every time we pass thru Rancho Cucamonga, John reminiscences about miles of grape vineyards and open space. When John was a kid, his family liked to drive to the desert to ride their dirt bikes. Thanks to John, I have been able to benefit from seeing through his eyes. Thanks so much for sharing your memories with us.
I was born in October 1936, during “vintage season”. Sam Elder was my Dad. My Mother often spent time in his company during the long hours of this important time of the year. Being an infant, then toddler, then a kid who was used to sleeping in the backseat of our car for many nights during this season, it was part of my life.
As years passed, I was privileged to grow up in this (to me ordinary) world. The sump smelled BAD, the wine vats were HUGE and there were trains that came into the winery on rails and delivered grapes. In retrospect, it was a treasured time.
I grew up. The winery closed. My Dad took his exam to become a realtor the day my second daughter was born.
Today I find it a special gift that I experienced the years of vineyards and citrus groves. Then, with the incorporation of Alta Loma, Cucamonga and Etiwanda, Rancho Cucamonga was created. I was there and Sam Elder was there on the dedication (proclaimation?) day. It was a giant step forward, but I will always remember those long ago days, growing up in a rural community!
Sharon Elder Garrett
Thank you for the info. We’ve looked at the article and enjoyed it very much. When I wrote my original article in about 1985, I had the opportunity to interview the CEO of the development company at the time. He assured me that the old winery would be preserved as an historic landmark. A few months later, the dozers came and leveled it. All that remains of the original winery is the bell tower.
In the early 1960s in my late teens and early 20s I’d go explore the old Viriginia Dare winery. I don’t remember any giant redwood barrels but I do remember the several swimming pool sized vats in the buildings. probably 18 to 20 thousand gallon pools. Very interesting experience. Then in the late 70s I lived on Orange ave of of Highland west of Haven Ave. Below Highland the were still hundreds of acres of grape vineyards, now I believe that area has been converted into over 30,000 new homes called Victoria Subdivision. From what I remember what is now Rancho Cucumunga was a very beautiful area from late 1940 to mid 1970s. Now it’s all ticky tacky. Also remember the $.99 cent a gallon wine from Guasti winery. Now I’m up in North Pole, Alaska.
This is fascinating. Paul Garrett was a distant relative of mine; he was my grandfather’s uncle, during the depression, Paul Garrett hired my grandfather, Wilson Battle Tillery as an East Coast wine salesman. My father also worked for the company in New York until he enlisted in the new York national guard and was called up for service when WWII broke out.
That’s amazing, Ellen! How lucky you are to have such a rich heritage! Thanks for your comments!
Living in Washington 10 yrs ago, I knew a lady 90+ years old, who told me that she & her husband had leased on orange grove in 1936 on the SW corner of Baseline & Haven . Halfway down (say) to Foothill was the property line; on the other side of the fence was Virginia Dare winery. All along Haven was a line of 100-150-ft-tall eucalyptus trees. planted as windbreaks…do any of these trees on Haven survive today?
Anyway the winery folks would dump the final remains of the processed grapes (I think the name for this stuff is must).along the fence, under the trees in the NE corner of the property…the flock of crows that lived in the eucalyptus trees gorged on the must, and got drunk…funny to see crows staggering around..
Wow, we know exactly the spot she spoke of. Some of the Eucalyptus trees remain but most have been removed. Sadly,he orange grove is not what it used to be either. Thank you for your comments!
I knew the spelling of pumice not pomace, thanks dic.com!
Thanks so much for you article. I was raised in Riverside, been there since 1945.
I’ve visited the winery when it was opened for business, also, years later after the fire when I lived in Ontario.
Thank you for the article..
Our pleasure, John. We’re glad it brought back memories. The winery must have been amazing back in the day.
see “pumice/pomace” e mail. Thanks for the article.
You’re very welcome, John. Thanks for your comments.
I remember this place well. I use to live in (Rancho) Cucamonga. I have visited the winery ruins in my youth. It was full of bats!!! But, after a rain you could STILL smell the sweet aroma of wine in the remains of the huge, old wooden vats. Back then the small gauge railroad tracks still crossed back & forth over Haven Blvd. It was a massive vineyard, and a train came in handy during harvest. Kind of a sad place, actually.
We can just picture it in our minds. All that remains nowadays are ornamental vineyards. Thanks for sharing your memories!
There are still a couple hundred acres still being farmed in the area by the three remaining wineries.
Back in the 1950’s Cucamonga still held a grape festival with carnival rides etc. Would shut down Archibald to traffic. I was told that this was how Klusman Ave came to pass – with Archibald closed the was no close way for the fire engines to go south from the then fire station on Archibald. Mr Klusman was a contractor and graded a road along his property to provide this access. It later became a true street and was named after him.
How interesting, Ed. Thank you for the information. We really appreciate your comments.
I went to Chaffey College in 1967-1969. The winery ruins were the only things between Foothill and the new (1960) Chaffey College. We all knew those winery ruins were used by the popular WWII TV series Combat staring Vic Morrow. I still remember the music……da da da da..da da! The abandoned winery looked just like bombed out ruins in France.
The rows of eucalyptus were very prominent. Cucamonga then was basically wine vineyards surrounded by the rows of the tree windbreaks. I remember Cucamonga then had a 15,000 population, while my hometown, a “big” settled city nearby Ontario had a whopping 35,000 people!
We agree, the winery was a wonderful place back in the day, even abandoned. Every time we pass thru Rancho Cucamonga, John reminiscences about miles of grape vineyards and open space. When John was a kid, his family liked to drive to the desert to ride their dirt bikes. Thanks to John, I have been able to benefit from seeing through his eyes. Thanks so much for sharing your memories with us.
I was born in October 1936, during “vintage season”. Sam Elder was my Dad. My Mother often spent time in his company during the long hours of this important time of the year. Being an infant, then toddler, then a kid who was used to sleeping in the backseat of our car for many nights during this season, it was part of my life.
As years passed, I was privileged to grow up in this (to me ordinary) world. The sump smelled BAD, the wine vats were HUGE and there were trains that came into the winery on rails and delivered grapes. In retrospect, it was a treasured time.
I grew up. The winery closed. My Dad took his exam to become a realtor the day my second daughter was born.
Today I find it a special gift that I experienced the years of vineyards and citrus groves. Then, with the incorporation of Alta Loma, Cucamonga and Etiwanda, Rancho Cucamonga was created. I was there and Sam Elder was there on the dedication (proclaimation?) day. It was a giant step forward, but I will always remember those long ago days, growing up in a rural community!
Sharon Elder Garrett
Wow! That is amazing! I’m glad
I scrolled all the way down and saw this comment! Thank you, so, so much, Sharon!!! Awesome!
Car Craft Magazine did a photo shoot of cars at the winery in the early ’70’s.
Here’s a link. https://patganahl.com/2019/09/30/lowrider-roses/
Thank you for the info. We’ve looked at the article and enjoyed it very much. When I wrote my original article in about 1985, I had the opportunity to interview the CEO of the development company at the time. He assured me that the old winery would be preserved as an historic landmark. A few months later, the dozers came and leveled it. All that remains of the original winery is the bell tower.
In the early 1960s in my late teens and early 20s I’d go explore the old Viriginia Dare winery. I don’t remember any giant redwood barrels but I do remember the several swimming pool sized vats in the buildings. probably 18 to 20 thousand gallon pools. Very interesting experience. Then in the late 70s I lived on Orange ave of of Highland west of Haven Ave. Below Highland the were still hundreds of acres of grape vineyards, now I believe that area has been converted into over 30,000 new homes called Victoria Subdivision. From what I remember what is now Rancho Cucumunga was a very beautiful area from late 1940 to mid 1970s. Now it’s all ticky tacky. Also remember the $.99 cent a gallon wine from Guasti winery. Now I’m up in North Pole, Alaska.