John Patchett
Encyclopedia
John Patchett was the first person to plant a commercial vineyard
and build a commercial wine cellar
in the Napa Valley
. Patchett planted his vineyard in 1854 and started making wine in 1857. Patchett established his winery in Napa
in 1858.
Patchett was born in Lincolnshire, England in 1797 and immigrated to the United States when he was 20 years old. He trained as a brewmaster in Pennsylvania, however he was not able to find work. He met and married his wife Esther Passmore there in 1820 and took up farming, moving west first to Ohio
, then Illinois
and then Iowa
. In 1850 the Patchetts were lured by the California Gold Rush
and moved to Hangtown which is now known as Placerville, California. He began mining for gold in the fall of 1850 and his wife Esther died in November of that year.
Patchett visited the Napa Valley in 1852 and soon began to purchase land in Napa. His first acquisition was 16 acres and his holdings eventually reached 200 acres. Patchett hired Charles Krug
in 1858 as his winemaker. Patchett married twice more after moving to Napa. His second wife Susannah Quant died in 1862 and he married Martha Bradshaw in 1865. Patchett died on August 13, 1876 and is buried in the family plot in Tulocay Cemetery in Napa.
Vineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
and build a commercial wine cellar
Wine cellar
A wine cellar is a storage room for wine in bottles or barrels, or more rarely in carboys, amphorae or plastic containers. In an active wine cellar, important factors such as temperature and humidity are maintained by a climate control system. In contrast, passive wine cellars are not...
in the Napa Valley
Napa County, California
Napa County is a county located north of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is coterminous with the Napa, California, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 the population is 136,484. The county seat is Napa....
. Patchett planted his vineyard in 1854 and started making wine in 1857. Patchett established his winery in Napa
Napa, California
-History:The name Napa was probably derived from the name given to a southern Nappan village whose people shared the area with elk, deer, grizzlies and cougars for many centuries, according to Napa historian Kami Santiago. At the time of the first recorded exploration into Napa Valley in 1823, the...
in 1858.
Patchett was born in Lincolnshire, England in 1797 and immigrated to the United States when he was 20 years old. He trained as a brewmaster in Pennsylvania, however he was not able to find work. He met and married his wife Esther Passmore there in 1820 and took up farming, moving west first to Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, then Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and then Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
. In 1850 the Patchetts were lured by the California Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
and moved to Hangtown which is now known as Placerville, California. He began mining for gold in the fall of 1850 and his wife Esther died in November of that year.
Patchett visited the Napa Valley in 1852 and soon began to purchase land in Napa. His first acquisition was 16 acres and his holdings eventually reached 200 acres. Patchett hired Charles Krug
Charles Krug
Charles Krug was among the original pioneers of winemaking in the Napa Valley, and was the founder of the winery of the same name. Krug immigrated to the United States from Prussia in 1851 and served as an apprentice winemaker for both Agoston Haraszthy and then John Patchett before establishing...
in 1858 as his winemaker. Patchett married twice more after moving to Napa. His second wife Susannah Quant died in 1862 and he married Martha Bradshaw in 1865. Patchett died on August 13, 1876 and is buried in the family plot in Tulocay Cemetery in Napa.