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Father Palou: looking the ocean and the valley. Mission-
aries and soldiers lived together, though
tensions were frequent. Missionaries com-
“My Dear Friend: Thank God I arrived
the day before yesterday, the first of plained of interference and sought more
the month, at this port of San Diego. isolated locations to avoid distractions but
The San Carlos arrived with only two still remain under the protection of the
survivors; the rest died of scurvy. The soldiers. In August 1774, they relocated the
other ship, the San Antonio, fared little mission six miles inland to a more fertile
better, losing eight sailors.” valley with better soil and natural shelter.
Serra added: The first documented wine production
at the San Diego mission was reported in
1797–98, noting simply:
“The tract which we passed is gener-
ally very good land, with plenty of wa-
ter. The valley and the banks of the “Grapes were raised and some wine
rivulets are quite loaded with grapes. In was pressed.”
fine, it is a good country and very dif-
ferent from old California.” As Father Serra continued up the coast,
he established a chain of 21 missions, be-
One of the missionaries' most impor- ginning with San Diego and extending to
tant possessions on the difficult journey Sonoma. One of his first priorities at each
north was grapevine cuttings. These came location was to plant grapevines.
from New Spain (Mexico) and were de- By 1801, challenges in wine production
scendants of the Spanish Monica grape, were clearly documented. A mission report
brought from Europe over two centuries noted:
earlier. The vines had been cultivated in
the missions of San Francisco Javier, “The Missions of San Diego, San Juan
Santa Gertrudis, and San Ignacio in Baja Capistrano, San Buenaventura, Santa
California. Barbara, and San Luis Obispo raise
Because the Monica was so closely tied grapes and press wine. In most mis-
to the missions, it eventually became sions, despite our endeavors, we have
known as the Mission grape—the dominant no success. Since we missionaries, being
variety in California for nearly a century. all Europeans, do not know the climatic
It became the foundational grape of Cali- and other situations… the result is dis-
fornia’s early wine industry, its hardy tressing, whether by reason of the soil
rootstock often grafted to noble European or the climate, they are failures.”
varieties like Pinot Noir and Cabernet
Sauvignon. It was also used in blending Despite setbacks, the mission wines
many types of sweet and sacramental served both religious and practical pur-
wines. poses, including use in brandy. As vine-
The early years in Alta California were yards expanded, wine became a valuable
difficult. Most Native Americans resisted trade commodity for the missions.
conversion, particularly after witnessing Mission doors were open to travelers,
European diseases devastate the mission and wine was served with simple meals.
populations. Early settlers—soldiers, former convicts,
The first Mission San Diego de Alcalá and traders—often relied on the hospital-
was founded on Presidio Hill in 1769, over- ity of the missions during the first decades
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