A hillside covered in sage brush held the secret of a forgotten Mission vineyard. Planted in the late 1800’s, it lay hidden and untouched for nearly 100 years. The Mission grape is the Heritage grape of California, planted by the Franciscans as they established the California Missions in the 1700’s.  Today it is the oldest vineyard in Santa Barbara County, cuttings have been donated to Missions throughout California to restore their original Mission vineyards.

Angelica is a fortified dessert wine first made in the San Gabriel Mission.

June 17, 1833 Father Duran writes a letter to Governor Figueroa in which he refers to the wines of  the San Gabriel Mission:

“...The best wines which I have found in the various missions are those of San Gabriel...There are also two kinds of white wine.  One of them is from pure grapes without fermenting, I mean from pure grape juice without fermenting it with the skins of the pressed grapes.  This produces the white wine.  The other of the same juice is fermented with a quantity of brandy.  These two make the most delicious drink for the dessert.  The wine from the pure grape juice is for the altar; the other for any use whatever.”

Through research in ancient text and manuscripts from the Mission era we have uncovered the wine making notes used to make this historic wine “Angelica”, a delightful taste of early California.

Gypsy Canyon Angelica