The Tasting Panel magazine

COVER STORY Boisset and label artist Jeffrey Caldewey were inspired by Buena Vista's circa-1860 labels and achieved a soft, aged patina through the use of techniques such as foil stamping and sculpted embossing. The labels evoke Buena Vista's heritage and convey the quality inherent in this new generation of wines. In addition to the winery's well-known Carneros wines, Boisset has resurrected the Private Reserve wines and introduced the Vinicultural Society, a series of small-production wines that will be available only at the winery and to club members; they include clonal selections, offerings of esoteric varietals, and a specialty tier that includes a sparkling wine, and soon, cream sherry, tawny and other selections evocative of the wines famous at the winery's founding. Owner Jean-Charles Boisset, shown out- side the Buena Vista cellar, is a worthy successor to Count Haraszthy. In the background, the Count, played by actor George Webber, gives visitors a tour. A State of Nobility Like many of the state's oldest wineries, Buena Vista's early history is built around the ambitious foresight of its founder—one Count Agoston Haraszthy de Mokesa—and, with The Legacy of Count Haraszthy Haraszthy, a Hungarian noble, emigrated to the U.S. in 1840 and spent time in Wisconsin and San Diego before making his way north to San Francisco. It was not until 1856, when he discovered an old, dry-farmed vineyard on a site known as Buena Vista Ranch in Sonoma, that he bought 800 acres and built an elaborate home and the stone winery that is Buena Vista. In his determination to emulate the culture of fine wine that had been part of his family's history for centuries, Haraszthy was an inspira- tion to many, including his friend Charles Krug, who went on to pioneer winegrowing in Napa Valley. Intent on advancing viticulture in California, he traveled the wine- growing regions of Europe and returned home in 1862 with a collection of vines and ideas that he documented in a book titled Grape Culture: Wines and Wine-making, with Notes upon Agriculture and Horticulture, published by Harper in 1862. A few short years later, Haraszthy was forced out of the corporation he formed with investors and left California to explore rum production in Nicaragua. His death there in 1869 brought to a close the single most influential chapter in the history of California's first premium winery until the repeal of Prohibition, more than 60 years later. Count Agoston Haraszthy, as played by character actor George Webber, sets the tone for new owner Jean-Charles Boisset's celebration of the Sonoma winery's history—and its future. 58 / the tasting panel / january/february 2012 Boisset's vision fueling the effort, it's only a matter of time before Haraszthy's name finds a place in the consciousness of wine-loving consumers. Haraszthy was among a handful of Europeans, including Frenchman Jean-Louis Vignes and Russian André Tchelistcheff (who was a partner in reviving Buena Vista with Frank Bartholomew in 1949), who left an indelible mark on the California wine industry. In 2007, he was inducted in to the Culinary Institute of America's Vintner's Hall of Fame, but until then, his legacy had gone largely unsung. "It's my intention for Buena Vista to become a mecca for people the world over who want to learn about the his- tory of wine in California," says Boisset. If someone has two hours to spend visiting wine country, our historical tours and interactive visitor experience will be one-stop shopping for them." In addition to historical tours with The Count, as portrayed by character actor George Webber, who spent ten years perfecting his role as Count Agoston Haraszthy (his many per-

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