A huge part of our story at Epoch is about preserving two integral pieces of Paso Robles history. When we purchased our Paderewski Vineyard in 2004, not only did we hit the jackpot as far as soils and views were concerned, we were also buying a property that was once owned, planted, and cherished by Polish pianist and Prime Minister, Ignacy Jan Paderewski. In 2010, we were fortunate enough to purchase the old York Mountain property, which was the site of the first bonded winery on the Central Coast. To own two properties that boast such rich history is a dream come true, and we make it a priority to preserve and share both the Paderewski and York Mountain legacies through our wines and the Epoch experience…
They don’t come much greater than Ignacy Jan Paderewski, and we are honored to bring back to life the vineyard he loved so much in his American home away from home, Paso Robles, California. Paderewski was an unparalleled pianist, an American and Polish patriot, a poet, a generous philanthropist, a Polish citizen, a politician and of course, a Paso Roblan!
Born in Poland in 1860, Ignacy Jan Paderewski was renowned as the most famous and popular pianist of his day – the Elvis of his time! He traveled by private train throughout the United States in the early 1900s performing concerts in sold-out town squares and halls.
In 1913, Paderewski visited Paso Robles seeking the healing effects of its hot sulfur-rich mineral baths for his rheumatism. He fell in love with the town of Paso Robles (who wouldn’t), as well as with the surrounding land with its rolling, rocky hills that reminded him of his Polish homeland. This love for the area drove Paderewski to purchase over 2,000 acres on the west side of town where he established Rancho San Ignacio and planted Zinfandel and Petite Sirah.
In 1882, Andrew York, a trailblazer and native Illinoisan who caught the winemaking bug, purchased a 120-acre homestead in Templeton, CA. Andrew quickly expanded the existing vineyard with cuttings from Napa. In 1895, York, along with his three sons, began construction on their wine cellar by hauling boulders from the countryside and purchasing the essentials for their new winery. At this point, the York family named their winemaking venture, Ascension Winery, and this became one of the first bonded winery on the central coast.
In 1970, York Winery and the surrounding property were sold to the Goldman family. Besides another name change to York Mountain Winery, the winery continued to run without interruption. In fact, it did so until the late 1990’s when the winery itself was forced to close due to retrofit requirements, making it one of the longest continuously run wineries in the U.S…
In 2003, the Central Coast was rocked by the San Simeon Earthquake (a 6.5 on the Richter Scale), and the historic winery was officially condemned due to earthquake damage.
The bricks fired on property in 1906 are not the only elements of this beloved structure that we have preserved. The original redwood beams and the stones from the original cellar also play essential roles in our new Tasting Room. A basket press that was once used by the York brothers now sits amongst the rafters to replicate the original positioning which allowed gravity to bring juice from the crushed grapes to the main floor. Many other original York relics are showcased throughout this building, as we want our visitors to learn about this rich piece of Central Coast Winemaking history that we feel blessed to carry on through Epoch Estate Wines.
The two pieces of our legacy story, Paderewski and York, collided in 1934 when Paderewski brought harvested Petite Sirah and Zinfandel grapes from his vineyard to York Mountain to be turned into award-winning wine by the York Brothers. We have come full circle as we now bring fruit from Paderewski Vineyard to York Mountain every harvest to be crafted into wine. It’s just Epoch wine now.
source @epochestate
