2016 Events
Mayor Savita Vaidhyanathan
December 8, 2016
History was made tonight when Savita Vaidhyanathan was sworn in (by her daughter) as Mayor of Cupertino. She is the first person of Indian descent to be Mayor. Mayor Vaidhyanathan shared some of her Indian culture, through food and dance, with her fellow Cupertinians. Congratulations Mayor Vaidhyanathan! We look forward to working with you and fellow City Council Members over this coming year.
Christmas in Cupertino
December 4, 2016
Photos from "Christmas in Cupertino". The museum was open during the tree lighting festivities at the Quinlan Community Center. An enjoyable time was had by all!
Annual Fundraiser & 50th Anniversary Celebration
A Sip of History
June 26, 2016
Historic Sites Brochure
April 15, 2016
Dear current and former Cupertinians! The Cupertino Historical Society has created an historic sites brochure for Cupertino. We cannot, of course, include all historic sites but we chose a representative few that are public, quasi public and/or still in existence. We are especially looking for more information on Engles Grocery, Goldstone Variety Store and the Creamery (Vivi's). If anyone has info or photos, please share. The brochure will be free and hopefully available at the Quinlan Center, The Cupertino Library and The Cupertino Chamber.
Saratoga Blossom Festival
March 16, 2016
History Scholarship Award Contest
March 30, 2016
Check it out...the historical society working in your local schools!
Monte Bello Ridge
February 11, 2016
The history of Ridge Vineyards begins in 1885, when Osea Perrone (third person on bench wearing tall boots),
a doctor who became a prominent member of San Francisco's Italian community, bought 180 acres near the top
of Monte Bello Ridge. He terraced the slopes and planted vineyards; using native limestone, he constructed
the Monte Bello Winery, producing the first vintage under that name in 1892. This unique cellar, built into
the mountainside on three levels, is Ridge's production facility. At 2600', it is surrounded by the "upper
vineyard." In the 1940s, William Short, a theologian, bought the abandoned winery and vineyard just below the
Perrone property; he replanted several parcels to cabernet sauvignon in the late 1940s. From these vines —
now the "middle vineyard"— new owners Dave Bennion and his three partners, all Stanford Research Institute
engineers, made a quarter-barrel of "estate" cabernet. That Monte Bello Cabernet was among California's finest
wines of the era. Its quality and distinctive character, and the wines produced from these same vines in 1960
and '61, convinced the partners to re-bond the winery in time for the 1962 vintage. The first zinfandel was made
in 1964, from a small nineteenth-century vineyard farther down the ridge. This was followed in 1966 by the first
Geyserville zinfandel. The founding families reclaimed the Monte Bello terraces, increasing vineyard size from
fifteen to forty-five acres. Working on weekends, they made wines of regional character and unprecedented intensity.
By 1968, production had increased to just under three thousand cases per year, and in 1969, Paul Draper joined the
partnership. A Stanford graduate in philosophy—recently returned from setting up a winery in Chile's coast
range—he was a practical winemaker, not an enologist. His knowledge of fine wines and traditional methods
complemented the straightforward "hands off" approach pioneered at Ridge. Under his guidance the old Perrone
winery (acquired the previous year) was restored, the finest vineyard lands leased or purchased, the consistent
quality and international reputation of the wines established. Cabernet and zinfandel account for most of the
production; syrah, grenache, carignane, and petite sirah constitute a small percentage. Known primarily for its
red wines, Ridge has also made limited amounts of chardonnay since 1962. Lytton Springs, in Sonoma County, became
part of the Ridge estate in 1991. A quarter century's experience with this vineyard had convinced us that it was
an exceptional piece of ground. Forty consecutive vintages of Geyserville attest to yet another stunning
combination of location and varietals. Though born in the early sixties to the post-Prohibition world of modern
California winemaking, Ridge relies on nature and tradition rather than technology. Our approach is straightforward:
find intense, flavorful grapes; intrude upon the process only when necessary; draw the fruit's distinctive character
and richness into the wine.
– Description from hinaualan
Read more: http://www.snooth.com/winery/ridge-vineyards-cupertino/...
