Former Sonoma County winemaker saves historic East Bay vineyard from destruction

"Last August, on a hurried stretch of East 18th Street in Antioch, 20 acres of ancient grapevines seemed to vanish overnight. Once part of the historic Evangelho Vineyard, the parcel was sold off in the 1950s, changing hands several times before Rockefeller Construction acquired it last year. Morgan Twain-Peterson of Sonoma's Bedrock Wine Co. was crushed, but not surprised. In Contra Costa County, where rows of centuries-old grapevines are often sandwiched between gas stations and convenience stores, the sense of impending loss is palpable."

""All the old vineyards in Contra Costa County are essentially for sale - you just need to ask," Twain-Peterson said. "If you own a 20-acre mom-and-pop vineyard, and someone offers to buy it for $250,000 an acre, you're going to sell it - especially if your kids have no interest in farming." Twain-Peterson estimates that as much as 95% of the agricultural land in Antioch and the neighboring city of Oakley has disappeared over the past few decades."

"Since 2017, he has owned 10 acres of Evangelho, leasing the remaining 23 acres from PG&E. Rooted beneath a cat's cradle of power lines, the 135-year-old vineyard owes its survival in part to the utility company, which is prohibited from developing the land. "The reality is that the economics of farming a vineyard are so tough that not a lot of people can do it," Twain-Peterson said."

Ancient vineyards in Antioch and neighboring Oakley are rapidly disappearing as parcels are sold and developed. A 20-acre portion of the historic Evangelho Vineyard was recently sold and acquired by a construction firm, removing vines overnight. Much of the remaining Evangelho acreage is leased or sits under utility-owned land that cannot be developed, which preserves some vines. Economic realities — tight farming margins and attractive offers such as $250,000 per acre — drive small family vineyards to sell. Expansion of Bay Area housing and commuter service has accelerated farmland loss, with estimates that up to 95% of agricultural land has vanished.

Read at The Mercury News