Italian Vineyard Company

The Italian Vineyard Company was a 5,000 acre vineyard established by Secondo Guasti in 1900. The vineyard was located in a town named Zucker in the Cucamonga Valley, and by 1910 the town's name was officially changed to Guasti.^[1]

The Italian Vineyard Company eventually became recognized as one of the leaders of the grape growing and wine producing industry in California.^[2] By 1917, Guasti had succeeded in creating one of the largest vineyards in the world that produced nearly 5 million gallons of wine per year.^[3]

History

Secondo Guasti arrived in Los Angeles, California in 1883, and in just four years he began to produce wines for local Los Angeles restaurants.^[4] Eventually, Guasti's love for wine led him to establishing the Guasti Winery, and by the late 1890s Guasti was recognized as one of the key producers of wine in Los Angeles.^[4]

According to legend, Guasti arrived to the Cucamonga Valley in the early 20th century and dug twenty-four feet into the earth, uncovered water, and immediately recognized that he found an opportunity to expand his wine business.^[3] In 1900, Guasti took a risk and organized a group of investors to purchase eight square miles of land in Cucamonga, California and founded the Italian Vineyard Company.^[5] In order to construct and run the vineyard, Guasti, with the help of the Italian consul in Los Angeles, encouraged Italian immigrants to come work for him in Cucamonga Valley.^[6] As a result, Guasti created his own town for the newly imported Italian workers that included institutions such as a fire station, school, market, bakery, boarding house, and a doctor's office.^[5]

In 1910, Guasti built a mansion in the West Adams district in Los Angeles. Located at 3500 W. Adams Boulevard, the home is Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 478.^[7] After his death, the family sold the home to choreographer Busby Berkley. ^[8]