Count Haraszthy of Buena Vista Wines
Local Sonoma actor George Weber appears as The Count of Buena Vista Agoston Haraszthy
Self proclaimed "The Count of Buena Vista," Agoston Haraszthy de Mokesa was a vivacious pioneer whose love affair with grape-growing started in his homeland of Hungary. Born into a wealthy, land-owning family, The Count grew up amidst famed vineyards and orchards that had been in his family for centuries.
In 1863 Buena Vista became The Count's viniculture laboratory. He constantly innovated and experimented with blends, techniques and viticultural practices, including dry-farming, hillside planting, tightly-spaced vines, and techniques to limit yields in order to increase concentration and flavor. He constantly innovated and experimented with blends, techniques and viticultural practices, including dry-farming, hillside planting, tightly-spaced vines, and techniques to limit yields in order to increase concentration and flavor.
He constructed the first gravity-flow winery in California and in the surrounding hills, he excavated Sonoma's first caves for aging and storing wine with the aide of Chinese laborers, whose virtues he extolled. He is also credited with being the first to experiment with Redwood barrels for aging and fermenting, an adaptation of traditional European oak barrels that employed the resources of the local forests.
