Frick Winery. A little Local History. August 21, 2021 22:13

There are two official California Historical Landmarks within a few miles of Frick Winery. You could drive past and easily miss them so I present them here.

Italian Swiss Colony

Here in 1881 Italian Swiss immigrants established an agricultural colony. Choice wines, produced from grape plantings from the Old World, soon brought wide acclaim. By 1905, ten gold medals were awarded these wines at international competitions.

Italian Swiss Colony Winery is my inspiration for becoming a winemaker. 
See my personal story here.

Icaria-Speranza Utopian Colony

Icaria-Speranza was a Utopian community based on the writings of French philosopher Etienne Cabet. In 1881, at Cloverdale, French immigrant families led by the Dehay and Leroux families began their social experiment in cooperative living based on solidarity and depending on an agrarian economy. It lasted until 1886. Icaria-Speranza was the only Icarian Colony in California and the last of seven established throughout the United States. On this site stood the Icarian schoolhouse, deeded to the county in 1886.