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Vintage Publications
This page has a complilation of vintage UC viticultural information; this information is provided primarily for its historical interest to the grape industry.
Be aware that specific practices mentioned, in particular pesticide recommendations, are most likely out of date, and in some cases the practices may now be illegal or otherwise very unwise. Please contact this office for the most current information.
The first UCCE Farm Advisor was hired in 1913; the San Luis Obispo office was established in 1922. This 1915 circular describes the role of the nascent UCCE and its relationship with the agricultural industries that it serves.
1915 - The County Farm Adviser
The 1950 "Grape Growing in California" circular below provides a comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-art knowledge at that time. This is a large file (24 Mb).
1950 - Grape Growing in California
The 1963 bulletin "California wine grapes: composition and quality of their musts and wines" is an important document in that it summarizes the early experience with many varieties of winegrapes in the state. Some of this information may still be of interest for anyone interested in growing less common varieties. This is also a large file (25 Mb).
1963 - California wine grapes, composition and quality of their musts and wines
The two economic studies below were prepared by Jack Foott, former Farm Advisor in San Luis Obispo County, in 1973; they detail the costs of vineyard establishment and production in the early years of the San Luis Obispo County industry.
1973 - Sample costs to establish a vineyard - wine grape production
1973 - Sample costs to produce Zinfandel grapes for wine production
The study below details the ripening characteristics of various varieties of winegrapes throughout San Luis Obispo County; it was part of the preliminary work conducted by Jack Foott to determine the most suitable varieties for this area.