Berger: Planning for a wine museum

To most wine consumers, the lore of wine is bound up in the recent exploits of famed winemakers, most of whom are no longer with us.

Wine visionaries like the late Robert Mondavi, Andre Tchelistcheff, Lee Stewart, Ernest and Julio Gallo, Brad Webb, Myron Nightingale, John Parducci and Bob Sessions left us all with an indelible legacy that actually wasn’t all that long ago.

Then consider the less-well-known contributions of Eugene Hilgard, Louis Petri, Georges de Latour, Vince and Audrey Cilurzo, Gary Eberle, Gustave Niebaum, Daryl Corti, and Dr. Maynard Amerine.

California wine has a rich and vibrant history, much of which has been written in various books, most of them now sadly out of print.

Moreover, a University of California “living history” project led by the late Ruth Teiser to capture the words of famed wine industry figures predates the electronic era. So much of her work remains online, but only in photographic versions of her manuscripts, and is thus not searchable.

True, twin books by a retired English professor from Pomona College, Thomas Pinney, “A History of Wine in America,” do capture much of the California wine experience, both pre- and post-Prohibition. And they’re enjoyable reading.

But to come alive and have visual meaning for wine lovers, a broader stage is needed. And that is Lindsay Austin’s vision.

Austin, a Santa Rosa resident, is the president of the board of Wineseum, a California Wine Museum project that is aiming to bring much of the state’s rich vinous and viticultural history alive in ways that will entice visitors not only for exciting first visits, but also for return visits by virtue of changing up its offerings and exhibits.

Targeted for opening in late 2016, Wineseum has diverse plans that include a small representation of early California wine memorabilia (some of it collected by Jim McCormick, a local collector and antique dealer), a rotating series of tastings and food pairings, rooms for various exhibits, films, lectures, classrooms, and much more.

No plans are firmly etched yet since the project has not yet concluded its fund-raising. Indeed, the search for funding remains the No. 1 goal of Austin these days.

Key to Austin’s strategy is to avoid a tiny handful of huge, wealthy sponsors and to focus on a broad range of California wineries that will participate and will be able to display their wines for visitors.

And the effort is a statewide one. Wineries from San Diego to Humboldt County are welcome to become active members.

The goal is to reveal the history of wine throughout the state.

The location for Wineseum is ideal - across from Santa Rosa’s Old Courthouse Square, easy walking distance to both Railroad Square and Santa Rosa Plaza as well as the downtown business district. It’s also near existing parking structures.

The large building, formerly an eyesore, is being handsomely renovated and already has a number of upscale tenants, with plans to add a fine restaurant and other businesses.

Fund-raising is ongoing and a number of wineries have inquired about how the sponsorships are being structured.

For now, Wineseum has a small website, wineseum.org, that has more details. Included on the site is an artist’s rendering of the new building.

Dan Berger lives in Sonoma County, where he publishes “Vintage Experiences,” a weekly wine newsletter. Write to him at winenut@gmail.com.