William Welch Wines

Open F (4-7pm), Sat (1-7pm) Main Street, Sun (2-5pm) Vineyard

BOOK YOUR PARTY NOW - WINE AND MERRIMENT Irishman William Welch risked life and liberty one night in 1821, when he jumped ship in Bodega Bay. He was 28 years old and had little to lose as an indentured sailor on British ship, Lady Blackwood. The captain of the ship had come to trade with the Russians at Fort Ross, and in dark of night, he and the ship's carpenter, Joseph Lawrence, set off to seek their fortune. They hitched a ride by launch to San Francisco and then to Los Angeles, where Lawrence stayed. Welch explored more of California until he reached Mission Santa Clara. By becoming baptized there, he was able to become a naturalized citizen of this new land. He solidified the Spanish's trust of him by joining the army and marrying into a prominent Spanish family, Maria Antonia Galindo (her brother, Francisco Galindo, co-founded Concord). At Pueblo San Jose, Welch started on a herd of cattle, but had no place to put them. Welch applied for a tract of land by Mount Diablo, and received permission from the district's alcalde, Salvio Pacheco. However, Pacheco didn't realize it was the very same land he had applied for, and angrily went to the California governor to eject Welch from his land. Welch complied and Ignacio Martinez allowed him to move his cattle to his Rancho El Pinole until he could find other land. In between Pacheco and Martinez's ranchos was a tract of land that lay between the Alhambra and Walnut Creeks, called Las Juntas (the "joining" of the 2 creeks). However, the American Indians on the land opposed the occupation, and Welch sent his son to build an adoble in Walnut Creek to protect the cattle. Finally, after years of struggle, William Welch was granted the majestic Rancho Las Juntas* in 1844. We believe this wine incorporates the same bold spirit of William Welch, and it is with great pride that we, his family, present it to you.
* Rancho Las Juntas consisted of 13,324 acres in what is present-day Northern Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, Pacheco, and Southern Martinez.