From Humble Beginnings

The Concannon Vineyard of Livermore, California took off in 1883 when Irish immigrant, James Concannon moved his family to a 47 acre parcel of land with the intention of making wine for the Catholic Church. Concannon was born in 1847, and came to America through New York just after the end of the Civil War in June of 1865 at the age of eighteen. He moved around the East Coast for almost ten years before settling down with a young Irish woman named Ellen Rowe in 1874. They decided shortly thereafter that they would move to the West Coast, which had the appeal of sprawling land and substantial opportunity, ending up in San Francisco. Ellen longed for the fresh air and healthy countryside that the city could not offer, and at the suggestion of family friend Archbishop Alemany, purchased a sizable chunk of land.

James Concannon was a prosperous man because he loved a challenge, and even while on the East Coast and in San Francisco, managed to pursue and succeed in his interests, such as a stamp company. These interests made profits for him and created savings for his family. Savings that they turned around and put back into their family business. They bought ten acres here and there, adding to the mass of land their vineyard sat upon. When the first real winery facility was built in 1895, it was producing around 100,000 gallons of wine. At the time most of the wine was going to use in the church and in San Francisco to be bottled by bigger companies.

Unfortunately, around 1893 Phylloxera disturbed the Concannon vineyard, as it was destroying the vineyards in Europe, starting with France. Phylloxera is a tiny insect, related to the flea, that attacks the roots of grape vines. Vine roots native to North America are immune to this pest, but European roots are not. The Concannons had brought in mostly French vines at this point, since the grapes that were native to America were not considered to have very good flavor, and since their crop was not immune, they had to spend years and years replanting their acres of land. Multiple trips by boat, all the way around the tip of Cape Horn, were made in order to attain further knowledge and specimen from Europe. Eventually it was discovered that by grafting European vines onto American roots, European grapes could become immune to the Phylloxera. The replanting was not completed until just months before James’s death in 1911 at the age of 64.

Between 1889 and 1904 James shipped grapevines to Mexico in an attempt to bring in revenue for the family winery, and to expand and broaden the wine industry in Mexico. He used his connections he had strengthened with the Mexican President, Porfirio Diaz, through his stamp business in the 1870s to pursue this adventure. However, once the Mexican Revolution came about, that particular business venture was shut down, and the vines most likely went to waste, rotting despite Concannon’s hard work.

In the 1990s James Concannon was inducted into the Order of Winegeese by the Chevalier of the Order. It's membership is reserved for Irish wine makers, many of whom attained their goals outside of the homeland. James is also recognized by many as the first successful Irish Vintner in America.

My next blog(s) will include a background of the temperance movement, Prohibition, and the effect on the Concannon vineyard.