Sonoma, CA – Bartholomew Estate Winery, who opened their doors in the historic winery building within Bartholomew Park in 2019, announced today that they will be celebrating their third anniversary as a wine brand and the 100th birthday of the building by planting 100 oak trees within the park.
The winery will kick off the year-long “100 Trees” campaign on the weekend of April 22nd which falls on Earth Day and the week of the winery’s third anniversary. The young oak trees, sourced through the generosity of the Sonoma Ecology Center, will be nurtured and planted throughout the 375-acre Bartholomew Park in an effort to replace the many oak trees succumbing to drought and infection.
“We couldn’t think of a more appropriate way to celebrate the trifecta of the winery’s anniversary, the 100th year of the historic building, and Earth Day,” said Anna Pope, trustee of the Frank H. Bartholomew Foundation. She added, “Locals and winery guests alike enjoy the serene nature of the park while sitting under many of our 100-year-old oaks, sipping wine made from this historically significant site. The ethos of Bartholomew Estate Winery is to give back to the beloved park we call our home.” All profits from wine sales received by the Foundation (as co-owner of the winery) go directly to support Bartholomew Park.
With its first vineyard planted in 1832, the Bartholomew Estate Winery site is storied and multifaceted. Today’s historic winery building was first built in 1922 as a state hospital. It later served as Sonoma Valley’s primary community hospital until 1957, and then as a working winery for the Bartholomews. A visit to the timeline on the winery’s website helps to connect the dots of events through the years. Bartholomew Estate Winery opened its doors on April 27, 2019 as a new winery in the heart of the 375-acre Bartholomew Park in Sonoma Valley, California. Bartholomew Estate was founded by Anna Pope, trustee of the Frank H. Bartholomew Foundation (owner and operator of the non-profit Bartholomew Park), and noted winemaker, Kevin Holt, to honor the legacy of Frank and Antonia Bartholomew. In 1943, the Bartholomews purchased the property at auction, only to discover that it was the birthplace of California viticulture, the center of Count Agoston Harazthy’s Rancho Buena Vista containing the sites of his residence, original winery, and vineyards. Today, Bartholomew Estate Winery continues the Bartholomews’ calling to create exquisite wines from the iconic location, to share information on California winemaking and viticulture and to support Bartholomew Park, an incomparable community treasure.
The Frank H. Bartholomew Foundation was created by Frank and Antonia Bartholomew to preserve and protect the historic site in perpetuity. Bartholomew Park opened in 1990.