"The
ultimate compliment—Markham
Vineyards
purchased the highly successful
La Jota Vineyard
Co. in 2001." |
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 Originally
part of a Spanish land grant that covered 4,000
acres, La Jota Vineyard was built and operated
by Frederick Hess until Prohibition. Turned over
to prunes and pigs, the winery and land were in
disrepair when Bill Smith purchased La Jota in
1974 from a group of San Francisco investors.
Commuting from the Peninsula on weekends, Bill
and Joan enlisted the help of family and friends
to establish a vineyard, and spent hours irrigating
each vine by hand. A growing passion for wine,
intermittent success as home winemakers, and the
thrill of a challenge inspired Bill and Joan in
1982 to offer their first commercial vintage.
When their release letter produced only 10 orders,
Joan packed up a basket of wine, scheduled appointments,
and went out to sell. Flush with the success of
her first day, Joan continued to personally sell
La Jota for the next 20 years.
The ultimate compliment—Markham Vineyards
purchased the highly successful La Jota Vineyard
Co. in 2001. |
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