Gainey Vineyard
Timeline
1897 Daniel C. Gainey is born in Lewiston, Minnesota.
1897
Otto Jostens opens Jostens, Inc., a watch repair shop in Owatonna, Minnesota.
1922 Daniel C. joins Jostens.
1925 Daniel J. Gainey, Daniel C.’s only child, is born in Owatonna, Minnesota.
1939 Daniel C. is given an Arabian colt by Jostens’ employees at a sales meeting.
1940 Daniel C. begins developing his farm and stables in Owatonna.
1941 Daniel C. purchases Gainey Ranch in Scottsdale, Arizona.
1952 Daniel J. joins his father at Jostens as vice president of manufacturing.
1956 Daniel C. takes Jostens, Inc., public, which becomes a Fortune 500 company in the 1960s.
1956 A Jostens’ manufacturing plant is opened in Summerland, California, just south of Santa Barbara, and Daniel J. temporarily moves to California to oversee the project.
1959 Daniel C. retires from Jostens as president; Daniel J. becomes president.
1961 Daniel J. returns to Minnesota, where he keeps a primary residence from 1961 to 1968.
1962 Daniel H. Gainey, Daniel J.’s only son and one of seven children, is born in Owatonna, Minnesota.
1962 Daniel C. and Daniel J. purchase 1,800 acres on the eastern end of the Santa Ynez Valley.
1963 The first crops are planted at Gainey Ranch in Santa Ynez.
1964 Arabian horse facilities are built on Gainey Ranch in Santa Ynez.
1979 Daniel C. passes away at age 81; his ranch in Otawonna, Minnesota, is given to University of St. Thomas (St. Paul, Minnesota) in the early 1980s, and the Daniel C. Gainey Conference Center is established for retreats.
1981 The Gaineys sell a portion of Gainey Ranch in Arizona; continue raising cattle and farming on the remaining property.
1983 Daniel J. plants 51 acres of Bordeaux varieties on the northern boundary of the Gainey Ranch and names it the Home Ranch Vineyard.
1983 Santa Ynez Valley American Viticultural Area is established.
1984 Daniel J. retires from Jostens, leaving Minnesota for California permanently to devote himself to fulfilling his dream of making wine.
1984 Gainey’s 12,000-square-foot, Spanish-style winery opens its doors to visitors.
1984 Rick Longoria is hired as winemaker; Gainey debuts its first releases made from purchased fruit, incluing a Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.
1986 Daniel H. joins Gainey Vineyard; spends his first year working in the vineyard, followed by five years in the cellar, before transitioning into management.
1988 Gainey converts 200 additional acres of rangeland to farmland.
1989 Gainey releases its first Limited Selection Merlot from the 1987 vintage.
1991 Gainey releases its first Limited Selection Sauvignon Blanc from the 1990 vintage.
1996 Daniel H. purchases 120 acres (formerly used to grow flowers for Rose Parade floats) in the cooler western end of the Santa Ynez Valley and names it Evan’s Ranch, making Gainey the first winery to own properties in both the warm, eastern end of the valley and the cool, western end.
1997 The first 30 acres are planted on Evan’s Ranch to Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah.
1997 Daniel J. retires from Gainey Vineyard; Daniel H. takes the reins.
1997 Kirby Anderson joins Gainey Vineyard as winemaker, replacing Rick.
1998 The remaining land at Gainey Ranch in Scottsdale is sold.
2001 Gainey releases its first Pinot Noir from the 1999 vintage, made from Evan’s Ranch fruit.
2001 Sta. Rita Hills American Viticultural Area (AVA) is established.
2002 Daniel H. plants an additional 12 acres at Evan’s Ranch, including 6 acres of high-density Pinot Noir, making it the most densely planted commercial vineyard in the county.
2003 Gainey builds a new 16,000-square-foot, gravity-flow winery.
2003 Gainey releases its first Sta. Rita Hills appellation Pinot Noir from the 2001 vintage.
2006 In the next year, Daniel H. plants the first Cabernet Sauvignon vines at the Home Ranch Vineyard.
2007 Gainey purchases a 50-acre parcel in Sta. Rita Hills and names it Rancho Esperanza.
2007 Jon Engelskirger becomes the consulting winemaker for Gainey Vineyard’s Bordeaux program; Jeff LeBard joins the winery as assistant winemaker to form a bridge between the Burgundy and Bordeaux programs.
2008
Ranch Esperanza is planted to 36 acres Chardonnay and 14 acres Pinot Noir.
2009 The winery celebrates its 25th anniversary.
2010 Jeff LeBard is named winemaker and continues to work with Jon.
2012
John Falcone joins Gainey as general manager and director of winemaking.
