Some Errors In “Miwok Native Fathers Wine Industry”

I read with interest “Miwok Native Fathers Wine Industry,” written by Sandi Hansen which was based on my research and an earlier 2018 article in the Valley of the Moon Magazine. There are some errors in the present article. The most obvious is the illustration of a Native American labeled Viviano. This portrait shows a probable Ohlone man wearing a mission-style woolen garment and is part of a larger drawing made by Louis Choris on an expedition to California between 1815-1818. There is no connection to Viviano, the Native American living in Sonoma. Other errors include the date of abandonment of the Mission vineyard. This vineyard probably produced wine grapes from 1826 until 1834 when it was described as being “in very bad condition.” It is unrelated to the small vineyard belonging to Viviano which was located a few miles farther east and was never considered a Mission vineyard. I am pleased to relate that Bartholomew Vineyards, which still grows grapes on the same six acres first cultivated by Viviano, now recognizes his contribution to viticulture.
— Peter G. Meyerhof, Sonoma