GOLD COUNTRY BUSINESS TOURISM
The Fossati-Lombardo family founded the
estate which is now Boeger Winery. They had
vineyards and a bonded winery in the 1800s.
PHOTO COURTESY OF EL DORADO WINERY ASSOCIATION
small businesses that thrive because our
citizens are so supportive,” says Morris.
Home to more than 40 wineries, the
El Dorado County wine industry dates
back to the mid-1800s, when it was one
of the largest wine producing regions in
California. Winemakers flourished into
the next century, but when met with poor
economic conditions, and later Prohibition,
wineries disappeared one by one.
Winegrowing wouldn’t reappear in the
region until the late 1960s.
In 1973, Boeger Winery became the
first post-Prohibition winery to open in
El Dorado County. Greg and Sue Boeger
bought the land in 1972, and Greg, who
grew up in the wine industry — his grandfather,
Anton Nichelini, founded Nichelini
Winery in Napa — had an affinity for the
craft.
“I have always been experimental,”
says Boeger. Today, Boeger works with
30 different varietals and does so with his
family by his side.
Rancho Murieta
According to local legend, in 1853 a
group of California Rangers, the state’s
first law enforcement agency, snuck up
on a band of outlaws in Gold Country.
The state had offered a hefty reward
for the capture of the ringleader, the
infamous Joaquin Murrieta, who had
been stirring up trouble. The Rangers,
led by Capt. Harry Love, ambushed the
outlaws. A mighty battle ensued, and the
Rangers emerged victorious. Murrieta is
considered by some residents to be the
namesake of Rancho Murieta, a community
in the foothills at the gateway to the
Sierra Nevada.
Rancho Murieta started as a vast
swath of ranchland used for livestock before
Sacramento County approved development
in the 1960s. In 1983, businessman
Fred Anderson bought the facility
that would become Murieta Equestrian
Center. Today, it has become a centerpiece
of the area and attracts as many as
94 comstocksmag.com | July 2020