In 1881, Baldwin’s ranch vineyards stretched along the southern slopes of the Sierra Madre Mountains for miles in length and about seven miles wide. It was said that a single vine, if irrigated, would yield forty-five pounds of grapes, and one acre of land could produce eight tons of grapes. The fertile soil and Baldwin’s efficient irrigation systems were deemed responsible for this high level of productivity.
Baldwin’s vineyard and his winery headquarters, located on about 700 acres where Santa Anita Park and the Westfield Mall are, today, were at a large scale of operation. Seventy vats that blended the wine each held 1,000 gallons. Large cellars were filled with vast quantities of wine and brandy, and in one cellar, alone, there were forty-eight huge butts holding 2,100 gallons each.
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Carol Libby and Karen Hou
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Arcadia Historical Society