Napa County CA Archives Biographies.....Borreo, F. 1837 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 6, 2007, 11:59 am

Author: Lewis Publishing Co. (1891)

F. BORREO is the proprietor of the Bay Vineyard and Orchard, which also includes
 the wine cellars and distillery. The fine place, about seven miles from Napa,
and adjoining the celebrated Jackson Napa Soda Springs, is beautifully situated
in a sheltered spot on the west side of the Foss Valley range of mountains, and
occupies both sides of the Soda Canon. He has here 370 acres, seventy-five of
which are in vineyard, and ten acres in blackberries and other fruit. There are
also 564 olive trees, some of them six years old and in bearing. These are all
of the Picholin variety, with which Mr. Borreo was familiar in his Italian home,
and which he considers the most desirable both for picking and for oil. The
grapes on this ranch are of the Burgundy and Zinfandel variety, mostly of the
non-resistant stock, but all in bearing and so far free from phylloxera. Mr.
Borreo is, however, preparing resistant vines, having now 10,000 rooted in
nursery, which he proposes to plant in new ground so as to be ready in case the
disease makes its appearance. He has already picked some of the olives, and they
are indeed delicious, of a tine, delicate flavor, with a most pleasing after
taste, and will prepare samples of oil from a few of the Picholin olives the
coming winter. There is a beautiful view from his residence over the whole
valley to Napa City, Mount Tamalpais, Pinole Point, the vessels and bay beyond,
and even the trains to Santa Rosa, as well as those up the Napa Valley. The
winery has a storage capacity of 200,000 gallons, and there are now in stock
some 50,000 gallons of wine of the last season's vintage. There is also a
distillery in which he will use for making brandy all inferior grapes, as well
as the lees and pomace, and other refuse products of the vineyard. His main
products are Port, Angelica, claret and white wines. Mr. Borreo has established
his own brandies and reaches the consumer direct, having customers all over the
State of California. Next season he will commence bottling, and will then make
preparations to enter the Eastern market, having already placed some of his
wines on satisfactory terms in New York city.

  He was born in 1837, near Genoa, in Oreglia, in the olive-growing district of
Italy, near the sea-coast, and as a boy he engaged in the seafaring life, making
his way to California in 1853. Appreciating the great advantages of this new
country he decided to remain. He followed mining pursuits until 1866, when he
came to Napa and engaged in the general merchandise and warehouse business,
which he sold out in 1889, coming to live on the ranch which he has owned and
operated since 1883. Besides this ranch and vineyard Mr. Borreo owns valuable
property in Napa City. He has always been a supporter of the Republican party,
and though not desiring any official recognition he has been a representative in
county conventions and has been prominent in the local councils of his party.

  He was married in 1864, in Virginia City, Nevada, to Miss Maria Arata, a
native of his own district in Italy, who died in May, 1885, in Napa, leaving six
children. They are: Josephine, now the wife of Frank Hodgdon, of San Francisco;
Nellie, now the wife of G. B. Cerrut; Mary, William, Ernest and Archibald.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from

Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California.

Illustrated, Containing a History of this Important Section of the Pacific Coast
from the Earliest Period of its Occupancy to the Present Time, together with
Glimpses of its Prospective Future; Full-Page Steel Portraits of its most
Eminent Men, and Biographical Mention of many of its Pioneers and also of
Prominent Citizens of To-day.

"A people that takes no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will
never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote
descendents." – Macauley.

CHICAGO
THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY
1891.


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