August 25, 1992: On this day, Spring Mountain Vineyards was seized by Western Farm Credit Bank. The Bank sold the property, including a 262-acre winery, mansion, 24-acre vineyard, and 22,000 cases of wine for $5.5 million. The Napa Valley estate of Spring Mountain Vineyards, which was featured weekly in the opening scenes of the evening soap opera “Falcon Crest,” is a well-known representation of the wine industry’s escalating problems. Mike Robbins, a Los Angeles developer who founded Spring Mountain in 1968, produced outstanding wine in the company’s early years until it began to struggle in the late 1970s. Robbins filed for bankruptcy protection in 1990 after trying to sell the property for over ten years.

August 25, 2020: Alisos Canyon AVA was established in California’s Santa Barbara County. Among Santa Maria Valley and Santa Ynez Valley sits the 5774-acre AVA. Its popularly known for producing high-quality wine from the Rhone-style varietals resulting from distinct climatic conditions. The AVA is located in Santa Barbara’s Goldilocks Rhone zones, best for Rhone grapes.

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