Atlas Peak

In the 1870s San Francisco became too crowded for John Wesley Hammond. The Homestead Act allowed him to claim unused government land. The best land in the Napa Valley was gone with seemingly less desirable outlying land available. John found land on Atlas Peak, above the fog, with rich soil and sun.

Atlas Peak is now recognized as a premier appellation, a legally defined and protected geographical indication used to identify where the grapes for a wine are grown. First to homesteading a 40-acre parcel, then moving up to the present ranch site of 240 acres, John planted grapes, fig trees, and olive trees with both species remaining in production today.

The ranch is filled with hundreds of olive trees that cover the hillsides. On the east side of the ranch they have the Arbequina varietal and on the west side there are Italian varietals Pendolino, Leccino, Frantoio, Maurino, and Coratina varieties. They also have old Mission olive trees that were planted in the 1800s.