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Paul Masson
Paul Masson (February 14, 1859 – October 22, 1940) was a French-born American winemaker. He is considered an early pioneer of California viticulture known for his brand of Californian sparkling wine.
Masson was born as the second child to wealthy parents in Merceuil, a wine village outside of Beaune. Both his paternal and maternal families were prominent vintners local to Burgundy, with his mother's side, the Boillot-Grozeliers, hailing from Volnay. In 1877, after finishing his secondary education, his parents arranged for his emigration to the United States, where he lived at the grape plantation of his uncle Louis Grozelier in San Jose, California.
In 1879, he became a student of Charles Lefranc (owner of the Almaden Vineyard and Wine Company), one of a number of French immigrants who had expanded the viticulture introduced into the Santa Clara Valley by the Catholic mission fathers. Masson returned to France in 1880 to finish school at The Sorbonne. After college, he returned to San Jose, California due to the depression in the French wine industry caused by the Phylloxera plague and became the winemaker at Almaden. Masson became engaged to Charles' daughter Louise in 1886. After the death of Lefranc in 1887, Masson purchased 573 acres in Saratoga, California, which he named La Cresta. He set about to plant 60 acres, mainly Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with cuttings from Burgundy and re-named the new winery the Paul Masson Champagne Company, now known as The Mountain Winery, which he ran with his brother-in-law Henri Lefranc. According to the Paul Masson company web site, in 1892 Masson's first sparkling wine under the name "champagne" was introduced at Almaden, and Masson eventually became known as the "Champagne King of California" after winning at the Paris Expo in 1900.
During the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, La Cresta sustained some damage, but had his home renovated by 1907.
He was appointed to California's Board of State Viticultural Commissioners on August 30, 1913 and won a grand prize at the World's Fair in 1915. With the ban on alcohol during Prohibition, Paul Masson Champagne Company suffered major financial difficulties and had to rework his business model to instead manufacture canned fruit. The company was, however, allowed to produce a small quantitiy of wine for sacramental use in Catholic churches, as well as bottles of "medicinal champagne". Masson eventually sold his vineyard in 1930. In 1933, with no sons to take the reins of the business, Masson sold the winery and brand rights to his neighbor Martin Ray.
Throughout the remainder of 1930s, Masson frequently traveled back to France to visit family there. He died at his home in San Jose on October 22, 1940. Masson was cremated and his ashes scattered on his old estate by his daughter, but a mausoleum was set up at Oak Hill Memorial Park.
Masson shifted part of his production to the Santa Cruz Mountains above Saratoga, California and built his "chateau" on a knob overlooking the Santa Clara Valley in 1905. Now known as "The Mountain Winery", the Paul Masson Mountain Winery is on the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places, though it ceased making wines in 1952. Instead, it serves as a conferencing and events venue - various events are held at the winery, such as concert series, weddings, and other special events. A chess tournament was held there annually in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Around 2000, the then-current owners of the site hired winemaker Jeffrey Patterson to restart winemaking on site. The vineyards were reestablished at the Mountain Winery in 2004.
The Paul Masson brand is best remembered for its 1978–1981 marketing association with actor-director Orson Welles, who promised for Masson: "We will sell no wine before its time." A widely circulated and much-parodied outtake for one commercial from the campaign features Welles attempting to deliver his lines while severely inebriated.
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Paul Masson
Paul Masson (February 14, 1859 – October 22, 1940) was a French-born American winemaker. He is considered an early pioneer of California viticulture known for his brand of Californian sparkling wine.
Masson was born as the second child to wealthy parents in Merceuil, a wine village outside of Beaune. Both his paternal and maternal families were prominent vintners local to Burgundy, with his mother's side, the Boillot-Grozeliers, hailing from Volnay. In 1877, after finishing his secondary education, his parents arranged for his emigration to the United States, where he lived at the grape plantation of his uncle Louis Grozelier in San Jose, California.
In 1879, he became a student of Charles Lefranc (owner of the Almaden Vineyard and Wine Company), one of a number of French immigrants who had expanded the viticulture introduced into the Santa Clara Valley by the Catholic mission fathers. Masson returned to France in 1880 to finish school at The Sorbonne. After college, he returned to San Jose, California due to the depression in the French wine industry caused by the Phylloxera plague and became the winemaker at Almaden. Masson became engaged to Charles' daughter Louise in 1886. After the death of Lefranc in 1887, Masson purchased 573 acres in Saratoga, California, which he named La Cresta. He set about to plant 60 acres, mainly Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with cuttings from Burgundy and re-named the new winery the Paul Masson Champagne Company, now known as The Mountain Winery, which he ran with his brother-in-law Henri Lefranc. According to the Paul Masson company web site, in 1892 Masson's first sparkling wine under the name "champagne" was introduced at Almaden, and Masson eventually became known as the "Champagne King of California" after winning at the Paris Expo in 1900.
During the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, La Cresta sustained some damage, but had his home renovated by 1907.
He was appointed to California's Board of State Viticultural Commissioners on August 30, 1913 and won a grand prize at the World's Fair in 1915. With the ban on alcohol during Prohibition, Paul Masson Champagne Company suffered major financial difficulties and had to rework his business model to instead manufacture canned fruit. The company was, however, allowed to produce a small quantitiy of wine for sacramental use in Catholic churches, as well as bottles of "medicinal champagne". Masson eventually sold his vineyard in 1930. In 1933, with no sons to take the reins of the business, Masson sold the winery and brand rights to his neighbor Martin Ray.
Throughout the remainder of 1930s, Masson frequently traveled back to France to visit family there. He died at his home in San Jose on October 22, 1940. Masson was cremated and his ashes scattered on his old estate by his daughter, but a mausoleum was set up at Oak Hill Memorial Park.
Masson shifted part of his production to the Santa Cruz Mountains above Saratoga, California and built his "chateau" on a knob overlooking the Santa Clara Valley in 1905. Now known as "The Mountain Winery", the Paul Masson Mountain Winery is on the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places, though it ceased making wines in 1952. Instead, it serves as a conferencing and events venue - various events are held at the winery, such as concert series, weddings, and other special events. A chess tournament was held there annually in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Around 2000, the then-current owners of the site hired winemaker Jeffrey Patterson to restart winemaking on site. The vineyards were reestablished at the Mountain Winery in 2004.
The Paul Masson brand is best remembered for its 1978–1981 marketing association with actor-director Orson Welles, who promised for Masson: "We will sell no wine before its time." A widely circulated and much-parodied outtake for one commercial from the campaign features Welles attempting to deliver his lines while severely inebriated.
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