Contra Costa County and the City of Oakley has a rich history in agriculture.

VINEYARDS and WINERIES. Contra Costa County has been producing award winning wine and grapes for well over 100 years. The grape growing regions are characterized by climates such as the hot, San Joaquin Valley and the cool foggy coast - which allows grapes the warm days and cool nights they need to give them a fine acid/PH ratio.

Older vines of which were planted at the turn of the century, like in the City of Oakley, produce more sophisticated flavors and are perfect for making fine wines.

One of the first vineyards ever planted in Contra Costa County was planted in Pinole in the first half of the 19th centruey when Don Ignacio Martinez was given land.

At one time, Contra Costa County had 6,000 acres of vineyards and some fifty wineries. In 1881, the County reportedly had 300 acres of grapes, then 3,141 in 1891 and finally 6,000 acres by 1897. By 1919, forty percent of agricultural land in the County was devoted to grape growing. In 1900, a ton of wine grapes cost $18 compared with over $800 today and an acre of farm land was $20-50 an acre. Currently there are about 2,000 acres of vines in Contra Costa County specializing in Zinfandel, Carignane, and Mouvedre.

Now a days in Oakley, you can find the following vineyards:

• Cline

Soon there will be no need to travel all the way to Napa for award winning wines. Local vintners are currently working toward having a wine tasting room in Oakley. Information will be posted on this page when the tasting room is available. For a list of local Contra Costa wineries you can visit click here.

For more information about agriculture in the area, link to:

• Department of Agriculture - Contra Costa County
• Contra Costa Wine, Grapes and Olive Grower's Association
• Department of Agriculture