Agoston Haraszthy (/ˈɑːɡəstən ˈhærəsti/; Hungarian: Haraszthy Ágoston ; August 30, 1812, Pest, Hungary] – July 6, 1869, Corinto, Nicaragua) was a Hungarian-American traveler, writer, town-builder, and pioneer winemaker in Wisconsin and California, often referred to as the "Father of California Viticulture," or the "Father of Modern Winemaking in California". One of the first men to plant vineyards in Wisconsin, he was the founder of the Buena Vista vineyards (now Buena Vista Carneros) in Sonoma, California, and an early writer on California wine and viticulture.
He was the first Hungarian to settle permanently in the United States and only the second to write a book about the country in his native language. He is remembered in Wisconsin as the founder of the oldest incorporated village in the state. He also operated the first commercial steamboat on the upper Mississippi River. In San Diego he is remembered as the first town marshal and the first county sheriff. In California he introduced more than three hundred varieties of European grapes.
Read more about Agoston Haraszthy: Birth, Nobility, Life in Hungary, To America, Travels in North America, Wisconsin, In Nicaragua, The Zinfandel Controversy, Vintners Hall of Fame