History
Very few people inhabited the valley in 1843 when a 17,742-acre (71.80 km2) land grant was given to Jose de los Santos Berryessa as a reward from the Mexican Governor for his years of good service. Most of Knights Valley (known as Mallacomes Valley) and Calistoga (Known as Agua Caliente) was within this grant. Knights Valley became Berryessa's private hunting preserve where he built an adobe hunting lodge that remains to this day. In 1850, after the Mexican War, California became part of the United States and most of the Spanish settlers including Berryessa returned to Mexico.
Thomas B. Knight, a participant in the Bear Flag Revolt at Sonoma bought a large portion of Rancho Mallacomes from Berryessa and received title to the land in 1853. He called his rancho, Muristood, added a second story to the lodge and planted vineyards, peaches, apples and wheat. Mallocomes Valley would later be renamed “Knights Valley” after Thomas Knight.
Read more about this topic: Knights Valley AVA
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