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Paul MassonPaul Masson (1859-1940) was an early pioneer of California viticulture and the most successful popularizer of Californian sparkling wine. He immigrated to the US from the Burgundy region of France in 1878 "where he met Charles Lefranc, one of a number of French immigrants who had expanded the viticulture introduced into the Santa Clara Valley by the Catholic mission fathers." He returned to France in 1880 but returned due to the depressed wine industry caused by the Phylloxera plague. "In 1892 Masson's first champagne was introduced at Almaden, and he eventually became know as the 'Champagne King of California.'" His brand is best known for its 1970s marketing association with Orson Wells who promised for Masson, "We will sell no wine before its time." Masson shifted part of his production to the hills above Saratoga, CA and built his "chateau" on a knob overlooking the valley in 1905. Paul Masson Mountain Winery is on the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places. Events are held at the winery, such as concert series, special events, weddings, etc. The Paul Masson brand is now a division of the Canandaigua Wine Company, which is in turn owned by Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE: STZ and STZ.B) Outside Links References
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