Andrew Mattei
Andrew Mattei | |
|---|---|
| Born | circa 1848 Switzerland/Italy |
| Died | 1931 |
| Occupation | Vintner |
| Known for | Founder of Mattei Winery in Fresno, California |
Andrew Mattei (circa 1848 – 1931) was a Swiss-Italian vintner who emigrated to Fresno, California, where he launched a prominent winery.[1]
Between 1887 and 1890, Mattei settled in Fresno County, California and went on to establish the Mattei Winery in 1893.[1] Starting with an initial vineyard area of 80 acres, his estate grew to encompass 1,200 acres by 1910.[1] By 1915, the winery's worth reached ten million dollars, positioning it among California's largest and eventually becoming the biggest in the United States prior to Prohibition.[2] The operation produced not only wine but also grape syrup and brandy.[1]
Worried that his offspring might not continue in the wine industry, Mattei commissioned a twelve-story office structure in Fresno that bore his name. This building, later called the Guarantee Savings Building and now known as the Mattei Building, ranks as the seventh tallest in the city.[3] Despite these concerns, the Mattei Winery along with its Mattevista Wines label endured through Prohibition and remained active until it was sold to Guild Wineries in 1962.[1]
Mattei’s daughter Eleanor married botanist Henry Gleason, and their descendants include notable figures such as mathematician Andrew Gleason and linguist Henry Allan Gleason (linguist).[4]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedsullivan - ↑ Cribari (2001)
- ↑ Brown & Conway (2004), p. 192.
- ↑ Gleason, Jean Berko (November 2009), "Andrew M. Gleason 1921–2008: A life well lived", Notices of the American Mathematical Society, 56 (10): 1266–1267