Eleanor McCrea was a Napa Valley vintner and the owner of Stony Hill Vineyards. Born in 1907 in Buffalo, New York, she attended Wellesley College for her undergraduate years, during which time she worked as a legal secretary and stenographer, and graduated in 1929. In 1943, she purchased the property that would become Stony Hill alongside her husband and began planting grapes in 1948. In this interview, McCrea discusses the development of a winery at Stony Hill, profitability and pricing for a small operation, East Coast and European markets, and her overall impressions of the California wine industry. This interview is part of a group of interviews documenting the California wine industry.
Details
Title
Eleanor McCrea: Stony Hill Vineyards: The Creation of a Napa Valley Estate Winery
Note
McCrea, Eleanor. "Eleanor McCrea: Stony Hill Vineyards: The Creation of a Napa Valley Estate Winery." Interview by Lisa Jacobson in 1990. Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, 1990. Interview date(s) 1990
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