Jean-Louis Vignes (April 9, 1780 - January 17, 1862), also known as Don Luis del Aliso, was a French-born Californian vintner and ranchero.
He was one of the first commercial wine makers in California and one of the first men to import and plant European Vitis vinifera grapes in the state.
[2] After losing his business in Honolulu due to Queen Ka'ahumanu's edict banning alcohol production, he sailed to California and landed at Pueblo de Los Angeles in 1831.
They moved into the family house in Béguey which they acquired on December 30, 1816, along with its cellars and workshop, the vines, 3.2 acres (13,000 m2) of ploughable lands, and "the copper brandy still that contains three barrels."
On November 20, 1826, the "Comète" left the Gironde estuary and entered the Atlantic Ocean with her approximately 30 passengers and her large crew.
[6] After stops at Isla de los Estados (Argentina), Valparaíso (Chile), Quilca and Callao (Peru) and Mazatlán (Mexico),[7] the Comète landed in Honolulu on July 6, 1827.
In October 1828, he was hired as manager of Oahu's rum distillery and sent 60 piasters to his family that had remained in France.
In 1830, Jean-Louis Vignes sailed from Oahu on the trading bark "Louisa", under the command of Captain George Wood.
The vessel was owned by John Coffin Jones and was a permanent link between the islands and the west coast of North America.
[10] On July 15, 1831, Vignes applied for a Mexican carta de seguridad, stating his occupation as cooper and distiller.
[12] He named his property El Aliso after the centuries-old white alder tree found near the entrance.
The grapes available at the time, of the Mission variety, were brought to Alta California by the Franciscan Brothers at the end of the 18th century.
The Los Angeles market was too small for his production, and he loaded a shipment on the Monsoon, bound for Northern California.
Proud of his achievements, Jean-Louis Vignes wrote to his family members back in Cadillac and urged them to join him in California.