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A Bit of Geyserville History Discovered from a Fire Map

September in Geyserville is usually a nearly perfect month - the harvest is well underway, leaves are turning, and skies are blue. Generally it’s busy with wine country tourists. Obviously, this year is a little different but there are still some special pleasures here in the “Wine Country Capital” of Geyserville.

While fire preparedness is competing with Covid-19 protocols, we are a resilient group here in Northern Sonoma County and, with care, there is much to enjoy.

Foodie Moments of the Month

Volunteers and outside helpers shared a celebratory breakfast with me at the Geyserville Grille after successfully evacuating our servals and other creatures. I was sorry to see that the Crab cake Benedict has dropped off the menu, but that left the wine country spinach benedict and the lovely traditional Eggs Benedict to choose from, along with many other selections. Their dual-level patio seating provides plenty of room in these socially-distanced times

Corner project Ales and Eats offering...
Corner project Ales and Eats offering...

The Corner Project, a brew pub at the north end of “downtown” Geyserville, is open for take-out Thursday thru Saturday from noon till 8pm and on Sundays until 3pm, though given the cross-currents of the pandemic and fire season, it’s probably a good idea to call to confirm hours. Everyone in Geyserville is rooting for them to succeed though they have suffered from one of the most ill-starred “Grand Openings” ever, gearing up as the pandemic took hold, hanging on, and now facing a potentially long fire season. https://www.cornerprojectales.com/

A Bit of Geyserville History from a Fire Map

History, both ancient and modern, fascinates me and the past of Geyserville is especially intriguing. One resource I’ve discovered is the photo archive at the University of California’s Calisphere, which stores about 350 historic images of Geyserville from various sources. They also include some brief videos and text materials. While staring at fire maps of this area during the conflagrations in August, I noticed a place name I’d never seen before. Directly north of Geyserville is a place called “Nervo”. This photo archive showed me that “Nervo” was the name of a major early winery in the area and gave its name to its small settlement of buildings. So before you reach Asti north of Geyserville as you zoom along Highway 101, you are actually passing by the now almost-forgotten site of Nervo. Nervo was established by Frank Nervo in 1908 and produced Tokay wine among others. You can browse the Calisphere collection website at https://calisphere.org/search/?q=geyserville

Main info: https://digital.sonomalibrary.org/documents/detail/170302

Looking Ahead ….

As of this writing, it is still not clear if Geyserville will have our annual Fall Colors event and car show in October due to pandemic restrictions. It is presently slated for October 25th, 2020 but please verify closer to the date. Even the beloved annual Tree Lighting and Tractor Parade in late November may be in doubt. For updates closer to the time, check the Geyserville Chamber of Commerce Events page at https://geyservillechamber.com/events/.

DeTraci Regula
DeTraci Regula

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