3p WINE COMPANY
OUR HISTORY
“3P” (Three Petrocchi) originated from a hot iron brand that was used for marking livestock for the original 3 Petrocchi’s, who worked the land dating back to 1953 - Angelo, Charlie and Emilo.
~ 1953 ~
In 1953, Angelo and Nicolina Petrocchi, immigrants from Italy, wanted to find a piece of property to raise pigs and grow grapes for making wine. After spending decades in South San Francisco with their three children, Emilo, Charlie, and Emma, they wanted to relocate.
Since Angelo hailed from Tuscany and Nicolina from Emilia Romagna, they had their eyes set on the hills and valleys of California’s coastal region.
When they saw the 18 acres a few miles east of Soquel, California they knew immediately that the Santa Cruz coast would be their new home.
~ 1962 ~
Within three years of purchasing the property, Angelo began the life-time annual tradition of making wine with his own grapes. Some of the original vines still produce today.
The land also offered ample space for a few rows of grape vines, hog barns, acres of plum trees, and an orchard of over twenty fruit trees (many still producing today). Every year family and friends would come to the ranch to help with the picking and crushing of the grapes. The original building Angelo constructed to house the crusher and store the wine still stands today.
~ 1970-2005 ~
In January 1970, Angelo passed away suddenly. His wife, Nicolina, relocated to San Carlos where her three children and their family lived. After Angelo’s death the property was divided into three parcels; Emilo became the owner of the front parcel, Charlie took ownership of the lower parcel and Emma, and Charlie and Emilo became joint owners of the middle parcel.
The family home was rented out for the next ten years. However, without Angelo and Nicolina’s dedication and hard work, the property went downhill rapidly.
In 1993, Emma Passed away. Followed by Emilio 10 years later in 2003. He generously left the front parcel to his niece Antonette, and with the help of the family, everyone worked tirelessly to clean up the property.
In 2005, Charlie passed away leaving his parcel to his son Chuck and wife Lana. At this time Antonette and her husband Fred began the construction on the original family home.
~ 2018 ~
Towards the end of 2018, Dan Petrocchi (Great-grandson of Angelo and Nicolina), approached the family with the idea to plant a small vineyard spanning across all 3 parcels. The family was on board immediately, elated that another generation was interested in utilizing the land to grow grapes and make wine. In late 2018, 3P Vineyards was born. Named after the hot iron livestock brand used on the vineyard site by the previous generations of Petrocchi’s. A 2.5 acre vineyard of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay was planted.
~ 2021 ~
In 2021, 3P Vineyards produced its first small crop of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The turn out was 1/2 ton of Pinot Noir and 1/4 ton Chardonnay, yielding 11 cases of Chardonnay and 21 cases of Pinot Noir. In October of 2021, Dan and Lisa Petrocchi also welcomed in another generation Petrocchi, Austin Charles Petrocchi.