Cresta Blanca Winery was one of the original Livermore Valley wineries. It was founded by in 1882 with cuttings of Sauvignon blanc from Chateau d'Yquem and other top Bordeaux properties. Its first vintage, a dry white wine in 1884 won Grand Prize at the 1889 Paris Exposition, becoming the first California wine to win a competition in France. The victory also assured the future of the California wine industry, which had fallen upon hard times.