ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY
The Hammondsport and Pleasant Valley Wine Company was established on
March 15, 1860 by Charles Davenport Champlin and twelve area businessmen. The
company was designated as Bonded Winery No.1 in its state and federal
districts. In 1865 Joseph Masson became the wine-maker and around this time the
production of sparkling wine was initiated. This wine, which was marketed under
the brand name Great Western, became the first American sparkling wine to win
an award in Europe. The awards included first prizes in Vienna, 1873; Paris
1889; Brussels, 1897; Paris, 1900; and Brussels in 1910. In the late 19th and
early 20th centuries the company had many prestigious personal and business
accounts. Between 1872 and 1875, Charles Champlin and his associates built the
nine-mile Bath to Hammondsport Railroad in order to compete with canal
transportation.
