In the late 1800s, Enrico D’Agostini and his wife Carolina left their home in Casalvieri, Italy. They came through Ellis Island to Copperopolis, California and settled in the Shenandoah Valley soon after.

In 1911, Enrico bought the Uhlinger Winery and around 2500 acres in the valley, which became the D’Agostini Winery & Estate. He ran the winery with his wife, three daughters, and five sons.

There was another D’Agostini family that had left Casalvieri around the same time and made their way across the United States. Antonio and Basilico “Bill” D’Agostini, along with their families, came to the states through Nova Scotia and Canada and were moving west. They had lived in Michigan, Colorado, and were finally settling in Fernley, Nevada, when they received a letter from Enrico encouraging them to come and live in Shenandoah Valley because “it looks just like home.” They took his advice in 1924 and purchased land adjacent to Enrico’s. Bill purchased 160 acres next to Enrico, while Antonio purchased a little over 1000 acres on the north side of Enrico’s property line in southern El Dorado County.

Antonio and Bill both began ranching and growing grapes on each of their own lands. The three families all ran their own businesses separately and continued to raise their families in the valley.