Markham Vineyards was founded in 1852 by a French immigrant who discovered that making wine in northern California was more profitable than panning for gold. In the late 19th century the estate, then called Laurent, was one of the state’s largest winemakers. In the 20th century the estate went through several owners and decades of disrepair, until 1978 when Bruck Markham acquired it. In 1988 the estate was called to the Mercian Corp., which is part of the Japanese beer brewer Kirin. Bryan Del Bondio is Senior Advisor, and Kimberlee Nicholls in winemaker. Markham is known for its red wines.