Forgotten Barrel Winery in Escondido, California was formerly known as Ferrara Winery. George Ferrara purchased the property in the 1920’s and re-opened as Ferrara Winery in 1932 when the Prohibition ended. In 1886, the winery was established as one of San Diego County and Southern California’s first vineyards. Ferrara Winery was restored and rebranded as Forgotten Barrel Winery in 2017.
Historical Details
The team at Forgotten Barrel is dedicated to honoring the winery’s rich history as a California landmark. Forgotten Barrel Winery was named after a discovery made by proprietor Rodger Grove early on in the restoration process. Upon purchasing the property, he found over 20 “forgotten” wine barrels that had been filled with wine and left behind. The beautiful, antique casks were made from old-growth Sequoia redwood. One of these barrels is the first structure visible upon arriving at the winery: a statuesque barrel that is over 100 years old! They envisioned bringing new life to the barrel with hand lettered signage to welcome their visitors. A priority during the winery’s restoration was to keep the property as true to history as possible.
Hand Lettered Signage
Hand lettered signage was common in the era that Ferrara Winery was founded in. To achieve a style consistent with this, we hand painted the lettering of the Forgotten Barrel logo for the front of the barrel. The team at Forgotten Barrel was looking forward to hosting weddings that would take place among the winery’s newly restored buildings, so we brush lettered “Cheers!” onto the back of the barrel. The lettering provides the perfect photo backdrop for winery visitors and wedding party guests alike. To ensure that the lettering would be both weather-proof, while appearing rustic and beautifully worn to complement the natural textures in the barrel’s wood, we incorporated various sign painting techniques. The barrel is now the first sign to greet the wine tasters, and the last “Cheers!” to send them on their way.
