Description
The history of Johnson Estate begins with an English orphan named Frederick Johnson (1877-1960). He immigrated to Canada as a teenager and found his way to Cornell at the turn of the century to study entomology. In 1908, Johnson purchased a circa-1822 home and farm along the banks of Freelings Creek in Westfield, N.Y. He planted apple, cherry, and peach orchards, and Concord vineyards, and named the farm Sunnyslope Fruit Farm. Johnson worked as an entomologist with the Department of Agriculture in both Washington, D.C. and in North East, PA, where he met his wife, Nan Scouller. In 1920, he built an apple cold storage facility using timber from an 1860's dairy barn found on the farm. This building now houses our tasting room. According to family lore, Johnson started making wine in the basement of the farmhouse during Prohibition.
