As his business began to expand, James chose a strategic location on the Pony Express Trail and built a stone wine cellar capable of storing 15,000 gallons of wine. He also built a multi-story distillery with a boiler room powered by a six-horse engine, creating a very modern plant for the time. In fact, according to historical documents, the J. Skinner Winery was one of the first commercial vineyards in the country and, by 1883, it had also become one of the largest.

Just two years later, James died in a tragic accident at the very distillery where he had created his legacy. It wasn’t surprising that his funeral was one of the largest ever seen in the area. He had touched the lives of many, not only as a founding father of El Dorado County, but also as a forefather of the wine industry in California.