Say the words "California Gold Rush," and images of miners plying glittering gold from streams and mines come to mind. But there is a larger story in the California Gold Country than just the discovery of this precious metal. Immigrants from around the world rushed into the area, bringing with them their own languages and traditions in a quest for riches. One of those traditions was wine making, which, for some, would prove to be a greater boon than panning for gold as they discovered that the region's soils and microclimates were ideal for vineyards.

Sarah Lunsford has been an instructor of global studies for Liberty University Online since 2010. She studied at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (MA, MDiv, ThM) and at Columbia International University (PhD) and served as an international church planter with the IMB. Sarah and her four children (Abigail, Elysa, Zachary, and Emilia) live in the metro-Atlanta area.