The winery name derives from legend about a queen and her society of amazons on an island in the West Indies recorded in the log of Columbus’ first voyage. The legend was then popularized by Garcia Ordonez de Montalvo, a historical novelist, in his book, published in 1503 in which he named the queen “Calafia.” The origin of the word “Calafia” remains a mystery. Explorer Hernando Cortez landed near the tip of Baja in 1513 and was reminded of the rugged terrain described in Montalvo’s book. Believing he was on an island he named it “Calafia’s Land” which became California.