Nestled along the banks of Putah Creek, just below a gap in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Winters is known for its old railroad bridge, opera house, Buckhorn Restaurant, and historic downtown, as well as its access to Lake Berryessa. Once part of a Mexican land grant called Rancho Rio de Los Putos, the town of Winters was born in 1875 when the Vaca Valley Railroad extended a line through the area. It became a thriving agricultural community, and from an era of booming local businesses with hotels, warehouses, and department stores once known as Apricot City, it has evolved into the town known today as "the Gateway to Lake Berryessa."