Many Agraria fans have fond memories dating back to 1970 of
discovering the Taylor Street boutique on Nob Hill with its eclectic mix
of country English and French antiques, books on California wines,
recordings of pianist Peter Mintun and of course their signature Bitter
Orange Potpourri and original Balsam Candle. Agraria was also
prominently featured at the new Stanford Court Hotel and the flagship I. Magnin store in Union Square
In the early 1980's when Henri Bendel's legendary director, Geraldine Stutz,
was given her first box of Bitter Orange potpourri, she immediately
smelled success and invited Agraria's founders, Stanford Stevenson and
Maurice Gibson to showcase Agraria at the front door of Bendel's
"Scentiments" shop. The New York Times reported that "the woodsy blend from San Francisco called Agraria turned up in half the living rooms on Park Avenue."
Today, Agraria has the distinction of being American's oldest and
largest luxury home fragrance company