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 Seventy five years ago this month, the United States Congress passed the 21st Amendment, which repealed Prohibition, or the 18th Amendment. The 18th Amendment prohibited the manufacture, sale or transportation of liquor, starting back in 1917. It wasn’t illegal to possess alcohol for personal use, it was however illegal to make, sale or transport it.
Many Americans still wanted to indulge in adult beverages, but that was pretty hard to do since businesses weren’t allowed to make or sell the stuff. So of course a few “entrepreneurs” broke the law and either manufactured or sold liquor at a hefty profit.
My great grandfather was one of those entrepreneurs. He was farmer who made more money making a very strong beverage called “moonshine,” than he did farming. My 87 year old grandfather was just a boy during that time. But believe me; Papa’s got some great stories to tell! One thing my great grandfather had in his favor was that the local sheriff was a big fan of great grand dad’s moonshine. This made it possible for my great grandfather to shut down his operation prior to federal raids. How convenient. But I digress…
Prohibition was obviously a failed social experiment, with some dire consequences. Prohibition decimated the California wine industry. Only seven wineries managed to stay in business during this “dry” period, thanks to the Catholic Church.
Northern California’s Concannon Vineyards in Livermore Valley was one of the survivors and is still alive today. While most wineries were forced to shut their doors, Concannon stayed operational by producing sacramental wines for the Catholic Church. Jim Concannon likes to tell the story about how his grandfather James’s friendship with the Arch Bishop Alemany saved the family business.
Arch Bishop Alemany needed wine to perform mass. So the Arch Bishop worked to arranged to have Concannon legally produce wine during prohibition. Sometimes it pays to be a good Catholic.
When Prohibition was repealed, Concannon already had vines, working equipment and a trained workforce to start producing wine for the general public again. This allowed them to immediately forge ahead. 
Fast forward to 2008… Concannon celebrated its 125 year anniversary, as well as a newly renovated winery. Pretty impressive.
However, Prohibition did kill Sonoma’s family owned Gundlach Bundschu Winery. Like so many other wineries Gundlach Bundschu was bottling one day, padlocked the next. Prohibition came shortly after the devastation of the great earthquake and fire of 1906. Many wineries had just rebuilt. The double blow was just too much to survive for most in the wine industry.
GB managed to keep their land by selling grapes in bulk juice, growing pears and raising cattle. But the winery stood idle for decades. Eventually, family members were able to bring the wine operation back to life. Gundlach Bundschu is now run by the sixth generation of family vintners.
Although it’s interesting to look at the past, vintner Jeff Bundschu has his eye to the future of the wine industry. The family is committed to sustainable farming and has just installed two solar arrays on their property. The first supplies 60% of the winery’s energy needs. The second takes care of 100% of the power needs of Gundlach Bundschu’s waste water recycling system. It’s also the first floating system of its kind in Sonoma County. Yea GB!
So raise a glass of vino and toast to repeal of prohibition. You may even consider a wine from wineries with their own stories about that piece of American history.
Susan Sueiro, Marketing Director for Gundlach Bundschu says you can’t go wrong with their current 2005 Vintage Reserve Cabernet. Here are the winemaker tasting notes:
2005 Gundlach Bundschu Vintage Reserve Cabernet, Estate Vineyard, Sonoma Valley ($80.00)
Intense aromas of black currant and cassis laced with notes of black spice and ground coffee. On the palate, succulent flavors of blackberry and black currant are enveloped by a supple, ripe tannin structure that gives the wine an elegant, medium-weight body. Black fruit, dark cocoa, roasted coffee and spice notes gain intensity and linger through the long finish. Optimal cellaring time four to fifteen years from vintage.
Jo Diaz, communication wizard for Concannon suggests the Sauvignon Blanc or the Petite Sirah. Of course Jo is a little partial to Petite Sirah, just look at her website, www.psiloveyou.org. The site promotes Petite Sirah.
Check out Concannon’s tasting notes.
Jim Concannon Winemaker Notes:
2007 Concannon Sauvignon Blanc, Central Coast ($12.00)
Our 2007 Concannon Sauvignon Blanc, Selected Vineyards, Central Coast is a crisp and refreshing, food friendly wine. Cold soaked and stainless steel fermentation keeps this wine’s characters bright and lively. It exhibits fresh grapefruit, citrus flavors, and tropical floral notes. It has a refined structure with hints of herbaceous and grassy characters. This wine is a great value Sauvignon Blanc for the very modest price.
Adam Richardson Winemaker Notes:
2005 Limited Release Petite Sirah, ($16.00)
Our new 2005 Limited Release Petite Sirah is an intense wine with vibrant berry fruits and a rich, full palate. The wine starts with attractive aromas of ripe berries, creamy oak and a touch of spice. This is a full-bodied wine, yet it has a firm and balanced structure with hints of toasty oak and vanilla on the palate. There’s plenty to sink your teeth into now as the finish is quite lasting and memorable.
Concannon Vineyards is located at 4590 Tesla Road, Livermore, California. For more information about Concannon Vineyards, visit their website: www.concannonvineyard.com.
To learn more about Gundlach Bundschu Winery go online to: www.gunbun.com. GB is located at 4000 Denmark Street, Sonoma, California.
Cheers!
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