Look back to the future

Wines & Vines, August, 2003 by Al Cribari

The August, 1934 issue of the California Grape Grower (now Wines & Vines) is mostly about the need for our industry to advertise. Of course, the owner/editor, H.E Stoll, was an old advertising and newspaper man, so his suggestions were natural. Nonetheless, we really did need to let the nation know who we were and what we were about. Unfortunately, most winery owners and executives were basically farmers, in the clays when toilers of the soil were not well educated, were still rather isolated (no TV, few radios, automobiles or airplanes), and had no desire or concept of advertising, marketing or PR. Besides, most of the wineries, at least in the first few years after Repeal, were selling just about all the products their limited capital could manage. Grapes had to be bought in August and September, and the earliest most wineries could begin to sell the wine would be December. So where was the money to come from?

"Lodi's Great Wine Production Center. This spring and summer have seen the construction of two new cooperative wineries, the Bear Creek at Wyandotte and the Eastside at Victor--and one private plant, the Acampo Winery which is rapidly nearing completion." That seems to make Eastside about both the first and last wine co-op to exist in California.

In a charming footnote to history, the Grape Grower lists the sales of 104 California wineries for the first six months of 1934. Of these, as far as I can determine, only two exist today--Gallo and Wente. Congratulations to both. I might also add that of all these wine companies, only one man is still active in running his company since 1934, and that is "ol' uncle Ernie," the "E" of E. & J. Gallo. Hope you are feeling well, Ernest, and that you have many more years to enjoy.

Thirty-four was a great year for me--I finally "escaped" from grammar school (via graduation) and into a wonderful four years at Fordham Prep. Our baby sister was born and my dad was in great health and had a booming business to administer, and my mom was happy with the unexpected financial security. So, I guess, our industry was enjoying good times; I know our family was.

The lead editorial for August '53 was the squabble over the use of sugar in the making of California wines. The editorial pointed out that even if the law were to be changed to allow the use of sugar in California, it would in no way lead to an automatic seizure of a significant part of the kosher wine business. For those that thought the contrary, a course in marketing was a necessary step to see the errors of their opinions.

"Charles Rossi, formerly of Charles Krug Winery, has been named advertising manager at Gallo."

"Vin Rose OK as Wine Type," that is, the words can be used without further description, such as "a pink wine." This as per a ruling by Dwight Davis, director of ATTD.

"W.C. Billica Dies." Bill was general manager of Yosemite Winery at Madera, Calif., killed on a stretch of highway near Los Banos, a stretch that has killed many wine people.

The "Wise & Otherwise" column states that, "The biggest wine wholesaler in the U.S. is--the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, which handled 10 million gallons of wine last year (1952). Ipso facto, of course, it is the largest retailer." I don't know how it is these days, but for many, many years, the biggest seller was Thunderbird!

The state of the market for wines was very disturbed. Everyone was looking forward to the crush with a bit of fear and trepidation. On the other hand, according to W&V, there was a "Livelier demand for bulk Dessert Wines--with prices at 45 cents per gallon--and Red Table wine from North Coast Counties at 42.5 cents per gallon." These sales would make no one rich, but it was cash in pocket and compared to previous months' sales at 10 cents per gallon lower, it was cause for some guarded optimism.

The lead article in the August 1973 edition of W&V is the conversion of Cherokee Cooperative Winery (onetime member of The Guild) to the Montcalm Vintners with a five year contract with Carillon Importers. They had, "high hopes of becoming No. 5 in sales among U.S. wineries in two years." We at Cribari had high hopes of sales success with Carillon Importers in '46. Even then, as a neophyte in marketing, I could see that Carillon planned to spend a lot of money to do what Gallo was doing with peanuts--especially expense accounts.

"Calgro (that's California Growers Wineries) appoints Cristiani" for San Francisco area.

"A quarter-century liaison between Almaden Vineyards and Frank Schoonmaker ends at the close of 1973." He is also selling his import business and seemingly retiring from active business life. He was a very prominent person in my world as I was entering the business, first as a wholehearted propagandist for European wines and then (as WWII made this unremunerative) for California wines, particularly Almaden. For whom, I might say, he did a fine job. I think we can credit Schoonmaker for establishing varietal wine in America as a commercial practicality.