SLO LIFE AprMay 2020 Low Res

mentored by Siot, started grape growing and winemaking operations by
1917. Rotta Winery was one of the few wineries in California to remain
open during Prohibition, and the second winery to be bonded and resume
commercial operations after Prohibition.
The Dusi and the Pesenti families both started planting vineyards around
1925. Sylvester Dusi sold his wine locally and produced it in a still hidden
on his property. The finished wine was secretly stored underneath a chicken
coop on the ranch. Dusi would take a call from the local hardware store in
Paso Robles and they would place an order for “two hens and a rooster.”
Dusi would arrange a time to deliver several jugs of wine to the store the
next day, collect the payment, and let the customer pick up the “hooch” at
his own discretion.
James Anderson and The York Brothers, both located on York Mountain in
Templeton, were growing grapes in the 1880s and building wineries almost
immediately, both with thriving businesses. In the Geneseo area, the Ernst
and Klintworth families were growing grapes, along with grains, and making
wines starting in the late 1880s. In the southern part of SLO County, Henry
Ditmas and A.B. Hasbrouck planted vineyards in the upper Arroyo Grande
Valley. In 1886, Hasbrouck built St. Remy winery to make wine with Rancho
Saucelito grapes grown by Ditmas. The winery was shuttered just before
Prohibition took effect.
Still used during Prohibition
During the 1920s, the legislation gave these wineries one year to harvest,
make wines, and store them on their premises. The amount stored was
reported to the government at year end. Each of the wineries handled their
1920 wine inventory and future production differently. The York Brothers,
the largest winery in the county, knew their clients’ needs. They sold grapes
to home winemakers and grape juice and concentrate to others from Santa
Barbara to Bakersfield and the coast to Salinas Valley. The wineries in SLO
County saw the demand for grapes had increased from 1920 to 1925 and
they followed the market. When the price of grapes dropped and each family
had a surplus, they made wine at home following the legal limit of 200
gallons per household and then turned to winemaking in canyons and remote
communities like Bradley, in Monterey County. A number of stills were
hidden in the mountains between San Luis Obispo and Bradley. Local wine
was often stored and aged in redwood barrels buried in the vineyards. Many
citizens spent time in jail, arrested by agents of the Treasury Department, for
selling their wine to customers.
By 1926, the price of grapes fell dramatically as the supply exceeded the
demand. Vineyards were abandoned as the price continued to decline and the
United States slipped into the Great Depression after the Stock Market Crash
of 1929. There was a major movement to repeal the 18th Amendment, and it
was President Franklin Roosevelt who signed the repeal. Beginning in 1932,
wineries throughout California renewed their bonds and make wine again.
The next time you visit your favorite tasting room or craft distillery in San Luis
Obispo County, take a moment to raise your glass and remember the early
growers who persevered through Prohibition.
To Learn More:
Visit the Wine History Project of SLO County’s exhibits on display.
“Temperance, Teetotalers and Taboo”: Features the history and movement of
temperance groups, abstinence pledges and pre-prohibition restaurants. Open
now through May 2020 at the Paso Robles Historical Society.
Kids stomping grapes during Prohibition
to use for homemade wines
“Grape Expectations: Break Their Hearts...and Have No Mercy”: Showcases
the California wine industry just before Prohibition, how the industry survived
Prohibition, and the many uses of grapes during the era. Open now through
May 2020 at the Paso Robles Pioneer Museum. SLO LIFE
94 | SLO LIFE MAGAZINE | APR/MAY 2020