Once upon a time, in the days before supermarkets, before Trader
Joe’s, before BevMo, California wine drinkers (a distinct minority
in their time) were forced to trek to remote regions to replenish
their supplies.
Once upon a time, in the days before supermarkets, before Trader Joe’s, before BevMo, California wine drinkers (a distinct minority in their time) were forced to trek to remote regions to replenish their supplies. They would load up the car with Grandma, the kids, a picnic lunch, the family dog and a trunkful of clean jugs and head for the hills. One such outpost was Guglielmo Winery in Morgan Hill. Founded in 1925 by Italian immigrant Emilio Guglielmo, the winery attracted folks from as far away as San Francisco.
It was a long trip in those days (well, it still can be, but back then the problem was the lack of good roads, not traffic), and folks would tend to make a day of it. Founder Emilio Guglielmo and his wife Emilia responded by entertaining their guests with food, stories and Italian songs played on an accordion.
Today those festive occasions of yesteryear have been resurrected with Cork Equity Days, a quarterly event wherein patrons can bring their own bottles, fill ’em up, put in a cork and stick on the label.
Fifty years ago, wine had not yet captured the American palate. According to Wine Institute, an industry advocacy group, United States per capita consumption in 1954 was .88 gallons. In 1999 (the last year for which statistics are available), that number had increased to 2.02 gallons. Bear in mind that all these numbers are tainted by the fact that U.S. residents under the age of 21 are not legally allowed to drink wine.
Even though U.S. wine consumption has doubled in 40 years, we as a nation are woefully behind in the international wine Olympics. Even such countries as Bulgaria (5.2 gallons) and Sweden (4.2) are dusting us. People in Guinness-swigging Ireland drink more wine than we do (3.3 gallons).
I’ve always wondered why wine has taken so long to become a part of American cuisine. It seems natural that a population that was at one time made up of predominately European immigrants would embrace the fruit of the vine. Maybe the peculiar American Puritanism that gave us Prohibition and the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) put the kibosh on the taste for wine that most European cultures have.
My small-town Ohio grandmother Alice Chatfield was a member of the WCTU, and I remember her rants about the evils that occur when people “get to drinkin’.” My mother, completely Austrian by birth and attitude would shake her head and wonder what kind of whacked-out family she had married into. But I digress.
This Saturday, Aug. 14, Guglielmo presents its sixth Cork Equity Day. The winemakers have prepared a special blend – a different wine is blended each time the event is held – that will be available only at this event. The blend is comprised of 50 percent Syrah, 40 percent Zinfandel and 10 percent Petite Syrah.
As in the old days, attendees can bring their own clean bottles to be refilled. The Guglielmo Web site, www.guglielmowinery.com, provides instructions (basically hot water and baking soda) on how to properly prepare bottles for reuse. If you don’t want to mess with all that, the winery sells bottles.
In keeping with the nostalgic feeling of the day, Guglielmo has also revived a label design from a 1950s product they called “Cavalcade.”
This event also includes a car show presented by the Vintage Mustang Owner’s Association and an exhibition of works by local artists.
Guglielmo is located at 1480 East Main Avenue in Morgan Hill. Look on the Web site or call (408) 779-2145 for directions and pricing.
Michael Chatfield is a freelance writer, professional musician and WCTU propaganda survivor. He lives in Hollister. Send email to [email protected].
