1919 – 1933 Prohibition in Sonoma and California Zoom Lecture

The Volstead National Prohibition Act was passed by the government in 1919, taking away Americans’ right to drink. It arguably remains one of the most devastating experiments in our country’s history, when many family wineries were destroyed and otherwise law-abiding citizens became illegal bootleggers. To make ends meet during Prohibition, Louis A. turned to farming grapes, shipping to home winemakers in the western and eastern United States. In addition, he grew prunes, apples and pears, all planted among the vines on the family ranch. But the ranchdidn’t escape its own scandal. In 1926, Federal Treasury agents raided Foppiano Vineyards, forcing 100,000 gallons of wine to be dumped in a nearby creek. It became the most popular spot in town as the creek ran red with wine.

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