End of Prohibition: Petaluma, California

Sunday, November 16, 2014

At Mike's, we watched the San Francisco 49ers beat the New York Giants.

A trip to the grocery store. Here's a pic for my spamophiles...

At Mystic Theatre,  we watched a documentary "America's Wine: The Legacy of Prohibition".

Carla De Luca Worfolk's father was president and CEO of the Wine Institute, an industry advocacy group based in San Francisco, from 1975 to 2003.  In 2003, her father planned a luncheon to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Repeal (end of prohibition).  He asked Carla if she could film the event.

"I thought it would be terrific if we could put something together for the vintners, something that could chronicle the history," she says.  "Having grown up in the wine industry, I knew so many things were referenced back to Prohibition.  It is a complex social and historical time in our country's history."  Timing was also of the essence.  Many of the vintners were in their 80s and 90s.  "Some of them had never been on camera."

There was a second event that year, a silver jubilee celebration of Brother Timothy's 75 years as a Christian Brother (where he was head winemaker).  Robert Mondavi and Ernest Gallo, who were not at the Repeal Luncheon, happened to attend, and Carla was able to get footage of these men together there.  It was to be Gallo's last public appearance.

Once she had all of these interviews on film, Carla began to work on a documentary.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mary-orlin/the-legacy-of-prohibition_b_4385186.html

At the screening, Carla told us that eleven people have died since the film has been produced. Brother Tim died a year after. Carla has two hours of footage from her interview with him. Brother Tim greatly valued the opportunity to share his story for this historical project. 

Reception at the museum: 

                                      Robert Goyette, Pinot Noir:  Sonoma Coast