Early California Wineries 1

A Tour of California's Early Wineries
A collection of advertising & ephemera before Prohibition

Page One

A postcard harvest scene in Napa Valley circa 1905

Bacchus in California...the early years.

Today's California wine industry evolved from a colorful history beginning in the late 18th Century with the padres of the California missiions. The commercialization of the wine industry in the late 19th Century produced a paucity of ephemera compared to that of other alcoholic beverages such as beer, whiskey and other liquors. However, the imagery of what examples do exist portray the industry in a romantic and idealized manner.

This gallery covers the period up to the advent of Prohibition in 1920 when the commercial production of wines almost virtually ceased until repeal in 1933. The Prohibition and post Prohibition periods are not included.

These examples consists of miscellaneous advertising and ephemera...tradecards, postcards, wine labels, billheads, letterheads, checks and a few objects with advertising. More items will be added in the near future. Brief histories of the wineries from which the examples come, will also be added, so please keep an eye on these pages. Sorry, but these items are not for sale, but from time to time, I will find duplicates of them, and will offer them for purchase.

Enjoy,
Dean Walters

Napa Valley

Click on the small images to view a larger version!

Beringer Bros. Vineyards
St. Helena
Advertising Postcard 1906

Beringer Bros. Distillery
St. Helena
Postcard 1909

Beringer Brothers
St. Helena, Cal. & New York City
Tradecard Circa 1885

Theo. Gier Wine Co.
Giersberg, Napa, Cal
Advertising Postcard 1908

Tubbs Wine Cellar
Calistoga
Postcard 1911

Inglenook Vineyard
Rutherford
Detail of billhead dated 1897

Napa Valley Wine Co.
Napa
Advertising Cover postmarked 1873

California Wine Association, San Francisco

Winehaven
California Wine Assoc.
Point Richmond
Advertising Postcard 1909

CALWA PRODUCTS
California Wine Assoc.
San Francisco
Advertising Postcard 1908

Big Tree California Wines
Affiliate of CWA
Advertising Postcard cica 1910

California Wine Assoc.
San Francisco
Matchsafe circa 1894

California Wine Assoc.
San Francisco
Wine Label circa 1910

California Wine Assoc.
San Francisco
Advertising Letter Opener circa 1900

Photo of full letter opener

Sonoma County

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J. Gundlach & Co.
Sonoma & San Francisco
Wine Label 1870's

J. Gundlach & Co.
Sonoma & San Francisco
Adverising Corkscrew circa 1890

Gundlach Bundschu Wine Co.
Sonoma & San Francisco
Ad circa 1895

Gundlach-Bundschu Wine Co.
Sonoma & San Francisco
Advertising Cover circa 1895

J. Gundlach & Co.
San Francisco & Sonoma
Tradecard Circa 1850's

Frapolli, Berges & Co., Somoma City
Silver gelatin photograph, Circa 1880

Click here for
PAGE TWO OF
Early
CALIFORNIA
WINERY TOUR

Links to other interesting pages on this web site

HOME PAGE (Vintage Antiques)	Vintage Antiques CATALOG (Corkscrews & Wine-related)	ORDERING &TERMS	NEWSWORTHY
GALLERY (Corkscrews)	Past Events of the GOLDEN GATE CORKSCREW COLLECTORS	Early CALIFORNIA WINERY TOUR PAGE ONE You are here	Early CALIFORNIA WINERY TOUR PAGE TWO

Email Dean Walters at:
dean.w@comcast.net