Repeal This

Today marks the 74th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition: Let’s get drunk!

On this day in 1933, the nation’s decade-plus dry spell officially ended. Of course, the “dry” part never really began, since Americans could get all the wine, beer and other booze they wanted through the miracles of bootlegging and home winemaking/distilling/brewing. As someone who grew up in the ‘70s, it’s hard for me to imagine that there was ever a time in U.S. history when drinking anything stronger than milk was illegal—yet, there are plenty of wine-industry veterans who remember those days.

Early on in my wine industry career, I helped put on an “Anniversary of the Repeal of Prohibition” event hosted by Wine Institute. My job: dress as a 1920s flapper and check in guests at the door. (Don’t laugh, it was kind of fun—I got to wear a cool vintage dress rented from the costume department of San Francisco’s ACT Theater.) One of the highlights (aside from Robert Mondavi winking at me and calling me “sexy,” and another ol’-timer commenting that ladies in the ‘20s were more flat-chested than me—but that’s another story) was listening to guys in their 80s reminiscing about the good old days. That’s right: the good old days! Despite the underground nature of the industry, the wine biz was actually booming during Prohibition--at least for some producers.

Probably the biggest effect of our nation’s failed experiment in temperance was the near-disappearance of Eastern wineries. Before Prohibition, Ohio was the hub of the U.S. wine industry (no kidding!). But by the time of Repeal, many of those wineries had gone under, and the wine industries in those Eastern states are only now starting to re-emerge. There are some really good wines coming out of states like New York and Virginia these days, but imagine how much better they’d be if the industry hadn’t been put on hold for several decades!

Another lasting effect of Prohibition was the change in Americans’ wine preferences. Before Prohibition, dessert wines were Americans’ grape-based drink of choice, but by the time of Repeal, they’d gotten used to drinking dry European table wines. Wineries that managed to survive Prohibition had to switch gears pretty quickly to stay in business.

Fascinating stuff, this.

So, as we mark the 74th anniversary of Repeal, pop a cork and raise a toast to all the great American wines at our disposal. Unlike your grandparents, you won’t even have to worry about getting tossed into the Paddy wagon for it.

Comments

[Mark V Marino]

I have to say the effects of Prohibition are still felt today. The wine industry suffered and still suffers. Many of the inter state shipping laws are left over from those days. We need to revamp these laws as many laws are so complex wineries spend many hours a month doing reports to states and counties that are just forcing up the prices of our wine! Many have full time compliance people dealing with shipping to or from states. This needs to be streamlined so the distribution of wine is a level playing field and the paperwork reduced so that we may enjoy these favorite wines at lower prices!

[Mark V Marino]

I have to say the effects of Prohibition are still felt today. The wine industry suffered and still suffers. Many of the inter state shipping laws are left over from those days. We need to revamp these laws as many laws are so complex wineries spend many hours a month doing reports to states and counties that are just forcing up the prices of our wine! Many have full time compliance people dealing with shipping to or from states. This needs to be streamlined so the distribution of wine is a level playing field and the paperwork reduced so that we may enjoy these favorite wines at lower prices!