There is a lot of history behind the property where Stolo family
Vineyards now sits. Probably the most noted was
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| Dairy Barn |
that of owners Salvadore and Katherine Berri back in the early 1900’s. Salvadore (Sam) was
an Italian-Swiss immigrant who landed on the Central Coast of California and
became a dairy farmer. Sam and Katherine built the beautiful barn
that still sits on the property today to house their dairy cows. The farm
was very lucrative selling their dairy products to the nearby Creamery in
Harmony. But, Sam was also an Italian, and wine was in his blood.
In his native land, he learned the basics of wine making. After
settling here, Sam began purchasing grapes from the York and Pesenti Families
in Templeton, the oldest grape growers in the area. He started making
wine and grappa (a grape based brandy consisting of alcohol contents of
anywhere between 35-60%) on site for self-consumption and for his neighbors.
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| Cammozi's Saloon |
Prohibition hit and Sam was barred from making wine and grappa
further. Sam decided to dig an underground cellar under the barn where he
placed his still and barrels and secretly continued to make his wine and fiery
grappa, although it was illegal to do so. Word got around that he was
still producing alcohol and he began quietly selling the grappa to local saloon
owners Rosa Camozzi and Joseph Reali. Rosa and Joseph would then sell
Sam’s “grape juice” at their saloon, Camozzi’s, in Cambria (now named Mozzi’s).
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| "Prohibition Bust"- stock photo |
Sam
did get busted and sent to jail a few times for producing alcohol, but he
continued to produce through Prohibition and afterwards. The location of
the underground cellar housing the still is still a mystery. Sam and
Katherine passed away in the 1960’s along with the information regarding where
the secret cellar was. The Stolo family has poked around in several
locations searching for where it might be, but have yet to uncover it…..
