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Inglenook began using a back label to provide information about Its wine in 1951. Beaulieu then began doing the same in 1956 to share information on the varieties included. These started the move towards back labels becoming standard and varietal makeup beginning to matter.
These additions of back labels w more info was part of the move to helping the public see wine as a cultural product rather than merely a generic drink. Prior to this many wines were simply from California and were non-specific in the grapes that went into them.
Tho CA stopped actively promoting the idea of "popular wine" in 1965, wine sales in the US increased by 245% from 1955 to 1965, due at least partially to the efforts to promote it as a popular beverage. The ability to promote it as fine wine depended on it first being popular.
In his 1934-published book, THE COMPLETE WINE BOOK, Frank Schoonmaker said there was very little wine from CA worth drinking. In 1956 he came out strongly in favor of CA wine stating that the poor quality and messy winemaking of the 30s was no longer an issue.
Through Charles Krug, the Mondavi brothers, along w Andre Tschelistcheff in Napa, and eventually also Brad Webb in Sonoma, played integral roles in improving CA wine quality. They sponsored research studies and openly shared technical knowledge from their own experience.
Gallo also played a hugely important role in improving wine quality forming their own research vineyard and assoc winery in the 1940s, w/in ten years of starting their business. Their work identified higher quality varieties and also more consistent cellar practices.
The idea of commercial yeast cakes for winemaking was suggested by UC Davis microbiologist John Castor in the 1950s but was not tried until the 1960s when Gallo partnered w Red Star Yeast Company to trial and develop the idea.
One of Gallo's discoveries was that by introducing yeast at the start of fermentation they could also dramatically reduce their use of SO2. The higher yeast populations early in the wine protected the wine from spoilage so that SO2 was less necessary. This also lowered costs.
Louis Martini purchased the 580-acre Monte Rosso vineyard in 1937, which at the time produced less than a ton an acre and so was largely, tho gradually replanted. In the 1950s Martini was one of the few top North Coast wineries that relied only on its own grapes.
In contrast, to source enough grapes affordably for Charles Krug, the Mondavi brothers started the Sunny St Helena Cooperative buying grapes from growers throughout the region to make at the Coop and then sell to C. Krug once the wine was finished.
