Ken Adams wrote:

Alex

We have changed cultrually very much as a nation since the steam era.

Back in the days of the steam era (after Prohibition), California varietals such as cabernet or merlot would probably be bottled at the winery and shipped in box cars or such small quantities as would go LCL.

Most 1950's Americans who drank any wine only partook of it at Communion if there church practiced it.  

Before 1960 few Americans understood any more than that American origin wine was either red or white and those that did weren't the ones buying wine that was shipped across the country in tank cars.   It was my understanding that bulk shipped tank car load california red was used to cut the strong concord grape taste of NY or other parts of New England wine. Ethinic restaurants served only a choice of red or white or high priced imported (except Italian Chianti which was not hight priced.)  Serving a California cabernet in the 1950's would make you out to be sume sort of rube to those east coast wine drinkers (snobs) used to imported wine from France. Central Valley muscats were sold in gallon jugs and were considered a prime cheap drunk for skid rows across the country.

Everything Ken says above is essentially true, but misses an important point. As late as 1960, the majority of wine consumed in the U.S. was not traditional wines of the kind he describes, but were “fortified” wines with added alcohol. This was not to  increase the “bang per buck” but to make a stable product that could be sweeter. This includes port, sherry, madeira and other varieties. As late as 1962, American consumption was still 61% fortified wine (it had been 81% right after Prohibition). Today it is around 25%, interesting because that is about the same as pre-Prohibition.


https://modelingthesp.blogspot.com/2012/02/wine-as-industrial-commodity.html