rafrM/ University of California Berkeley < Regional Oral History Office University of California The Bancroft Library Berkeley, California The Wine Spectator California Winemen Oral History Series Louis P. Martini A FAMILY WINERY AND THE CALIFORNIA WINE INDUSTRY With an Introduction by Maynard A. Amerine An Interview Conducted by Ruth Teiser in 1983 and 1984 i Copyright (cj 1984 by The Regents of the University of California All uses of this manuscript are covered by a legal agreement between the Regents of the University of California and Louis P. Martini dated August 10, 1984. The manuscript is thereby made available for research purposes. All literary rights in the manuscript, including the right to publish, are reserved to The Bancroft Library of the University of California Berkeley. No part of the manuscript may be quoted for publication without the written permission of the Director of The Bancroft Library of the University of California at Berkeley. Requests for permission to quote for publication should be addressed to the Regional Oral History Office, 486 Library, and should include identification of the specific passages to be quoted, anticipated use of the passages, and identification of the user. The legal agreement with Louis P. Martini requires that he be notified of the request and allowed thirty days in which to respond. It is recommended that this oral history be cited as follows : Louis P. Martini, "A Family Winery and the California Wine Industry," an oral history conducted 1983-1984 by Ruth Teiser, Regional Oral History Office, The Bancroft Library, University of California, 1984. Copy No. LOUIS P. MARTINI Photograph courtesy of The Wine Institute Santa Rosa Press Democrat, Sept v Martini was diagnosed with can cer just 12 days ago, a winery of his primary roles as a winemak spokeswoman said. He died Mon er was to serve as a steward of the day morning at his home in St. land. Helena. "He spoke very lovingly of the Fellow vintners lauded Martini stewardship of the land. His place as a visionary winemaker and a on earth was to care for the man land, from the old school, whose and to leave it better than he word was as as a found it good 100-page He certainly did that," innovator legal contract DeLuca said. "I consider him one of the quiet Martini began to scale back his leaders of the California industry's role at the winery in 1978, when he move into varietal wines," said turned over winemaking duties to Martini his Jess Jackson, owner of Kendall- son, Michael. In 1985 his Jackson Winery. "He was a true daughter, Carolyn, took over as gentleman and a pioneer in the president and chief executive offi dies at 79 wine industry whose personal im cer of the 175,000-case winery. pact far exceeded that of his brand. He will be missed." Martini contributed much of his TED By APPEL time to the wine industry. He was Staff Writer "Mr. Martini was an outstanding an energetic member of the Wine member of the wine Pioneering industry," Institute, serving as its chairman said Ernest Gallo, head of E. & J. Napa Valley wi from 1977 to 1978 and attending Gallo Winery. nemaker Louis lengthy subcommittee meetings as P. Martini, the Born in Livermore, Martini recently as a month ago. Martini first American grew up in Kingsburg, where his was also a member and past to bottle and father had founded the L.M. Marti president of the Napa Valley Vint sell unblended ni Grape Products Co. in 1922. The ners Association, running the merlot a va family moved to Napa Valley in group's first Napa Valley Wine Auction in rietal that three 1933 just before the repeal of 1981. He was a charter decades later is and his member of the American Martini Prohibition, father ren Society one of the most amed the company the Louis M. of Enology and Viticulture, and he popular among Martini Winery. served as the organization's presi U.S. wine consumers died Mon dent from 1956 to 1957. The younger Martini attended day at his home in St Helena only the San Rafael Military Academy Martini received numerous days after he was diagnosed with and graduated in 1941 from UC awards for his achievements. cancer. He was 79. Berkeley. He spent his senior year Most recently, the state Senate Though quiet and unassuming, studying enology at UC Davis. Rules Committee approved a res* Martini was an innovator who is lution this year commending Mar considered to be a in During World War n, Martini giant the tini's selection as Winemaker of California wine served in England as an ordnance industry by his the Century by San Francisco He took officer with the 8th Air peers. over the family- Army Examiner wine writer Bob owned that Force. When the war ended, Mar . winery bears his fa In Martini tini returned Thompson. 1990, was ther's name and made the Louis to the family winery given the Wine Spectator Distin M. Martini as vice president and production Winery synonymous guished Service Award and the with the California manager. top-quality red Society of Wine Educators' Life wines of the 1950s and 1960s. He became winemaker in 1954, time Achievement Award. He re Martini was one of the first and was named president and ceived the American Wine Society vintners to use stainless steel general manager of the winery in Award of Merit in 1983, the Ameri fermentation tanks, 1968. believing they can Society of Enology Merit would give him more control over Award in 1981 and the That Martini became the Wine the winemaking process. He was year, Industry Technical Symposium's also one of the first American to bottle unblended earliest winemak- Leon D. 'Adams Achievement ers to merlot, a grape that had been used plant vineyards in the Award in 1980. in blends Carneros region of southern Napa to soften the edges of and cabernet and other red Martini is survived by his wife, 'Sonoma counties, an appella sauvignon wines. sales of Elizabeth; sister, Angiolina Marti tion that is now recognized as one Today, merlot account for ni of El Michael laf the best places to grow chardon- 10 percent of all table Cerrito; sons, wine Martini of St. Helena and Peter ;iay and pinot noir in California purchases in the United Martini of Car 1 States. Seattle; daughters, Among his other innovations, . .''. .{"';;''., -i olyn Martini of St .Helena and Martini pioneered mechanical 'Tf we hadn't done it, somebody Patricia of of Martini San Francisco; larvesting grapes on the North . else would have," Martini said in a and four grandchildren. 1995 ^^ Coast, Identified "and propagated interview, displaying his Memorial services will be at 11 several clones characteristic grape still in use modesty. am., Sept .30 at the St. Helena and began using varietal 9 designa- was so Church, 1340 Tainter St A >Hons tof understated, really a ^Catholic his wines decades *' ^"He before humble an celebration 'will be held immedi It became the 'man, despite being industry standard, f ately afterward at the icon," 'said John DeLuca," presi winery. " - 1 , in Martini's i was a leader ih'our dent of The Wine Institute.'* ^ Donations j&^'He indus ' . -,.-: :V. try," fellow Napa Valley vintner oH'xMartini loved his hands ;Robert Mondavi said Monday "He itoiget :reated.a i'dirtytin >knew , Viticulture & Enol style 'of iwine that is the-'yineyards^He DepWbnenVof -the vines and 'soils of his mique.tend very drinkable andu vineyards ogy,_Uniyersity of.jCalifbrnia^lba- ., ; fcinch inch, and he believed one ^ry^Rjasaift'^sle.v: by TABLE OF CONTENTS Louis P. Martini PREFACE i INTRODUCTION by Maynard A, Amerine iv INTERVIEW HISTORY v I FAMILY AND EARLY YEARS 1 The Boragni Family The L.M. Martini Winery at Kingsburg, 1922-1940 3 The Brotherhood Winery 6 Wines for Religious Use Louis M. Martini and the Prorate 10 The Move to St. Helena, 1940 11 University of California, 1937-1941 14 Professors' Influences 16 II CAREER AT THE LOUIS M. MARTINI WINERY, ST. HELENA 24 Working in the Winery, 1941 24 Wine Characteristics and Winemaking Goals 25 Army Air Corps Service, 1941-1945 30 Return to the Winery Martini Sherries Vineyard Acquisitions 35 Wines of the 1940s Napa Valley Wine Men of the 1940s 39 The Napa Valley Technical Group 42 Winery Innovations and Daily Routine, Latter 1940s 44 "Mountain" Wines and Vineyard Locations 45 Growth of the Winery 48 Changes in Public Taste and Wine Styles 48 Adding Winery Facilities and Equipment Since the 1940s 51 Aging Wines 54 Laboratory Work 55 Malo-lactic Fermentation 56 Changes in Bottling 58 Grape Varieties and Varietal Wines 59 Vineyard Spacing and Mechanical Harvesting 67 Protection Against Frost 68 The Lake County Ranch 70 Controlling Vineyard Pests and Diseases More on Mechanical Harvesting Major Vineyard Advances 75 Martini Winery Practices Today 76 Distribution of Martini Wines 78 Making Clonal Selections 82 A Family Enterprise 83 Martini Special Bottling and Labels 88 Wine Judgings and Recommendations 90 Louis P. Martini's Evaluation of His Contributions 92 III. ACTIVITIES IN ORGANIZATIONS 94 The American Society of Enologists 94 The Wine Institute 98 The Wine Advisory Board 101 The Napa Valley Vintners Association 106 Napa Valley Wine Promotion 107 Regional Water Quality Control Board 110 IV. NAPA VINEYARD LAND AND CURRENT USE TRENDS 111 APPENDIX - Fifty Years in the Wine Industry, a talk given to the American Society of Enologists on June 27, 1981, upon receiving the Society's Merit Award. 114 INDEX 123 PREFACE The California wine industry oral history series, a project of the Regional Oral History Office, was initiated in 1969 through the action and with the financing of the Wine Advisory Board, a state marketing order organization which ceased operation in 1975.