Before Grgich, before Gallo and even before Mondavi, American wine was synonomous with Kohler & Frohling.

In the early days of the California wine industry, few brands were better recognized than the firm, which touted itself as the “pioneer wine house” on its letterhead.

Started in 1854 by two German musicians who knew nothing about grapes or winemaking, Kohler & Frohling rose to become one of California’s dominant wine companies. It not only made red, white and fortified wines from its vineyards in Los Angeles and Sonoma County, but opened San Francisco’s first tasting room on Montgomery Street to show them off.

In 1860, Kohler & Frohling was also the first winery to ship California wine around the Horn to New York City. Few people on the East Coast had then ever tasted West Coast wine; it was regarded as a novelty item. Ohio was then, unbelievably, the largest producer of American wine.

When members of the Farmer’s Club sampled a few California bottles—some sent by Kohler & Frohling—in a building on lower Broadway in June 1862, they were favorably impressed. “I think the samples shown today prove that America is capable of producing its own wine, and that we are really independent of the wine countries of Europe,” read the tasting notes of a 58-year old.

Now 97 years after Prohibition forced the name Kohler & Frohling into the history books, a great-great-grandson of Charles Kohler is reviving the brand. Bert Sandman, who made his fortune building roads and highways in northern California, has renewed the firm’s lapsed trademark and bottled a zinfandel using Kohler & Frohling’s historic “Best Zinfandel” label. Sandman hopes it is just the first step in returning the company to glory and prominence.

I love the family history,” said Sandman, who lives near Sacramento. “I want to leave a legacy to my descendants.”

Sandman grew up hearing tales about Kohler from his great grandmother, Emma Kohler Bertleau, who lived in San Francisco. He remembers her telling him about her family’s trips to its famed Tokay Vineyard in Glen Ellen in Sonoma County. Phylloxera later destroyed the vines and the writer Jack London acquired the property in 1911. Today the area is the Jack London State Park. A sign commemorates Kohler & Frohling’s old winery there.

Although Kohler & Frohling’s initial production is only 25 cases, its entry into the market instantly positions it as the “oldest” wine producer in California. And in a state crowded with wine brands vying for attention, history can be a selling point. Just ask Jean-Charles Boisset, the flamboyant Frenchman married to Gallo heir and winemaker Gina Gallo. In 2011, his Boisset Family Estates purchased the historic Buena Vista Winery, founded in 1857 and located just ten miles away from the old Tokay Vineyard.

Read more at source: The Daily Beast