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Founded in 1889, the Bernardo Winery was originally opportunity arose to invest in the winery, we do not know,
developed and built by a group of Sicilian farmers, vintners and however we can speculate that the Sicilian partners were
businessmen in 1889. The course of which these five men took becoming more and more risk averse considering the current
to build and plan the structures of the business or buildings state of the wine industry. Prohibition of alcoholic beverages
is a mystery. What we do know is that they were offered the was passed into law by the 18th Amendment to the United
land, which was originally part of the Rancho La Cañada de San States Constitution and suddenly it was illegal for the five
Bernardo Spanish Land Grant. The land was then granted to Don Sicilian Partners to manufacture wine or brandy.
Jose Francisco Snook whom was originally an Englishman sailor
named Captain Joseph Snook. It is unfortunate that no written At that time it is said that the winery survived the hardship of
records or accounts of the sale or transfer between Snook and prohibition as well as periods of draught and rising water costs
the 5 Sicilian Partners were ever found. by selling sacramental wine to the Catholic church, as well as
“grape juice” that was guaranteed to ferment by the time it
For the next thirty-eight years the five Sicilian partners reached the long dusty road from the winery to the main road
shaped the winery into a producing operation. The winery (Pomerado Road). Another means of surviving the financial
currently have the last few bottles of Port under the Lanza-La- hardships was to harvest and produce Virgin olive oil from the
cata label that the partners used most frequently. On or around 600 plus olive trees on the Winery grounds. For a time,
1927, Vincente Rizzo came across the winery during a hunting Bernardo Winery was the sole supplier of olive oil to the San
trip. Living and working in Tijuana, Mexico at the time, Mr. Rizzo Diego Tuna Industry. This endeavor made it possible for the
made hunting trips regularly to the area and became more and winery to last through these periods of economic hardship.
more familiar with the winery and its operations. How the