06/22/2026
The Brotherhood Corporation’s milestone 100th anniversary in 1939 passed largely uneventfully amid declining sales and growing expectations of a second World War. As Brotherhood reduced its wine production, the winery continued purchasing wines from both East and West Coast sources, though Farrell increasingly relied on wine made from California grapes. While wine was still produced from Washingtonville vineyards, harvest production declined significantly. By 1942, Brotherhood reported producing just 4,360 gallons of wine under fourteen percent alcohol from local vineyards—roughly 1,800 cases. Approximately 3,250 gallons were used in the manufacture of champagne, with the remainder blended into California wines.
The war years proved difficult for the wine and liquor industry. Sales continued to decline despite the near disappearance of imported European wines after 1942. Although wineries did not suffer to the same extent as distillers, many faced serious challenges. Railway transportation became increasingly problematic as specially lined tank cars were requisitioned for the shipment of war materials. At the same time, wartime price controls imposed by the Office of Price Administration froze wine prices at 1942 levels. As grape prices rose, many producers began bottling wine themselves, reducing the availability of bulk wines shipped east.
For more than a decade after Prohibition, imported wine consumption remained relatively unchanged. The most significant effect of the war on the wine industry was to encourage Americans to consume more domestic wines, helping boost sales as the war drew to a close.
Image: Contemporary visualization of a Brotherhood Centennial Anniversary matchbook.
