Description
The Mettler Bear Creek Winery Collection consists of payroll, tax and other financial records of the Winery dating from its
earliest years (1934-1957). The collection also contains thank you notes to Raymond Mettler from three Republican politicians:
Richard Nixon (1960); Gerald Ford (1967); and, Nancy Reagan (1970).
Background
Raymond Mettler was the son of a Russian German farmer, Henry Mettler, who settled in Lodi (Calif.) in 1905. He was a charter
member of the Lodi Future Farmers of America and was a member of the state champion tree judging team (1930). A past President
of the Victor Farm Bureau, member of the Board of Directors of the Lodi Grape and Wine Festival, Raymond Mettler was plant
superintendent at the Bear Creek Vineyard Association. The Association began bulk wine production shortly after the repeal
of Prohibition (1933) and, in an effort to improvement marketing, later joined the Del Rio Winery Association of Lodi and
the Muscat Cooperative Winery Association of Fresno in a cooperative known as California Wine Sales (1937). The tremendous
success of the newly formed sales agency during the 1940s led to the idea of bottling a variety of products from all member
wineries under a single bottling label. This was accomplished in 1944 when the Guild brand was created and the cooperative
name was changed to Wine Growers Guild. The company subsequently established a central bottling plant at Lodi (1947). By the
1960s Guild Wineries & Distilleries was the third largest wine producer in the United States, with eight wineries and nearly
500 grower/owners.
Restrictions
The library can only claim physical ownership of the collection. Users are responsible for satisfying any claimants of literary
property.
Availability
Collection is open for research by appointment only.