My Grandma Betty was not a fan of wine.

She tolerated her husband’s occasional glass of wine at dinner — it was usually a tumbler of Pisenti poured from a screw-top gallon jug. Grandpa Lionel was not a wine snob.

Grandma Betty did not stock a wine cellar or grow wine grapes.

Perhaps part of her antipathy came from the notoriety that her grandfather achieved for wine making, not always legally.

The narrative as remembered from family gatherings indicates that Gustave Renkert was apprehended during the prohibition era for possessing a few wine bottles at his ranch in Tassajara Canyon.

The anecdote narrated was him declining a plea deal. When his trial was due, astoundingly, all the proof, which was brought to the town for preservation, had vanished mysteriously from the evidence storage.

With the lack of proof, the accusations simply dispersed.

The United States commemorated the 90th anniversary of the Prohibition repeal on Dec. 5. This recall features the prohibition that outlawed the transportation, sales, or manufacturing of alcoholic beverages.

The 21st Amendment repealed the 18th Amendment. The 18th was the only constitutional amendment in American history to be repealed and the only amendment written to remove rights rather than define or expand them.

The political and social intersections that led to Prohibition are fascinating, as well as the changes that came to society as a result.

For a deeper dive check out the book “Last Call – The Rise and Fall of Prohibition” by Daniel Okrent.

In a search via Newspapers.com, I was able to find the original story of Gustave’s arrest in the Daily Telegram.

The Telegram initially started as an anti-alcohol, Prohibition-era publication. Over time, its stance on these topics softened under new management. A noticeable bias against Germans became apparent during and post World War I. Rogue alcohol-related incidents were frequently displayed as headline news, along with an array of other reports.

The whole story was far more intricate than the one usually told at dinner conversations. Oddly enough, I’ve yet been able to locate a subsequent story that discusses the trial’s outcome.

Articles published a few years later in the same newspaper portray Gustave leading a regular life at home. It suggests that perhaps his charges were dismissed or reduced.

A brief three-paragraph report was published on January 15, 1924. This informed that Mrs. A. Pieri and Gustave Renkert faced accusations of illegal possession of alcoholic beverages after two separate raids.

The raid took place far up Tassajara Canyon, and collecting evidence was a challenge. Nevertheless, officers managed to transport it safely to San Luis Obispo.

An earlier report from Jan. 10, 1924 provided more specifics. The current revision addresses typographical errors.

In two operations in Tassajara locality near Santa Margarita, Investigator C.H. Wheeler claimed to have seized two stills (one reportedly in use), 23 barrels or nearly 1,200 gallons of wine, and a certain amount of prune brandy. Wheeler operated under the directives of District Attorney Charles R. Nelson and Deputy Sheriff Ray Evans.

Gustave Renkert faces charges for illegal possession of intoxicating liquors. Similar allegations concern George Miller, purportedly Renkert’s son-in-law. He is accused of unlawful possession of a still, illegal possession of intoxicating liquor, and illicit production of intoxicating liquor.

While scrutinizing a letter signed “Mrs. Renkert” forwarded to the district attorney hinting at a woman’s supposed bootlegging activities, Investigator Wheeler stumbled upon hints that directed him to Renkert and Miller’s farms. These two estates were reportedly connected by a frequently traversed path.

The officers surmise that this path suggests a possible collaboration between Renkert and Miller.

On Renkert’s property, an inactive still was reportedly discovered. Along with this, there were 23 barrels of wine partially stashed away in an abandoned chrome mine.

Differently at the Miller estate, Wheeler allegedly found a fully operational still, with assumed illicit prune brandy emerging from the nozzle. A substantial collection of prune stones, hinting at the still’s continuous use, was also discovered by the officers.