labor day

Labor Day is almost upon us again – already!  It’s been an odd year, thanks to an El Nino that has kept things unseasonably warm, but now that warm weather is going to be a blessing, because this is the official weekend Americans love to get out and fire up their barbecue. Burgers are the traditional grilled food of choice, but there’s no need to worry too much about pairing your beer to your food. Since Labor Day is a time to hang around outside with friends, consider pairing your drinks to the weather instead! Since the odds are that it’s going to be a warm day, stock up on light beers with light flavors and a relatively low alcohol content so that you don’t get thirsty and end up taking an impromptu nap and missing the party! IPAs, or…

It's Labor Day! If we lived anywhere but this absolutely beautiful part of the world, this would be the unofficial end of summer and beginning of fall. But since we're in southern California, the march of the seasons are a good deal more subtle. However, this is a great time to start planning outdoor barbecues and backyard parties with friends, and we're all for that! Labor Day is actually a day to celebrate the rights and achievements of workers, long pressed tightly under the thumb of the manufacturing industry. After the Industrial Revolution, the average American worked more than 80 hours a week, with no days off, simply to put food on the table, and children as young as 5 were already working in the mines. Labor unionized and revolted, organizing strikes and rallies. On September 5th, 1882, thousands of…

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a day to honor the efforts of American workers. It is a classic American holiday, and a federally-observed day. Labor Day was signed into effect by President Grover Cleveland after brutal violence marred the Pullman Strike in 1894. But although this history is interesting, the real story here is how Labor Day and the labor movements are entwined with the history of wine in the United States. After the Great Depression hit, the wine industry made a comeback during World War II. As more workers returned from war and streamed into agricultural jobs, wages went lower and standards for farmworkers dropped. In 1965, California grape workers, led by United Farm Workers, organized a nonviolent strike, boycotting in vineyards within Kern County and beyond to demand fair treatment. Americans – more than 14…