October 28, 1919: On this day the National Prohibition Act was passed by the United States Congress. The act, which is informally known as the Volstead Act, or the Volstead Prohibition Enforcement Bill, named after Andrew Volstead, a Minnesota Representative, led to the 18th Amendment to the US Constitution being passed just a few months later, whereby the sale of intoxicating liquor was largely prohibited across the United States. Several loopholes were contained in the legislation concerning wine production. For instance, wine could be produced for religious ceremonies, and individuals could manufacture up to 200 gallons of wine within their own homes every year. Thus, many individuals began producing wine across America in the 1920s in their own homes made from bricks of concentrated grape juice which were sold with instructions on how to ferment the same into wine.

October 28, 2020: On this day, according to court records, Northern Holdings sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection a day after purchasing three Paso Robles properties from Erich Russell, the proprietor, and creator of Rabbit Ridge Winery and Vineyards. According to court filings, the U.S. Trustee in charge of the bankruptcy proceedings claimed Northern Holdings had, among other things, “failed to furnish essential financial information” since declaring bankruptcy in October and had spent “currency earned by its assets without authority.” According to court documents, a lender named Farm Credit West claimed it had not authorized “the use of its cash collateral.”

October 28 every year: International Champagne Day.

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