When life hands you lemons, you open a speakeasy under the lobby floor. Or at least that’s what you do when you’re Stags’ Leap Winery. The 1920s’ hottest Napa Valley resort destination got even hotter with the passage of the 18th Amendment. In part because we kept the delicious wine owing (shhhh), but more importantly, our secret club offered a place to relax and just have fun.
Speakeasy History in California
When most people think of speakeasies, they picture New York or Chicago. But during Prohibition, all along the length of California, secret bars popped up in surprising locations. Behind false walls and doors, along secret tunnels, there was no end to proprietors’ ingenuity. It’s estimated there were over 2,000 of these under-the-radar establishments in Los Angeles alone. When the Volstead Act finally lifted at the end of 1933, some speakeasies even went legit and are still operating today, like ours at Stags' Leap Winery.
Welcome to Stags' Leap Winery Speakeasy
Our winery is located o the beaten path, on the Silverado Trail. You still need to be in the know to find it today. But during Prohibition, it was the place to mail letters, attracting people from miles around. The post office in the Manor House served as the cover for our secret operations. Buy a stamp, slip under the trap door, and day or night it was the “cat’s meow*.”
Running a speakeasy taught us that sometimes the best way to keep a secret is to share it. Our mailman kept things on the QT in exchange for wine!
*1920s slang: Awesome!
