Paul O Burns Wine Co.



With all the discussion on the OGW wine bottles in the previous post I thought we could take a look at this unusual wine bottle in the Dwyer collection of Forbestown California.

Embossed in a applied seal: Paul O Burns Wine Co. Proprietors Yerba Buena Wine Yard San Jose Cal U.S.

This is the first one of these bottles I have ever seen and if you look on the billhead's date of October  1887 it puts it in the context of the Oakland Glass Works. Now I am not saying this is a OGW bottle but it sure is food for thought. Did you notice on the billhead that Wm. T Coleman was sole agent for Chicago etc. Where have I heard that name before?

Not only did Burns make brandy but could have been involved in the Yerba Buena Bitters brand. I have not researched if there is a connection between Burns and the manufacture of Yerba Buena Bitters and if anyone has any documentation on this - step forward!



 

Pacific Rural Press August 1900

 

I can't find anything on Burns after this news clipping

 

 

 

 

I guess this was why I couldn't find anymore info on Burns

 

 

Thanks to Don Dwyer for the bottle pictures and Bruce Silva for the news clippings

 

Paul O Burns Yerba Buena Wineyard in green
photo courtesy AP Hotaling

Yerba Buena Bitters and Paul O. Burns
 Sometime in 1869 Homer Williams and Alfred Wright who had a medical business would purchase a formula from a San Francisco doctor thought to be Dr. Joseph S. Warren. Eventually Homer Williams would be the sole owner. Then around ten years later in 1880 he would retire and sell the rights to Yerba Buena Bitters to the Paul O. Burns Wine Company. This company was from San Jose, California. This company would continue to produce the bitters until prohibition ceased the production.