Secondo Guasti, a Pioneer
Secondo Guasti pioneered the Californian Italian Wine Industry and made much of what we see regarding Italian wine, making influence today possible. Guasti moved from Piedmont to California in the late 19th century with no more than a dollar. Guasti came from Italy with a vast knowledge of the Wine Industry and began working for another local winemaker. Eventually, through hard work and perseverance, he was able to purchase over 5,000 acres of land and even build Italian-inspired buildings for the Italian American community, such as the church seen in the photograph (In the image, we see part of Guasti's land located in the city of Rancho Cucamonga as well). Guasti served his community by employing large amounts of fellow Italian immigrants to work at his vineyard. Guasti saw potential in California's wine industry and sought aggressive expansion. Through producing high-quality wines at great volume, he was able to take control of the wine market in California.
Guasti understood what was necessary for success very well, and we can observe a few key details that helped Guasti from an economic standpoint. First, Secondo knew there was a demand. If he satisfied this demand and was able to capture the market that he saw, he could benefit greatly. Second, Guasti was able to keep operational costs relatively low through cheap labor at the time, but more importantly, because he was able to hire fellow Italian workers who he knew he could trust. Finally, Secondo implemented a strategy known as vertical integration. Not only did Secondo produce the wine, but he also labeled and distributed it, which allowed for no dependence on external producers or sources, giving him total control over costs and production.