school Mariano worked at the Studebaker auto factory in order to supplement his preferred vocation of wine making.

In 1921, at age 26, Mariano founded Border City Wine Cellars, quickly changing the name to the Meconi Wine Company. Following the repeal of Prohibition in December of 1933, Mariano moved his flourishing wine making enterprise across the river to Detroit in 1934. 1936 was the year when Meconi moved his family to its present location in Paw Paw, in order to be closer to the acclaimed Lake Michigan Shore grape-growing region. With the move came a new name: The Italian Wine Company.

In 1941, during World War II, Meconi strategically countered rising antifascist sentiment in the United States by switching the name of the company once again, from the Italian Wine Company, to St. Julian Winery.

In the last name change of the company, Mariano Meconi humbly paid homage to the patron saint of his native village, Faleria, Italy . All Italian villages have patron saints and San Giuliano, (St. Julian), stands as the saint that protects the village and citizens of Faleria.

For the past 80 years, the winery now known as St. Julian has produced award-winning products. St. Julian is Michigan’s oldest and largest winery. (Courtesy of St. Julian Winery, www.stjulian.com)