Bounty Cellars CEO Ron Pennington (left) presents a bottle of RIVER STREET RED to artist Kerry Waghorn, who created the original Capone caricature for the label. The presentation was at Le Bistro Chez Michel in North Vancouver. The proprietor, prominent restaurateur Philippe Segur (right) hosted the event.

Wine recalls a notorious chapter of Moose Jaw history

(KELOWNA, B.C. - 27 October, 2010) - River Street Red, made with 100 percent Okanagan Valley cabernet sauvignon grapes, was produced by Bounty Cellars for a client who wanted to be part of the fun as Saskatchewan and, specifically, Moose Jaw, turn a wild and woolly era of history into a major tourist attraction.

"We got rather wrapped up in this fun too, and decided an eye-catching label was essential," said Bounty Cellars President and CEO Ron Pennington. "We commissioned internationally-syndicated artist Kerry Waghorn to create one of his inimitable caricatures, this time Al Capone. The label design with bricks and bullet holes, was done by our graphic designer Sandy Magee of Kelowna, and his company Redsand Creative."

Several of Canada's great family fortunes had their roots in a distillery industry made prosperous during U.S. prohibition. This infamous chapter in the history of Moose Jaw has now become a high profile tourist attraction. The city earned the nickname "Little Chicago" because of its River Street neighbourhood. The area's most prominent import, the owner of several local businesses, was Chicago mobster Al Capone.

Capone was the United States' most infamous Mafia leader during prohibition.  Canada became a prime source of legally produced alcohol products, which were then illegally smuggled into the U.S. and sold in speakeasies and other outlets. Al Capone protected his source of distilled spirits by investing in a number of establishments along Moose Jaw's notorious River Street. In fact, the infamous New York gangster Dutch Schultz once sued Capone in a Saskatchewan court over a shipment of 60 cases of bad liquor. In a rare civilized resolution to a Mafia dispute, the lawsuit was withdrawn after Capone repaid Schultz. Speakeasies and entertainment offerings flourished along River Street, many of them owned by Capone and associates.

See also www.kerrywaghorn.com