Bricks are considered a model of consistency in building with their 8″ x 4″ x 2” dimensions. In the kiln, if wet bricks were placed too close to the fire, variations in shape and color would occur. Initially considered worthless, these bricks became popular after the San Francisco Earthquake and fire in 1906. Thousands of buildings were destroyed by the quake, and their bricks subsequently warped in the intense heat during the three days as fire engulfed over 400 city blocks. As factories could not produce bricks fast enough to meet the demand, millions of warped and irregular bricks were reused in new structures. The name “clinker” is derived from the distinct sound they make when banged together. Examples of these bricks can be seen all over San Francisco today, from chimneys to entire facades, and are now prized for their asymmetrical forms and beauty.

“There are more old wine drinkers than old doctors” – German proverb

“Wine is sunlight, held together by water!” – Galileo Gallile

“Wine is bottled poetry.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

“Quickly, bring me a beaker of wine, so that I may wet my mind and say something clever.”             - Aristophanes

“In victory, you deserve champagne, in defeat, you need it.” – Napoleon Bonaparte

“Wine is the most civilized thing in the world.” – Ernest Hemingway

“Good wine is a necessity of life for me.” – Thomas Jefferson

“Compromises are for relationships, not wine.” – Sir Robert Scott Caywood