Angelo

February 28, 1936 - St. Helens Sentinel-Mist

"Caniparoli Has Been In Business Here 24 Years - One of the oldest stores in St. Helens now in the original location and under the original management is the Italian Importing company of West Columbia boulevard, owned and operated by A. Caniparoli. Mr. Caniparoli came here from Portland and in 1912 he built his store. At that time there were very few structures on this section of Columbia boulevard. The O.K. apartment structure and a few residences were all. He operated a general merchandise store, and wholesale wines, liquor and beer. It was then that he put in his huge basement, which is considered the only real wine storage basement in this section. Mr. Caniparoli several times shipped in boat carloads of wine from San Francisco, which would be unloaded at McCormick's dock and require the services of the McCormick teams for a day to transport to the store. The cellar is 40x50 feet, with a cement floor. It would hold two carloads of keg wine. 'Handling wine is mainly in knowing how to take care of it,' Mr. Caniparoli declared. 'I always bought in kegs because kegs kept in a proper cellar will cause the wine to improve where wine kept in a shakeable wooden floor and expose to light will lose flavor and color. An even temperature is absolutely necessary.' He grew up near Milan among the Italian wine growers, and was 21 years of age when he came to this country. Assisting Mr. Caniparoli at the store now is Aldo Romiti."