Mario Lanza and Lena Carlevaro Lanza met in Oakland, California, in 1934 and married three years later. Both families hailed from the small town of Silvano Di Orba in northern Italy. Mario worked as a partner at the Oakland Scavenger Company until a workplace accident prompted his doctor to recommend relocating to a warmer climate.

Mario had a friend named Salvador Brea, who, along with his brother Manuel, had founded a small winery in Suisun Valley at the end of Prohibition in 1933—Wooden Valley Winery.

In 1944, Mario moved his family to Suisun Valley and became a partner with the Brea brothers. He assumed sole ownership in 1955, with the understanding that the winery's name would remain unchanged. With a handshake, Mario agreed to continue the business as Wooden Valley Winery.

This decision left a significant historical mark; Salvador had named the winery after the road it was located on—then Wooden Valley Road. Although the road is now known as Suisun Valley Road, Mario's promise allows the unique name "Wooden Valley" to endure in Suisun Valley.