Happy 100th birthday to Kirigin
Century-old Kirigin Cellars is one of Santa Clara Valley’s oldest wineries in a region better known for mobile phone apps, silicon chips and tract housing. And Kirigin isn’t the only one. Two other valley wineries hover around the century mark. And the first vineyards were planted by Spanish missionaries at Mission Santa Clara in 1798.
By the mid 1800s, there were more vineyard acres planted in this valley than anywhere else in California. Noted wine historian Charles L. Sullivan calls Santa Clara Valley the home of Northern California’s wine industry — even more so than Napa or Sonoma. French vintner Charles Lefranc — whom Sullivan calls the father of Santa Clara’s commercial wine industry — planted grapes here in 1850 and established California’s first winery, San Jose’s New Almaden Vineyard, in 1852. The winery changed hands over the years and operates today as Almaden Vineyards, a box wine producer.
The industry took off from there. By 1883, there were more than 15,000 vineyard acres and 100 wineries.
Over the ensuing years, Santa Clara Valley’s wineries encountered many challenges: phylloxera, the 1906 earthquake, the Great Depression, Prohibition, high-tech industry growth and suburban sprawl. As a result, the number of wineries and vineyard acreage decreased dramatically.
Today, there are roughly 1,500 acres and 28 wineries and signs of resurgence. Santa Clara Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA) was established in 1989, a Wine Trail was created in 2014 and several new wineries plan to open in the next year. Here are three historic spots worth a stop.
Morgan Hill Cellars
Italian immigrant Camillo Colombano established one of Santa Clara Valley’s oldest wineries in 1913. He arrived from Italy’s Piedmont wine region and planted barbera cuttings he smuggled into the country. In 1945, Colombano sold to local farmer John Pedrizzetti, who gave the winery his own name. Mike and Maryclaire Sampognaro bought the winery in 2006. They buy juice and age and blend it for third-party labels and also make wine for their own Morgan Hill Cellars label.
Details: Open Tuesday-Sunday; no tasting fee. 1645 San Pedro Ave., Morgan Hill; www.morganhillcellars.com
Kirigin Cellars
Italian-born Pietro Bonesio founded Uvas Winery on the Rancho Solis Mexican land grant in 1916. Bonesio’s sons took over in 1932 and renamed it Bonesio Brothers, before eventually selling it to Croatian winemaker Nikola KiriginChargin in 1976. The family sold Kirigin Cellars in 2000 to telecommunications attorney Dhruv Khanna, who upgraded the vineyards and wine quality. In what was seen as an odd move at the time, he also installed a cricket lawn. Now, Kirigin has two cricket fields and hosts car and flower shows, weddings and women’s soccer leagues. The winery’s vintage character remains, however. The tasting room entrance is a 1930s-era wine tank, and the old barrel room has weathered wood doors, a rusted corrugated metal roof and whitewashed walls.
Details: Open daily; no tasting fee. 11550 Watsonville Road, Gilroy; www. kirigincellars.com.
Guglielmo Winery
The 91-year-old Guglielmo is the valley’s oldest continuously operating, family-owned winery. Opening a winery in 1925, at the height of Prohibition, took guts, determination and passion — and a certain renegade spirit. Founder Emilio Guglielmo dug a cellar under his Morgan Hill house, complete with a secret trap door, and made wine there until repeal in 1933. Today, grandsons George, Gene and Gary carry on his legacy.
Details: Open daily; tasting fee $5. 1480 E. Main Ave., Morgan Hill; www. guglielmowinery.com