As one of Northern California's wine pioneers, the Guglielmo family has been producing award-winning wines in the Santa Clara Valley since 1925 - continuing a winemaking tradition passed down for generations.
Born in 1883 near Asti in Italy's Piedmonte region, family patriarch, Emilio Guglielmo, left his homeland when he was 25 years old and traveled to America - finally arriving in San Francisco in 1910. It was there he began producing wine for friends and neighbors in the basement of his Excelsior District home in San Francisco. Knowing the era of prohibition would soon come to an end, Emilio invested in the future by purchasing vineyard land in the agriculturally rich Santa Clara Valley near Morgan Hill, about 80 miles south of San Francisco. The winery, Emilio Guglielmo Winery, was founded in 1925.
In 1944, the winery was passed down to Emilio's son, George W. Guglielmo and his wife Madeline upon George W.'s return from World War II. Working together, the couple expanded the winery's estate vineyards and distribution channels. Later in 1969, George W. and his son, George E., began implementing many new ideas into the family business. This period saw an introduction of new refrigerated stainless steel fermentation tanks and small oak cooperage, as well as the production of the winery's first premium varietal wine - a 1969 estate-bottled Petite Sirah.
Today, third generation brothers George E., Gene and Gary keep the family tradition alive by producing award-winning premium varietal wines from more than 100 acres of Santa Clara Valley estate vineyards - as well as wines from other premium wine growing regions within California.
|