Century-old Italian-heritage estates and historic vines, hiding beside Silicon Valley. Updated for 2026.
Few people realize that the Santa Clara Valley, the heart of today's Silicon Valley, was one of California's founding wine regions. Wine has been made here since the 1800s, and in the early 20th century a wave of Italian immigrant families, many from Piedmont and Calabria, planted vineyards in the warm valleys around Morgan Hill, Gilroy, and San Martin. Several of those family estates still operate today, some for a full century or more, and a few vineyards here hold vines planted generations ago. Visiting these wineries is a chance to taste living California wine history, in old-world, family-run estates hiding just beyond the tech campuses.
Below are the Santa Clara Valley wineries that best tell the region's history, from a century-old Piedmontese estate and one of California's oldest wineries to Calabrian-rooted Hecker Pass classics and a vineyard of century-old vines. These are a mix of walk-in and by-appointment tastings; reserve ahead where you can. Current as of October 2026.
A century of family winemaking (1925)
Founded in 1925 by Emilio and Emilia Guglielmo, who emigrated from Italy's Piedmont, Guglielmo made wine through Prohibition for private patrons and built its winery after Repeal. Now run by the third and fourth generations and past its 2025 centennial, it is the valley's grand Italian-heritage landmark.
Good to know: Tastings; historic estate. Morgan Hill.
Our tip: Taste a century of Piedmontese-rooted family winemaking; the valley's anchor.
One of California's oldest, since 1916
Dating to 1916 as the Italian Bonesio family's winery and renamed in 1976 by Croatian-born winemaker Nikola Kirigin-Chargin, Kirigin is one of California's oldest continuously operating wineries, set on historic grounds with lawns, roses, and redwoods, a living piece of valley history.
Good to know: Tastings; historic estate and grounds. Gilroy.
Our tip: Walk the historic grounds; try the signature Vino de Mocca, a valley classic.
Calabrian tradition on Hecker Pass (1970)
Established in 1970 when Calabrian immigrant Ernest Fortino revived a shuttered 1930s-era Hecker Pass vineyard, Fortino makes robust, old-world Italian-style reds and is now run by the second generation, a warm, traditional keeper of the valley's Italian heritage.
Good to know: Tastings; family estate. Gilroy / Hecker Pass.
Our tip: Taste the bold Calabrian-style reds; old-world and family-run.
Another Fortino-family classic (1972)
Established in 1972 by Mario Fortino, drawing on the same Calabrian winemaking tradition, Hecker Pass Winery is a small, traditional family estate on the Hecker Pass Highway, pouring old-world Italian-style wines in an unpretentious, time-honored setting.
Good to know: Tastings; family estate. Gilroy / Hecker Pass.
Our tip: A small, traditional Calabrian-rooted estate; honest, old-world wines.
Some of California's oldest Grenache vines
Farming a Gilroy vineyard said to hold some of the oldest Grenache vines in California (around a century old), the Besson family makes characterful wines from genuinely historic vines, a rare, living link to the valley's early-20th-century plantings.
Good to know: Tastings; historic vineyard. Gilroy.
Our tip: Taste wine from century-old Grenache vines; a rare piece of California history.
A family ranch since 1893
Farmed by the Cooper and Garrod families since 1893, this Saratoga hillside estate pairs estate wines with a working horse ranch and views over Silicon Valley, one of the oldest continuously family-farmed properties in the area and a scenic, historic stop.
Good to know: Tastings; historic estate and ranch. Saratoga.
Our tip: Combine the wine, the horse ranch, and the views; farmed by one family since 1893.
A history-themed day in the Santa Clara Valley is easy to build and close to the Bay Area. Anchor it in the south county around Morgan Hill and Gilroy, where the century-old Guglielmo, the 1916-rooted Kirigin Cellars, the Calabrian-heritage Fortino and Hecker Pass wineries, and the historic Besson vines all sit within a short drive. For a scenic contrast, add the Cooper-Garrod ranch above Saratoga, farmed by one family since 1893. Base yourself in Morgan Hill or Gilroy, plan three or four stops, and ask about each winery's story, the families, the Prohibition years, and the old vines are what make a visit here special. Many welcome walk-ins and have picnic grounds, so pack a lunch; the valley is warm in summer, so plan for heat.
Do not assume the Santa Clara Valley is a new or minor wine region; it predates most of California wine country and shaped the state's early industry. Do not skip the stories, the Italian-immigrant history, the Prohibition years, and the century-old vines are the heart of a visit. And do not expect polish over character; these are honest, family-run, old-world estates, which is exactly the appeal.
What is the oldest winery in the Santa Clara Valley?
Kirigin Cellars in Gilroy dates to 1916 (as the Bonesio family winery) and is one of California's oldest continuously operating wineries. Guglielmo in Morgan Hill was founded in 1925 and passed its centennial in 2025. Cooper-Garrod near Saratoga has been farmed by the same family since 1893, making it one of the area's oldest family-farmed estates.
Why is the Santa Clara Valley historically important for wine?
It was one of California's founding wine regions, with winemaking dating to the 1800s. In the early 20th century, Italian immigrant families from Piedmont and Calabria planted vineyards around Morgan Hill, Gilroy, and San Martin, building family estates that still operate today. That deep, old-world, Italian-immigrant heritage, hiding beside Silicon Valley, is central to the region's identity.
Which Santa Clara Valley wineries are Italian-heritage estates?
Several. Guglielmo was founded by a Piedmontese family in 1925, Kirigin Cellars grew out of the Italian Bonesio family's 1916 winery, and Fortino and Hecker Pass Winery were both founded by the Calabrian Fortino family (in 1970 and 1972). These estates keep the valley's old-world, Italian-rooted winemaking tradition alive.
Are there old vines in the Santa Clara Valley?
Yes. Besson Family Vineyards in Gilroy is noted for farming some of the oldest Grenache vines in California, reported to be around a century old. Vines of that age are rare and produce distinctive, concentrated wines, and they are a living link to the valley's early-20th-century plantings, a real highlight for anyone interested in historic California viticulture.
Is the Santa Clara Valley worth visiting for wine history?
Yes, especially if you love old-world, family-run estates. It is one of California's oldest wine regions, with century-old Italian-heritage wineries, a vineyard of century-old vines, and a family ranch farmed since 1893, all within an easy Bay Area drive. Tasting here is a trip through the roots of California wine, just beyond the tech campuses.
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