Winery slates activities to mark founding
When Emilio Guglielmo left the tiny northern Italian town of Susa in 1908, following countless other immigrants to the United States, he could not have imagined what effect his journey would have on Morgan Hill.
Next week the descendants of Emilio and Emilia Guglielmo will celebrate that result – 80 years of winemaking – at the family’s East Main Avenue winery.
Wanting to make the anniversary a community affair, the couple’s grandsons George E., Gene and Gary Guglielmo, invite everyone to drop by the vine-covered winery across from Live Oak High School to see an art show by local artists, lay in a supply of bottle-your-own wine (today, May 14), join the family for a gala dinner and vintage wine tasting Tuesday, May 17, or attend the grand anniversary celebration on Saturday, May 21 (see box for details).
At the May 21 event the current Guglielmo family will dedicate Piazza d’Madellena and a bronze plaque celebrating the contributions of their grandparents and those of their parents, Madeline and the late George W. Guglielmo.
While the three brothers have lived their entire lives in Morgan Hill, Emilio and Emilia arrived only after years of hard work elsewhere.
After working his way across the country, landing in San Francisco and bringing Emilia over to join him (they married in San Francisco), the couple rolled up their sleeves and began to claim the American dream for themselves and their children, George W. and Irene.
During their lifetimes the older Guglielmos passed their values down to George W. and he and Madeline passed them on to the third generation, Gene said recently.
“George and I were old enough to converse with our grandparents,” Gene said. “They – and our parents – taught us the value of hard work and told us to do something we loved.”
The younger generation was also taught the importance of community, causing family members to support, take part in, provide wine for or otherwise enhance an exceedingly long list of public events and organizations.
George E. was named Chamber of Commerce Man of the Year in 1992 for his support of the Live Oak Emerald Regime Band and Color Guard, Spirit Softball, the Farm Bureau and the Wine Growers’ Association.
George’s wife, Janice – who, as Jan Justino, was Miss Morgan Hill in 1965 – has served for more than a year on the city’s Urban Limit Line Committee.
Gene is a founder of South Valley National Bank and past president of the Santa Clara County Winegrowers Association and, with his mother and brothers is an enthusiastic member of the Santa Clara Valley Sister County and the Morgan Hill Sister City organizations. A Tuscan town, San Casciano, was the city’s first sister – right down the Guglielmo alley.
The winery usually hosts delegations from the Italian sister city and county. Only this week a group from San Casciano visited Morgan Hill for the third time.
The entire family – George E., Gene, Gary and their mother Madeline – was given the Leadership Morgan Hill Excellence Award in 2004, chosen for outstanding community leadership. But it all started with Emilio.
In 1925 he and Emilia bought 25 acres plus an old stone barn and a ranch house on East Main Avenue in Morgan Hill, intending to grow grapes and start a winery. Eighty years later the property has expanded to more than 100 acres.
The Guglielmo label is found on award-winning bottles distributed throughout the country.
Along with winemaking, Emilio taught his son and grandsons about friend-making.
“We were raised in an environment where our customers are our friends,” Gene said.
George W., the founders’ son, took over the business – Emilio died in 1961 – followed by his own three sons. George E. studied viticulture and enology at Fresno State University and became the winemaker. When asked, he always credits Michael Bo, the winemaker at San Martin Winery, for allowing him to learn the business by working and watching.
Gene runs the local business and Gary handles the out-of-state business.
“We all decided on our own to go into the business,” Gene recalled.
He decided after a trip “home” that gave him a new appreciation of his grandfather’s decision to leave.
“My revelation was going back to Italy – to Susa, in the Piedmont,” he said. “It’s a little beautiful village and I could see it was a big journey for him to leave all that and work his way across the United States.”
Susa is in the Piedmont, in northwest Italy, only a few miles from the French border, explaining why Emilio spoke fluent French.
Madeline, who moved to Morgan Hill from Almaden when she was 7-years-old, married George W. after World War II and worked at the winery for 40 years – besides raising three children and running a household. She now lives by herself, except for a poodle and a cat, on her father’s old ranch at the eastern end of Diana Road. George W. died in 1997.
Gene said his mother is pleased with the way things have turned out in the family business.
“Mom is proud (of the 80 years) – but she wishes Dad was still here to share it with us,” Gene said.
Madeline celebrated her own 80th birthday in 2004.
“This is quite an accomplishment,” Madeline said Friday, “and I’m sure their grandparents and their dad would be proud to see what they’ve done since they took over.”
Even at 80 years the winery continues to evolve.
A few years ago the family moved into the entertainment – other than wine – business. They built a stage covered by a permanent tent fronting a grassy area, patio and building to make a comfortable spot for weddings, parties and concerts, a business that has proved successful for the Guglielmos and handy for residents. The tent area can hold up to 300 guests who come for a family event and end up dazzled by the background of vineyards and – largely undeveloped – hills.
So far none of Madeline’s grandchildren has joined the family business. Gary has a son and a daughter and a new baby expected in June; Gene has two daughters and a son and George and Jan have four daughters.
“You never know,” Gene said. “There are rumors, but they have the same choices we had. It has to be a labor of love. You have to have a passion for what you are doing.”
Madeline agreed that the big decisions will happen in the next generation.
“Some of the girls might be interested,” she said.
Emilia would be pleased.
Guglielmo Winery events: www.guglielmowinery.com or 779-2145. The family name is pronounced gool-yell-mo.
Carol Holzgrafe covers City Hall for The Times. She can be reached by e-mail at ch********@mo*************.com or phoning (408) 779-4106 Ext. 201.
