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3 SolisWinery GILROY Solis Winery is tucked away in the far southwest corner of Santa Clara Valley— one of the oldest commercial wine regions in California. The Solis story begins with the Bertero family, who owned and operated a winery on the same site in the early 1900s. Alfonso Bertero planted the vineyard and built a house in 1922, which is the same home that visitors see today when they approach the winery. The home has a distinct, crushed abalone shell exterior, one of only two homes with this feature in Santa Clara County. Alfonso operated his winery until the 1980s—even through Prohibition as a bootlegger—until it was purchased by investors. By this time, Dave Vanni and his family had moved next door to the winery on a five-acre vineyard. Although the investors struggled to keep the winery afloat, it eventually fell into foreclosure. The Vannis saw an opportunity and purchased the neighboring land in 1989 and gave it the full name of Rancho de Solis Winery. The Vannis had been acquiring several nearby parcels and replanted the old vineyards with Chardonnay and Merlot, adding new state-of- the-art trellis systems and irrigation. When Dave procured the winery, winemaking was just a hobby, but with the help of his wife Valerie, it became a full-time job. They began to redefine the entire region by using new technology, focused marketing, and planting new and upcoming varietals. For the next 15 years, they continued to win prestigious awards, increase production, and improve wine quality. FACING PAGE: A view of the Gabilan mountains and the 30- year old vines at the Solis estate vineyard. ABOVE: The owners, Vic and Mike Vanni in the Solis Winery wine cellar. Photographs by Steve Forman

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