Gilroy
– A family-owned vineyard along Hecker Pass has added Small
Business of the Year to its growing list of accolades.
Gilroy – A family-owned vineyard along Hecker Pass has added Small Business of the Year to its growing list of accolades.
The Vanni family and its Solis Winery are among a half dozen businesses and individuals that the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce has recognized for standout contributions in 2006.
“It’s not just the fact that they’ve had award-wining wines,” Chamber Executive Director Susan Valenta said of Solis. “They’ve also made a lot of effort in showcasing Gilroy as an area that has fine wines and hospitality. Truly, they’ve drawn attention to our region, and that in turn has benefited others.”
The 16-acre winery has come a long way from its humble roots in the early 1980s as a juice-producing facility. Last June, Solis won the prestigious “Best of Class” award for a 2002 syrah at the Los Angeles County Fair, and its sangiovese has won top regional awards three straight years at the California State Fair.
“The timing (of the Chamber award) was amazing,” said Valerie Vanni, wife of founder David Vanni. “It really validated the hard work and commitment over the years.”
She has worked at the winery since the early 1990s, pouring wine for tastings and helping manage finances. David Vanni is most often found wandering through the rows of vines or the barrel room at the back of their property, nestled against the foothills south of Hecker Pass Highway.
In the mid-’80s, Vanni broke new ground in the region by planting chardonnay and merlot grapes, later adding muscat canelli, cabernet sauvignon and sangiovese.
David Vanni decided to hand down the successful formula to his sons, putting to rest fears among faithful patrons that he and Valerie would sell the vineyard as they head into retirement.
Mike Vanni, 34, and brother Vic, 37, took over management of Solis Winery at the beginning of the month.
“We’re not reinventing anything,” said Mike Vanni, who has managed production at Solis for seven years. “We’re just refining and tweaking.”
The brothers carry on a family tradition that began in Tuscany, Italy, with a great-grandfather who bottled his own wine. Ever since, the Vannis have been “home wine makers” through the generations, but it wasn’t until they arrived in Gilroy that the family could claim its own vineyard.
Their father had big ambitions for the site, such as an 2,500-square-foot tasting room and event center, and the brothers are still deciding how soon to move forward with the expansion. In the meantime, they hope to cultivate a stronger local presence by tripling the size of their wine club, which now has more than 1,000 members.
“I’ve been in marketing and real estate for 10 years,” said Vic Vanni, who is shuttling between his job and the winery throughout the week. “In real estate, you have to sell yourself. That’s not always easy. Here we pour some wine and it sells itself.”
Solis Winery is located at 3920 Hecker Pass Highway. Visit them online at www.soliswinery.com.
