My wife Melanie and I bought a house and moved to Hollister in
March 2004. We came here from the Monterey Peninsula for several
reasons, including affordability and climate
– I was actually able to grow a bumper crop of tomatoes this
summer, an achievement my fogbound Peninsula friends marvel at.
My wife Melanie and I bought a house and moved to Hollister in March 2004. We came here from the Monterey Peninsula for several reasons, including affordability and climate – I was actually able to grow a bumper crop of tomatoes this summer, an achievement my fogbound Peninsula friends marvel at.
But the warm and friendly people we met here are what really sold the two of us on Hollister and San Benito County.
If and when Hollister gets its building moratorium and infrastructure challenges worked out, and if the city decides that it wants to attract more residents, I have a plan to sell people on living here.
All you would have to do is set up a booth on Highway 156 and have Joseph and Deanna Gimelli sit there and welcome people. Their openness, generosity, good old-fashioned hospitality and genuine love of entertaining would bring people here in droves.
Of course, it wouldn’t hurt if Joseph and Deanna were also pouring their exceptional Pietra Santa wines for passersby.
Originally from San Jose, Joseph was a businessman who had met with success both in his native city
and in Hollister. In the late 1980s, he bought the
property on Cienega Road that would eventually become Pietra Santa.
The land at Pietra Santa has a long grape-growing history. It was originally planted with wine grapes in 1848. Today, the vineyard is composed of 133 acres of various grape varietals.
In addition, the Gimellis planted 5,000 olive trees on the property, but more on that later.
The centerpiece of Pietra Santa is the winery building itself, constructed in the center of the property. The Mission-style structure is imposing, while at the same time, it blends in perfectly with its surroundings. All of the wine-making apparatus is under this one roof, as is an inviting second-floor tasting room that affords sweeping views of the vineyards and grounds.
The words Pietra Santa mean “sacred stone” and refer to the quarry near Carrera, Italy that produces exquisitely fine grades of marble and other stone that have been used there for centuries for everything from building materials to the raw material of the masterpieces of artists such as Michelangelo.
The name is appropriate to the property, since it abuts a limestone quarry and the soil benefits from the presence of that porous stone, making it ideal for the growing of wine grapes.
It’s not a huge operation, but it is a quality one. Production is around 5,000 cases per year, and Joseph thinks that’s about right.
As befits the Italian heritage of both he and his wife Deanna, the people at Pietra Santa are a close-knit bunch.
“We’re a family – we all do it together,” Joseph says. They employ 15 people full and part-time.
Deanna says “We have awesome people, dedicated and very interested in the product.”
And it shows. These guys make some awesome wines – divided into three tier brands: Pietra Santa, Vaché and Sacred Stone – from a lovely, refreshing Pinot Grigio to their deeply satisfying Sassolino.
The wine world agrees. Since the release of their first vintage of 1993, the wines have consistently garnered awards from prestigious competitions such as the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, Jerry Mead’s International Wine Competition, the California State Fair and the Los Angeles County Fair.
And speaking of awards, the aforementioned olives are quickly gaining a formidable reputation as well. The Gimellis imported their olive trees from Tuscany and are now producing some very tasty extra virgin olive oils under the brand name of Olivita (a combination of the Italian words for “olive” and “life”).
And again, the world agrees. Wine Spectator magazine voted Olivita the No. 1 olive oil in the nation, and Wines and Spirits placed it in the top 10 oils in the world.
All this success hasn’t really gone to Joseph’s head, although he is extremely proud of the accomplishments achieved at Pietra Santa. While driving around the property, he points out his grove of olive trees, lets loose his distinctive chuckle and pronounces them “the best in the world!”
The winery also hosts a number of popular events throughout the year. For the holidays, there are two weekends of Open Houses in December that will feature gourmet foods from San Francisco Culinary Academy instructor Holly Pugliesi.
Then in March, Carnivale comes to Pietra Santa with theatrical entertainment and a fantastic dinner. Full costume and masks will be required.
More casual is the Great Grape Stomp in August, where guests can win prizes and enjoy live music, BBQ and, of course, fine wine.
Pietra Santa is open for tasting daily from 11am to 5pm. Ask for Joseph or Deanna. If you’re lucky enough to meet them, you’ll see just what I mean about their hospitality.
They are located south of Hollister about five and a half miles from Union Road on Cienega Road. Visit their Web site for directions at www.pietrasanta-winery.com.
