Mirassou Winery
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The Mirassou Winery founded in 1854 by Pierre Mirassou had been a long standing icon of the agricultural heritage of the Santa Clara Valley, in what is now known as California's "Silicon Valley."
The name "Mirassou" was purchased by wine industry giant Gallo in 2002. The Mirassou family no longer controls the wine making process or marketing. The wines are made in the Modesto area, headquarters of Gallo. David Mirassou is employed by Gallo and markets the wine as a Mirassou "family" product. The Mirassou winery in San Jose, California, was not part of the Gallo purchase and is now boarded up and awaiting the wrecking ball. The claim of "Oldest winemaking family in the United States" has been disputed by numerous U.S. based winemaking families. Once a driving force in the California wine industry, the family's business downfall is attributed to a changing city landscape (the winery is located in the midst of San Jose's urban development), mismanagement and lack of vision as to the direction of the industry.
