In 1932, the Bonesio sons took over their father Pietro Bonesio's Uvas Winery and renamed it Bonesio Brothers Winery. The winery stayed in family hands for 44 years, bridging the post-Prohibition era through the early modern revival of Santa Clara Valley winemaking.

1932: The Bonesio sons took over operations of Uvas Winery from their father Pietro and renamed it Bonesio Brothers Winery. This represented the second generation of family ownership.

1933-1970s: The winery operated continuously under family ownership, producing wines primarily for local and regional markets. Like many South Valley family wineries, Bonesio Brothers focused on Italian-style wines and maintained strong connections to the local Italian-American community.

1976: The Bonesio family sold the winery to Nikola Kirigin-Chargin, who renamed it Kirigin Cellars.

Bonesio Brothers Winery represents the middle chapter of a 100+ year winery site:

• 1916-1932: Uvas Winery (Pietro Bonesio, founder)
• 1932-1976: Bonesio Brothers Winery (Bonesio sons)
• 1976-present: Kirigin Cellars (Kirigin family)

Bonesio Brothers Winery exemplifies the multi-generational Italian family winery tradition that characterized Santa Clara Valley winemaking through much of the 20th century. The 44 years of continuous family operation (1932-1976) spans some of the most challenging periods in California wine history, including the post-Prohibition recovery, World War II, and the transformation of the Santa Clara Valley from agricultural region to Silicon Valley.

The successful transition from Uvas to Bonesio Brothers to Kirigin demonstrates how site continuity often matters more than label continuity in preserving winemaking heritage.

• Uvas Winery - First generation (1916-1932)
• Kirigin Cellars - Current operation (1976-present)
• Guglielmo Winery - Contemporary continuously-operated family winery (1925-present)
• Fortino Winery - Similar South Valley family revival story (1970)

• Visit Gilroy - Historical Wineries in Gilroy Part 2