Owners: Gallo Winemaker: Location: Modesto

The Mirassou Winery was founded in 1854 by Louis Pellier (1817-72) and his brother Pierre (1823-94). Pierre Mirassou (1856-89) married Pierre Pellier's daughter Henriette (1860-1937) in 1881 and thus claims to be the "Oldest winemaking family in the United States" In 2002 the "Mirassou" brand was purchased by wine industry giant Gallo so now the wines are made in the Modesto area. The Mirassou winery in San Jose, California, was not part of the Gallo purchase.

While it's true that the Mirassou family were early pioneers and once considered a driving force in the California wine industry, it's unclear whether their wines were ever anything much beyond average "jug" wines. The current vintages are readily available at around the $5 to $10 mark. Although there is a Mirassou vineyard in East San Jose, the wines are made from a number of sources and, with the exception of the Monterey County Chardonnay, all carry the generic "California" appelation.

In 2000 Mirassou launched a new label,Pastel. Aimed at the youth market, this was a blend of wine and grape juice. It doesn't appear to have been very successful.