Japan's tradition of sake making began more than 2,000 years ago shortly after rice cultivation was introduced from China. Though the first few centuries yielded a beverage quite unlike that of today, years of experience perfected brewing techniques and increased sake's overall appeal and popularity. In 1637, Gekkeikan's founder, Jiemon Okura established his sake brewery in the town of Fushimi, a location well-known for its high quality of water. Access to the ideal ingredients combined with a convenient location enabled Okura and his successors' business to thrive in the years that followed. To meet this increase in demand, Gekkeikan Sake (USA) , Inc. was established in Folsom, California in 1989. Today, Gekkeikan's passion for pleasing the sake connoisseur remains unchanged.

A family winemaking tradition in the Santa Clara Valley since 1925, Guglielmo Winery is a fourth-generation, family-owned establishment that produces a diverse range of award-winning varietals from approximately 50 acres of California estate vineyards, as well as from other premium wine-growing regions within the state.

Today, Guglielmo Winery (gool-yell-mo) produces over 40,000 cases annually across three labels: Guglielmo Private Reserve, Tre, and its oldest label, Emile’s. Despite its growth, the winery remains committed to its family philosophy of creating natural, high-quality wines to be enjoyed with family and friends, with family members overseeing every phase of the winemaking process.

“Wine is a traditional part of our culture and one of life’s simple pleasures to be shared with family and friends.”

In 2008, a fourth-generation farmer and aspiring winemaker Giovanni Balistreri, under the tutelage of award-winning winemaker Anthony Austin, set out to reclaim the rich history and enormous untapped potential of one of Sonoma County’s finest wine-making estates.  The estate lies in the heart of the Russian River Valley and thus proudly and appropriately bears the Russian River Valley appellation. 

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The winemakers understood the potential of this small estate, but even more importantly, they had come to know the special region in which it sits.  This was not a place to build a large, corporate winery to produce wine in high volume.  It was a place where a careful, patient approach could produce world-class wine.  And in the decade since, the venerable estate has been returning to its former glory.