A Taste of Morgan Hill, sponsored by the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce, will celebrate its 20th anniversary this year Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 26 and 27th, in the heart of Morgan Hill’s historic downtown. In addition to providing the community with a fun, family-friendly festival, the Taste of Morgan Hill supports the local Chamber of Commerce and its programs that support the businesses and residents of this Silicon Valley small town.

Just 30 minutes from downtown San Jose, yet a world apart, Morgan Hill is “the countryside of Silicon Valley” and home to producers of everything from mushrooms to wine! This year’s festival will feature local food and wine, a Custom Classic car show, a Quilt Show, Arts and Crafts, live entertainment, a MicroBrew Beer Garden and much more!

Although you may not think of Morgan Hill and Gilroy as “wine country,” the area is home to numerous local vintners, many dating back to pre-prohibition days and early Italian immigrant families. Although 1510 acres of wine grapes were harvested in the area last year, mushrooms and garlic are probably still its better-known agricultural products.

In recent years a new generation of wine growers has brought new life to this valuable regional resource.

First among Morgan Hill’s wineries is Guglielmo (Goo-yell-mo) Winery. Founded in 1925, now run by a third generation of the same family, this winery has won gold medals for many of it cabernet, sangiovese, and zinfandel wines. Guglielmo, Sycamore Creek and other local vintners can be found at the Wine Tent during the festival. More about other wineries in the Morgan Hill and Gilroy area of southern Santa Clara County in future posts! In the meantime, you can check out the Santa Clara Valley appellation for yourself any lovely Fall weekend, or go to SantaClaraWines.com for more information.

Posted By: Colleen Badagliacco