May 25, 2004

Annual Fundraiser June 24
History San Jose celebrates 150 Years of Mirassou family winemaking

History San Jose celebrates 150 years of Mirassou Family winemaking in Santa Clara Valley at La Rochelle Winery, formerly Mirassou Vineyards, at 3000 Aborn Road.

The festivities take place Thursday, June 24, from 5- to 9 p.m. and feature music and lighthearted entertainment, silent and live auctions, wine tasting and an elegant dinner prepared by David Page, La Rochelle’s Chef de Cuisine. The cost is $125 per person. Proceeds benefit History San Jose’s education programs, which serve approximately 25,000 grade school children each year.

“History San Jose is committed to making the area’s history meaningful, accessible and interesting to the highly diverse population of the Santa Clara Valley,” said Bonnie Bamburg, History San Jose board member and co-chair for the event. “We do this through our award-winning education programs for grade school children, family festivals and community outreach activities such as our quarterly History Makers series.”

Since the arrival of Pierre and Henrietta Pellier from France in 1854, the Mirassou family has dedicated itself to mastering the art of winemaking. The family-owned winery has survived both prohibition and the urbanization of the Santa Clara Valley and today continues to thrive with a new line of uniquely expressive wines that honor the family’s rich traditions.

“We are a history-based organization and recognizing the Mirassou’s 150-year history in the valley seemed obvious,” said Bamburg. “We have many surprises in store for the evening. Those who attended last year’s celebration Manny’s Cellar – Open One Night Only, know History San Jose doesn’t miss a beat in details or fun.”

For more information, call (408) 918-1046 or visit www.historysanjose.org/larochelle.

History San José is the non-profit organization responsible for managing the collections and archives for the city of San José. It has over a million artifacts ranging from the largest and oldest collection of Spanish and Mexican municipal documents in the state of California to the Perham Collection of Electronics, an extensive collection of pre-chip technology.