Co-hosted by ISSIMI, Cars and Cabernet at Auto Vino is an informal meeting of exotic and rare cars that draws together car owners and spectators who share a passion for the roar of powerful engines.

Auto Vino in San Carlos is a fantastic place to meet with friends, see exceptional automobiles, have a great time, and talk cars while enjoying plenty of laughter, delicious food, and Cabernet.

Our mission is to promote the culture of exotic and rare cars in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The event is free to attend. Lunch and wine are available to purchase.

Auto Vino began in 2009 with a casual introduction by a legendary Silicon Valley Semiconductor figure at the Ferrari Dealership in Redwood City between Buff Giurlani and Bob Mullen.

The introduction to Bob, a pioneer in the “Boutique Winery” movement in California since the early 1960s, established the ideal business partnership that resulted in the creation of Auto Vino, which translates to “Cars & Wine.”

Buff grew up in San Francisco as part of a family-owned olive oil import business with a passion for fast Italian sports cars and the entrepreneurial spirit of his grandfather Angelo Giurlani who immigrated to San Francisco from Italy in 1895.

Angelo lived in an Italian neighborhood (now The Scenic Marina District) predominantly populated by Italians from Italy’s Tuscany region, to whom Angelo began delivering groceries to the neighborhoods from a horse-drawn wagon.

The following year, when Angelo’s brother Giuseppe moved to San Francisco, the two brothers began importing olive oil from Lucca, Italy, and selling it under the brand name “STAR Olive Oil.”

Buff expanded the family business by making STAR Olive oil a nationwide brand name before the family sold the company in the mid-1970s.

Dick Burns, a co-founder of Auto Vino and a longtime friend of Buff’s, opened the Menlo Park location in 2009. Dick previously worked in the restaurant and food service industries. He and two high school classmates managed and operated 30 Cask ‘n Cleaver restaurants in Southern California from the late 1960s to the early 1980s.

Dick then became a partner and owner of Todd’s Foods, a company that supplies restaurants with soups, sauces, and salad dressings. After the Heinz Company acquired Todd’s in 2001, Dick stayed for three years before deciding to leave because he was considered too entrepreneurial for a public corporation.

Bob Mullen, co-founder of Auto Vino, and founder of Woodside Vineyards, began producing wine from little more than one acre of grapes at the original Winery on Kings Mountain Road in 1960. The winery became bonded or licensed to sell Bob’s creations three years later.

Bob, who grew up in Youngstown, Ohio, never had a glass of wine until he moved to California in the 1950s. He worked for Armstrong World Industries when he was transferred from Chicago to San Francisco to become the Western Regional Manager.

In California, there were 121 wineries (now 4,200) when Bob began his business, and through the years, Woodside Vineyards has developed a good reputation for its fine wines. Our vineyard workers manage, harvest, and produce wine from over 35 vineyards on private estates in Woodside and the surrounding area.

Today, Buff and his eldest son, Phil Giurlani, the Chief Operating Officer, manages the day-to-day operations at Auto Vino, including venue bookings for private and corporate events, Friday lunch service, and weekend wine tastings.

Daisey G., our designated greeter for Friday lunches and Weekend Wine Tastings, is a purebred Yellow Labrador Retriever who exudes love, even to those who are afraid of dogs, adores people, and her tail wags with delight when new visitors arrive. Her charming demeanor will quickly win you over.

Event Source: Patch.com
More Events at: SanCarlosLife.com Calendar