的 west side of the Silicon Valley, where the l和 rises to meet the rumpled, wooded folds of the Santa Cruz Mountains, 有 become an inviting wine-country destination. San Jose, as well as towns such as Saratoga, Morgan Hill, Los Gatos, 吉洛伊, Cupertino, all have much to offer the visiting oenophile.
Vineyards 和 Tasting Rooms in Saratoga
的 charming village of Saratoga is one of the region’s hubs, with in-town tasting rooms including Cinnabar, where you can savor small plates 和 award-winning Mourvedre on a shaded patio, Cooper-Garrod Estate Vineyards, where the historic Fruit House tasting rooms dates back to 1922. 的 Silicon Valley Wine Trail, where you’ll find these 和 many other vineyards, winds its way around the town’s environs. For a real treat, check the calendar 和 catch an evening of entertainment at the historic Mountain Winery. 的 legendary Paul Masson, who emigrated to San Francisco from Burgundy, France, in the late 1800s, acquired a Saratoga vineyard where he developed fine California sparkling wines. 今天, his winery is the site of summertime concerts in an intimate venue under the stars—a worthy splurge.
Vineyards in Morgan Hill 和 San Jose
Those are just the beginning, though, of wine offerings in Silicon Valley. Morgan Hill, in the Santa Clara Valley, 有 15 wineries within minutes from downtown, including Emma Lily Vineyards, Morgan Hill Cellars, Gugliemo Winery (the elegant Clos LaChance, 10 minutes down the road in San Martin, offers a “Time for Wine” concert series on Thursday nights). For tastings in a 更多的 urban environment, downtown San Jose 有 Divine Winery Tasting Room 和 Coterie Cellars; the city is also home to J. Lohr Vineyards & 葡萄酒, they have a tasting room in 的 Alameda historic district.
Los Gatos Vineyards 和 Wine Bars
Los Gatos, home of the aforementioned Mountain Winery, also 有 the celebrated Testarossa Winery, which 有 been named Best Winery in Silicon Valley for a dozen years running by San Jose’s 的 Mercury News. Meanwhile the wines, as exceptional as they are, are only half the story at 的 Tasting House. 的 award-winning bar 和 bistro 有 更多的 than 400 small-vineyard wines on the menu, each served with an inspired food pairing. Also calling Los Gatos home are Left Bend, Regale, Rootstock wine bar, where over 40 wines are poured by the glass (there are also locations in Mountain View 和 Cupertino).
Wine Experiences in 吉洛伊 和 Cupertino
Two other Santa Clara Valley towns can serve as convenient home bases for exploring Silicon Valley wineries: 吉洛伊 和 Cupertino. 吉洛伊, located about a half-hour’s drive down 101 from San Jose, is convenient to 更多的 than 35 family-owned wineries 和 tasting rooms, including Satori Cellars 和 Verde Vineyards (both dog-friendly) right in town; pick up the useful Santa Clara Valley Wineries Map to chart your own path. Cupertino’s history with the industry goes back to the 19th century, that history lives on with longtime wineries such as Pinchetti Brothers Winery—which dates back to the 1880s—和 Ridge Vineyards, established in 1962, as well as a newer generation of producers that dot the area.
