 Wineries of the Santa Clara Valley gathered for an evening of pouring the wines of their region...San Martin, Saratoga, Gilroy, and Morgan Hill! The Wines of the Santa Clara Valley Passport Kickoff party was an amazing chance to tour the valley all within a few feet. Winemakers gathered and poured three of their wines. Guests tasted as few or as many wines at they liked. I tasted around 25 wines. No, I didn't drink all of the pours. Yes, my handy 8 ounce paper spit-cup came with me and was well used. There were over twice as many more wines to try. The experience was a full introduction the Santa Clara Valley wine region. The Merlots were less mineral-like than coastal Merlots. The Zins were less spicy and offered more warm fruit than California Foothills' Zin. The Cabs shined! The golden mantra of travel is “ask the locals.” One of the highlights of any wine event is meeting people. A group of local tasters shared their thoughts on the wines. They were so passionate about the area, they could have gathered and been a marketing team for the region! Here's what they had to say about the Santa Clara Valley Wine Country.
 The winemakers were eager to chat about their wines. Here are a few highlights. ----------------- Miramar Vineyards, San Martin: owner, Ed Castro GSM (Grenache, Syrah, & Mouvedre) is a red blend of wine. It's a light bodied wine but still full flavored—which makes for a perfect red wine on a hot summer's night. Dry, good tannins, and flavors of pomegranate, this would pair well with food, or small bites. 90% of their grapes are from the Santa Clara area, offering seven different varietals. Within a couple of years, Miramar plans to craft their wines using all Estate fruit. Gary Robinson, from Left Bend Winery, is winemaker for Miramar wines. (see my feature on his wines and tasting room on Los Gatos.) The 2013 Syrah boasted a deep, rich red color and was not as inky purple as Syrahs can be. A bit more body and mouth feel, the dry, boysenberry flavors made for an enticing wine. Dorcich Family Vineyards, Gilroy They have of vineyards. 5 acres on Montebello Rd. up the Santa Clara Valley, the Estate Vineyards on Day Road in Gilroy, and in San Martin. They offer, Sauv, Chard, Mouvedre, Merlot, Malbec, Estate Cab, 100% Petite Sirah, and Petite Verdot. Their “Dad's Blend” wine is a compilation of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah. TASS Vineyards and Winery, Gilroy: owners/winemakers Ron & Lynn Mosley TASS: Tradition. Art. Science. Style. Ron has managed over 80 small vineyards in the Santa Clara Valley. As a vineyard manager, he's cleared acreage, planted vineyards, produced wine, and crafted wines for personal clients. His approach to wine is three fold. First is growing. Next, winemaking by small lot production. Lastly, the wines reach tasters via marketing and direct sales. Ron creates wines from Santa Clara Valley grapes. Since he also produces wines from a variety of vineyards for numerous owners, he also offers wines from other California regions. Lynn's sharp eye for good color in wines, along with her attuned sense of smell, has influenced Ron's winemaking. Ron shared how women can often pick up essence, acids, and aromas in wines. Ron commented that “winemaking is 90% ingredients.” He's given the right ingredients, now, as he says “don't mess it up.” 
I ordered a glass of Sparkling Rose', a salmon steak, and a Wedge Salad with classic blue cheese, tomato, and bacon. The Creme Brulee' and coffee were a perfect ending to the meal. This made up for the many In and Out Burger trips I've made between wineries. September is Passport Month, so there is still time to taste at the Wineries of the Santa Clara Valley. And even better, most wineries are open year round. (Link to WSCV) --------------------------- Cheers to your Silicon Valley Wine Jaunt! Shondra Savadkohi Take along some Nose & Palate Tips on your next tasting room visit. 
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Santa Clara's luscious wineries, just down the road from your commute.  September is Wine Passport Month for the Wineries of Santa Clara Valley (WSCV.) One Passport gives tasters access to dozens of Santa Clara wineries and tasting rooms. To plan your own Silicon Valley wine jaunt and for tix visit WSCV (Link.) ------------------------------------------ Solis Winery, Gilroy ---------------------------------------------- Clos LaChance, San Martin  ------------------------------------------------------- Martin Ranch Winery, Gilroy ----------------------------------------------------- Cooper-Garrod, Saratoga  -------------------------------------------------------- Sycamore Creek, Morgan Hill --------------------------------------------------------
Here's to your Santa Clara Wine outings. Shondra For more wineries in the area visit my Santa Clara Wineries page.  Big Basin Wines have a foot on both sides of the Santa Cruz Mountain range. Their winery and vineyard is located in Boulder Creek, Santa Cruz County, nestled in the mountains and buffeted by the coastal fog and wind. By contrast, the tasting room is located in the Saratoga village, Santa Clara County, on a cozy and warm street. Like two sides of a coin, the raw mountain's roots combined with the polished tasting room add to the personality of Big Basin Wines. Big Basin Vineyards is family owned and has a real sense of place. The grapes are grown, the wine is made, and the bottles are poured and sold all within a few miles. Though the wines are locally grown and produced, the tasting room is frequented by guests from all over the country with guests preferring Big Basin's dryer style wines.  The grapes are organically grown, and minimally handled. The vineyard is within reach of Big Basin Redwoods State Park, and tasting are available on summer weekends at Big Basin's Santa Cruz Mountain vineyard location. Check out their web site for hiking and tasting tours on the property.
  My first introduction to Cinnabar Winery was at a Santa Cruz Mountains Wine Harvest Dinner, hosted at the Sesnon House at Cabrillo College. Wineries often donate their wines for various local non-profit or wine-focused events. Cinnabar Winery is no exception; n walked a Cinnabar staffer with an auction donation of a double magnum. Well, since then, double magnums catch my eye. While the tasting room is in Saratoga, the wine production takes place in Paso Robles. At Cinnabar you'll taste wines made from California grapes, including Santa Cruz Mountains, Contra Costa, Santa Lucia Highlands, Alexander Valley...It's a tasting tour of California in one spot.  Cinnabar Winery offers wine-counter tastings in their stylish tasting room. Or you can sit outside with your wine, soak up some sunshine and unwind. Come by on a Friday or Saturday evening to enjoy live music, seasonally. Their patio seating is quaintly set along the sidewalk of Saratoga Village's Big Basin Way. Weekends are typically busier, with a full staff pouring and often elbow to elbow tasting. Weekdays can be quieter and a good time to go if you're looking to chat with the staff and learn more about the winery.
  Typically I look forward to the scent of wine in a tasting room. At Cooper-Garrod Vineyard, the sensory experience started as soon as I opened my car door. The smell of blooming Jasmine flowers warmly filled the air. The sound of horse hooves clip-clopping around the property. In the tasting room, the creaky wooden historic floor boards added to the experience. The winery's stand out is that it's really a horse ranch (Garrod Farms) with a winery on the estate. The equestrian-vine world really work well together. There's a down home feeling, with the tasting room staff wearing logo T-shirts, horses and riders on the grounds, a small stage for concerts, and plenty of space for a picnic. Amble around the grounds to see the stables and various size corrals. (But, per staffing request, please don't feed or pet the horses.)
Cooper-Garrod's wines are made from their own 28 acres of hillside estate-grown grapes. With a focus on producing French styled wines aged in French oak, the intention is to do as little to the vineyard as possible—let the vineyard lead in the end result of the wines. Since the winery is elevated off the Valley floor, the weather is conducive to keeping the grapes on the vine longer for flavor, without them sugaring up from heat. You'll find quaint reminders of the ranch's history in the tasting room. Look for the Cooper-Garrod family tree complete with six generations of family farming! You'll also notice the aviation theme from winemaker George Cooper's days as a test pilot for NASA. In addition to their French-style wines, look for their cleverly named, Test Pilot, series of red wine blends. (PS. Look on the back of the Test Pilot bottles for flight specs and a bio on the wine.) 
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