From the lofty heights of Montebello Mountain the grapes make the journey down to the historic ranch where they are examined, pressed and crushed in the shadow of the original Picchetti homestead house. Under the gaze of the ever watchful and vigilant peacocks, sweet juice is magically turned to wine.
From a Silicon Valley Garage to International Acclaim
Testarossa Winery is a producer of premier California Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Like all great start-ups, Testarossa Winery was started in 1993 in Rob and Diana Jensen’s Silicon Valley garage. Since then it has grown to national prominence, garnering more than 1,700 scores of 90+ points by renowned wine critics.
It all began when Pierre Pourroy went to work for a local vineyard, owned by Jean Narcisse Aubry. Pierre fell in love with one of his daughters, Marie Louise and the two were married in 1891. Pierre and his brother, Eloi worked for Aubry and eventually saved enough money to purchase and plant their own estate in 1901.
The brothers along with their wives planted the Zinfandel vines in 1910, and built our Tasting Room barn in 1912. Not deterred by Prohibition, they planted the Cabernet Franc in 1920, and the Carignan in 1924. Work was finished In 1923 on a large family home, designed after architecture in northern Paris. The Villa was to be named after the hill where the brothers grew up in Paris, but the craftsmen misspelled the name and left off the first 't', giving it the name Monmartre which can be seen today on the side of the building. In 1955 Pierre would retire from winemaking.
Dominick and Gloria Chirichillo’s choice of name for their winery is a reflection of their commitment to their Italian heritage and the tradition of family winemaking. In 1955 in New York, Dominick who is called Domenico in Italian was introduced to these traditions by his Nonno (grandfather), Domenico Giovinazzo. In the basement of their home was a wine press that Nonno showed Dominick; passing down from one generation to another the love of handcrafting wine. Affordable, delicious Santa Cruz Mountain wines, great tasting room, wonderful owners/winemakers. It has been inspiring in seeing Domenico Wines expand and grow. Kudos, and wishing the team the very best on their latest wines and their new tasting room location in San Carlos. Domenico Wines was included in a brief video presentation of wineries that are part of the 3rd Annual Mid Peninsula Summer Wine Trail. You can get a peek HERE We are looking forward to getting an interview (video) with Dominick Chirichillo in the near future.~
Hours:
Mon-Tue Closed
Wed 12:00pm to 8:00pm
Thu 12:00pm to 8:00pm
Fri 12:00pm to 8:00pm
Sat 12:00pm to 8:00pm
Sun 12:00pm to 6:00pm
We are honored to be the recipients of the 2024 California Green Medal Sustainable Winegrowing Community Award! This award recognizes our commitment to Certified Sustainable and Organic Farming along with our family’s contributions back to our local community: “For its ongoing dedication to leaving the Garrod Farms land and local community better than they found it for the last 131 years, Cooper-Garrod is the winner of the 2024 California Green Medal Sustainable Winegrowing Community Award.”
Today, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines includes more than 900 acres of cool-climate estate vineyards in Monterey County, with an emphasis on Chardonnay, Riesling, Valdiguié and Pinot Noir, 2,000 acres in Paso Robles dedicated to Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah, Petite Sirah and other red varietals, and 33 acres in Napa Valley, highlighting Cabernet and Sauvignon Blanc. From this rich and diverse palette of sustainably farmed estate fruit, J. Lohr crafts wines showcasing bold, concentrated flavors and a vibrant sense of place.
Mount Eden Vineyards, a historic gem, perches at 2,000 feet in the Santa Cruz Mountain Appellation, offering breathtaking views of Silicon Valley, about 50 miles south of San Francisco. Established in 1945, this pioneering boutique winery specializes in small lots of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon. With the longest lineage of estate-bottled Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in California, Mount Eden's vineyards, planted in the austere, infertile Franciscan shale of a cool, exposed mountaintop, have produced world-class wines for over half a century. In 2007, the vineyard expanded by acquiring a 55-acre estate in the Saratoga foothills, known as Domaine Eden.
In addition to their estate wines, Mount Eden Vineyards crafts non-estate Chardonnays from the Central Coast, notably the Edna Valley. Their Chardonnay from the Wolff Vineyard is particularly acclaimed, consistently earning accolades.
Since 1981, Jeffrey Patterson has been at the helm of Mount Eden's winemaking and grape growing. His philosophy prioritizes wine growing over winemaking, with a fervent commitment to gentle and natural handling of the grapes and wines.
It may have been a bit of romanticism at the start, but Coterie's founders, Shala and Kyle Loudon, were hooked the first day they worked at a small winery. Shala, whose family has a history with wine in Italy, and Kyle, a lifelong foodie, envisioned a future inspired by their pasts. Plenty of points test your resolve when you create a winery from scratch, but the spiritual sway of the land and wine are strong in California. These feelings run deep.
Shala and Kyle believe in a little of the unconventional. They believe in making wine primarily by hand, without the homogenization imposed by too much technology. They offer the wines of Coterie primarily through a members list, directly from the winery, and at a small number of fine restaurants, rather than through wide distribution. They take special pride in receiving accolades that are volunteered, rather than soliciting scores, reviews, and awards. Furthermore, they don’t engage much in publicity; they are honored that the winery has a special clientele.
Satori Cellars features an inviting outdoor tasting cabana, surrounded by 15 acres of flourishing, pampered grapes from the Santa Clara Valley. The tasting room is open to the public on the first, second, and third full weekends of each month, Saturdays and Sundays, as well as on the fifth Saturday, from noon to 5 PM. Guests can enjoy private VIP tastings and large group celebrations on the fourth (or fifth) weekends of the month, available by reservation. The winery proudly showcases award-winning, estate-grown reds, including Merlot, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, and Petite Sirah.
While the focus is on exceptional wine, the atmosphere is equally appealing. Satori Cellars is dog-friendly, kid-friendly, and perfect for families and groups. Visitors are encouraged to bring a picnic, listen to live music, catch the game, play bocce, and unwind in a relaxed setting where a memorable Satori story is sure to unfold.
Tastings are offered at $20, which includes one white wine and four red wines. Additionally, guests can enjoy wine by the glass, refreshing mimosas (sparkling wine and orange juice), and a seasonal homemade special-recipe sangria.
While reservations are not required, they are highly recommended to ensure a delightful experience at Satori Cellars.
.
People enjoying wine - wine artist Agata Zaborowski
Appropriately named by the Hall family back in the 1880s, Hallcrest is at the crest of a small hill above the old town of Felton nestled in the Santa Cruz Mountains. It was a retreat for the Hall family until 1941 when Chaffee Hall, a prominent business attorney from San Francisco acted on his obsession with wine and planted the first vineyard. At the time, it was one of only three wineries in the Santa Cruz Mountains and the only one producing varietal wines from estate vineyards.
