Local wineries unite to make plans for a downtown Los Gatos
tasting room
By Jessica Thy Nguyen Special to the Dispatch
Gilroy – San Martin-based Clos LaChance and Los Gatos-based Fleming Jenkins wineries are teaming up to bring a tasting room to downtown Los Gatos.
Dubbed “Backyard Wineries,” the establishment will feature wine tasting and retail offers.
Clos LaChance Winery, founded by Bill and Brenda Murphy, opened in 2001. The couple first dabbled in winemaking after they planted rows of chardonnay vines in the backyard of their Saratoga home.
Their partnership with Fleming Jenkins Vineyards & Winery began when CK Vines, a division of Clos LaChance, was contracted in 1999 to plant the chardonnay vineyard in Greg and Peggy Fleming Jenkins’ home in Los Gatos.
Fleming is widely known for her championship titles in figure skating, five U.S. Titles, three World Titles, and the Olympic Gold Medal in 1968. It was Fleming’s Italian coach and mentor who introduced her to wine, according to the Fleming Jenkins Web site.
“We have known the Fleming Jenkins for many years,” said Cheryl Murphy Durzy, daughter of the Clos LaChance founders. “Greg was actually our family doctor.”
The Murphys decided on this joint venture with Fleming Jenkins as a way to introduce their two distinct wineries into the downtown commerce area of Los Gatos, Durzy said.
“We’ve been great partners,” Durzy said. “We both produce great wines that are different, so there’s no conflict of interest.”
Both wineries were born from small, backyard vineyards and settled on “Backyard Wineries” as a fitting name for their shared tasting room.
“Backyard Wineries” will be a retail site that and offer tasting in a very controlled setting, Durzy said. It will not be a wine bar and tastes will be strictly 1-ounce pours only, with no wine-by-the-glass sales.
Although the tasting room is still going through the approval process, there will be an informational meeting for Los Gatos residents and business owners, Sept. 7, at 6pm.
“It’s so they know exactly what we’re doing,” Durzy said. “[Residents] don’t want another bar opening in Los Gatos and we want them to know that people aren’t going to be getting drunk at two in the afternoon,” Durzy said.
Jessica Thy Nguyen is interning at the Dispatch. Reach her at jn*****@**********rs.com or 847-7240.
