Tag: winery guide

The Guerra family has been a part of San Benito County farming for more than 90 years, spanning five generations. 2006 marked the first planting of grape vines and has resulted in award-winning wine: 2010 Best in Class by the San Francisco  Chronicle Competition). "Attitude" brand Petite Sirah and Viognier are served at the Pepper Tree Ranch's rustic, barn style tasting room weekends from May through October.

The Thomas Kruse Winery, established in 1971, remains a cottage industry, even in this age of fast-paced, over-committed and short attention span lives. The Kruses live and work on their 20-acre property and farm, and own 12 acres of grapes. Their wine, like our lives, are unhurried and reflect our personal terroir.

Nestled in the heart of historic Uvas Valley in Morgan Hill, Sycamore Creek is a small family-owned winery that produces limited amounts of award-winning, hand-crafted wines. The estate vineyard consists of head cane old vine plantings, as well as more modern plantings which utilize state of the art trellising and canopy management techniques. Their winemaking focuses on capturing the expression of the Uvas Valley and creating wines with great depth and finesse. When crafting each wine, they handle the fruit gently and process as little as possible, utilizing both traditional and modern fermentation and cellaring techniques to preserve the distinctiveness of Sycamore Creek Vineyards.

An operating winery since 1917, the land and microclimate is ideal for wine grape production. Solis Winery (previously Bertero Winery) was established by Dave Vanni in 1989 and is now operated by brothers, Michael and Vic Vanni.

Satori, from a Zen perspective, means "a taste of enlightenment." In the Santa Clara Valley, it also means a family-owned winery and vineyards (SA is for Sandy, TO is for Tom, and RI is for their 8-year-old son, Riley). From this 20-acre Oasis of sandy loam soil on the eastern edge of the Gilroy foothills, they create estate-grown, hand-made, love-infused “Big Reds” (Merlot, Zinfandel, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and petite sirah).

Sarah's Vineyard was founded in 1978 in the windy funnel of the Hecker Pass, a few miles west of Gilroy on Highway 152. For more than 30 years Sarah’s has specialized in estate-grown Pinot Noir and Chardonnay made in small batches using classic Burgundian winemaking techniques and French oak cooperage.

Rapazzini Winery was opened in 1962 by Jon Rapazzini at the intersection of Highways 101 and 25 just south of Gilroy. Brothers, Charlie and Alex Larson, purchased the winery in 2000 where they continue to make great wines at affordable prices. They offer a wide range of 30 different wines -including 20 specific varietals and Almond Champagne.

Described by “Wine Enthusiast Magazine” as one of California's most beautiful wineries and by “Sunset Magazine” as “a hidden gem,” Pietra Santa was founded in the 1850s. This family-owned estate lies in the heart of the Gabilan Mountains, 25 miles east of Monterey Bay, where Maritime breezes and exceptionally rocky soils create an environment ideal for growing wine grapes.  

Morgan Hill Cellars (formerly Pedrizzetti Winery) will celebrate its 100th anniversary next year.  Since the winery no longer has its own vineyards, the Cellars are not limited in the varieties of wines they can produce.  

Monte Verde Vineyards is small family-run winery owned by Todd and Alexia Johnson. What started as a backyard hobby in 2000 with 300 Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon vines has culminated into an award-winning winery today. Alexia was born and raised in Spain and so naturally, the focus is on Spanish wines. They produce an Estate Tempranillo as well as their flagship Estate blend of Merlot, Cab and Tempranillo, called Tres Amigos. They also carry a Spanish white varietal, Albarino. Using only French barrels, their wines are produced in small lots and production is kept to less than 500 cases per year.