A beautiful little winery just a little bit up in the mountains from Los Gatos. It used to be run by Franciscans producing sacramental wine, but now specializes in Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrahs. Their tasting is a bit steep at $10 for five glasses, but it’s pretty good wine. Like most wineries in the area, they’ll apply your wine tasting fee to any bottle you order. They do offer a free tasting on Tuesdays and offer a tour/tasting combo that looked pretty neat.

Their tasting room was closed the last time I went on a wine tasting trip in this area, but I’ve had some of their Pinot Noir and it’s pretty outstanding. When the tasting room is open, tastings cost $7 and come with a complementary glass. The views up at the winery are a thing of beauty, and they get a lot of great concerts out here. I can’t wait until Journey gets there! Make a night of it and do dinner before the show. They have three dining venues. The cheapest is the Marketplace Bistro, where you can grab a hot dog or some nachos. Next up is The Vineyard Bar and Grill, where you can get classier fare, like panini or gourmet hamburgers. If you really want to show off, go to The Château Deck for a prix fixe three course meal that features options such as Bacon Wrapped Boursin Crusted Filet Mignon, Grilled Prawn and Avocado Salad, or Gorgonzola Polenta Napoleon.

Another great selection of wines in a beautiful mountain area. The winery manager is none other than George Cooper, former NASA test pilot, and there are tons of cool aeronautic memorabilia all over the tasting room. They have a three release complementary flight, or a “Proprieter’s Flight” that adds three or four additional wines to the tasting for only $5. The 2000 “George’s Vineyard” Cabernet Sauvignon is especially worth checking out.

Another one of my favorites in the area. They serve a really refreshing Rosé, which I normally don’t care for too much. However, since most of the wineries in the area primarily serve red wine, it’s nice to get something cold to drink occasionally. Another big plus for this place: They sell an assortment of flavored mustard and do tasting for those as well. It gives you something else to do if you’re not crazy about wine but agreed to be the designated driver.

Not a fully functioning winery, the Cinnabar tasting room is still a fantastic outlet for trying some remarkable wines. They offer two different tasting options, one for an all red selection, and the other a nice assortment. As I mentioned earlier, it’s nice to get a chance to try some whites, especially on a hot day. They have a desert wine called the Late Harvest Chardonnay that is pretty dang tasty, especially over fresh berries.

It’s kind of a drive to get up here; while the address says “Los Gatos”, it’s really up in the Santa Cruz mountains, off Hwy. 17. It’s a shlep, but in order to get the right conditions to grow grapes in this region you need to get high up. The tasting experience is not always ideal (the staff can sometimes be unsure about what they’re serving, never ideal for wine shopping) but it’s well worth a visit for the 2004 Russian River Pinot. It’s a bit on the pricey side for a bottle, but I think it’s worth it.

A little winery tucked into the residential and light commercial neighborhood right by the Shark Tank. Not where you’d expect to see a winery. They do free tastings with some pretty tasty wines. If you want to step it up you can pay a small fee to taste the Cuvée Series wines, which are some premium reds. The wines they feature rotate frequently, but they tend to have a few really great whites.