Heading to San Jose CA in about 2 weeks

Any must taste wineries?

Thanks!

Do you really, really like climbing a twisty mountain road? If so, you could visit the Ridge winery at the top of Montebello Road. Yes, that's where Montebello Cab grows. And the views are spectacular.

Here's a link that may give you some ideas. http://www.scmwa.com/wineries.htm

There's a nice group tasting room in Saratoga. I forget the name, but it's on Big Basin Way and the business section is only two or three blocks long.

John

Consider the short ride north to Livermore Wine Country. There are somewhere around 30 wineries with tasting rooms. Most are small family owned wineries and most do not charge for tasting. Enjoy a delightful lunch at Garre Winery or a gourmet dinner at The Restaurant at Wente.

Get a map of Livermore wineries, a list of wineries with descriptions at http://www.cheers2wine.com/livermore-wineries.html

I know this is an old thread, but maybe someone else will be going to San Jose in the future looking for some great venues. There are quite a few really good places around the San Jose area:

First, I will second the recommendation by John for the Ridge Winery.

If you love Pinots, David Bruce is the place for you. I really think that out of all Pinots I've ever had, David Bruce remains my most favorite of all. It's often hard for me to go to a winery that's serving Pinot and not compare it to that of David Bruce.
A short distance from David Bruce is Byington Winery which also has some good wines and beautiful views.

If you're interested in a bit of history, you can visit one of the area's oldest operating wineries down in Los Gatos. This winery (Testarossa Vinyards) is over 100 years old and was used to fund the Jesuit seminary that was located there. Very interesting history, good Pinots and Chardonnays.

Another local favorite of mine is Guglielmo Winery down in Morgan Hill. They have a fairly extensive array of wines to taste and you're bound to find at least one you like. They even have a good port which has become my staple port over the years. I also used to enjoy their Annual Holiday Gift Faire when I lived in CA. It always used to be the first and second weekend in December, which I believe it still is. There are a lot of arts and crafts to peruse, gift basket ideas and entertainment not to mention good eats and of course sampling of all their wines while you enjoy the whole afternoon browsing. These people aren't shy on their tasting samples either! Always a good time out.

In Vino Veritas!
Karen