Silicon Valley is where scenic woods meet the base of the Santa Cruz Mountains and is known as one of California’s oldest wine regions. The topography of hilly terrain, valley, and coastline combine to create the area’s rich, diverse soil which provides a thriving micro-climate to produce some of the world’s most distinct and famous wines.
The rustic village of Saratoga west of Santa Clara is the region’s hub, with tasting rooms, breezy outdoor patios, and live music. Situated within Saratoga’s rolling hillsides is Garrod Farms, a family-owned and operated winery that’s been in the winemaking business since 1893 and offers a range of homegrown wines in their historic tasting room.
With over 150 wineries within a 35-mile radius of San Jose, the area is peppered with wine bars, tasting rooms, and restaurants that serve wine on tap. Catch an evening of entertainment at the famous Mountain Winery, founded by Paul Masson who was known as the “Champagne King of California.” Today, his winery is the site of summertime concerts in an intimate venue under the stars. Ridge Vineyards is located at the top of Monte Bella, just moments away from the bustle of downtown Cupertino. This winery is over a century old and boasts some of the best zinfandels in the region, created using sustainable practices.
Wineries in Napa Valley
Napa County is north of San Francisco, in California. It’s known for hundreds of hillside vineyards in the Napa Valley wine region. Highway 29, the two-lane main road that winds up through wine country, is dotted with restaurants, tasting rooms, vineyards, and shops. The highway also meanders through the premium wine-growing region of Northern California with 240 wineries in the 30-mile stretch between the towns of Napa and Calistoga, where you can find the finest wineries in the country.
The region boasts some of the most coveted wine grapes anywhere, as well as magnificent estates, rustic tasting rooms, quaint small towns, and bed and breakfasts. Take a tour through state-of-the-art winemaking facilities, stunning vineyards, historic homes, and romantic wine caves.
1. Napa Valley has a legendary wine train that winds its way through the countryside with fine dining cuisine, winery tours, and breathtaking scenery. All aboard The Napa Valley Wine Train, a vintage locomotive and traveling restaurant running through the valley.
2. Downtown Napa features tasting rooms, eclectic boutique shopping, local breweries, boutiques, and restaurants, spanning several blocks of quaint buildings with rustic charm. The Oxbow Public Market features regional gourmet bites, groceries, fresh-brewed coffee, bakeries, boutiques, and much more.
3. Northwest of Napa is Yountville, a town known for high-end restaurants and sparkling wine. Yountville is a walkable village amid the vines with stunning mountain views and features Michelin-starred dining options, tasting rooms, boutique shopping, golfing, and art galleries.
Silicon Valley is a place defined by scenic beauty and state-of-the-art energy, tucked beside some of the country’s finest wineries. Living in Silicon Valley means being part of a vivid, burgeoning culture on the cusp of progressive invention.
