Mount Eden Vineyards - Saratoga

Finally got a chance to go up here last month. I've had the wines before. Chardonnay is the best I've ever had from any producer period. A chard that is actually worth the hefty price! A bit old world Chablis but all the good things about California chard too, ages beautifully! The cab and pinot are pretty good but the chard is definitely unbeatable. Service is great along with the views even if it's not exactly mother nature down below. Anyway, don't sleep on the less expensive Domaine Eden label from the same producer. Those are quite good too!

??Great place to cool down on a hot day.. Nicely, shaded terrace, with a cool breeze, valley view.. Dogs run the joint

Small hidden gem of a winery up in the hills in Saratoga. I've wanted to try it after hearing about it quite a few times, but they do currently only have tastings on weekdays due to difficulties securing enough staff to also offer tastings on weekends. The drive up is definitely a bit challenging; it's 2 miles up a fairly steep, 1 lane road with lots of switchbacks. That said, it's all worth it when you get to the winery and see the gorgeous view over the Peninsula and across the bay. Tom, who guided us through the wine tasting, was very knowledgeable and friendly. He provided a lot of interesting context about the vines and grapes that are grown on the estate and in the Santa Cruz mountains, which made me appreciate the wine more when I tasted it. We tasted their estate reserve Chardonnay, a Rosé, Pinot Noir, the Mt Eden Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Domaine Eden (which is also owned by Mt Eden) Cabernet Sauvignon. I'm normally more of a red person, but I have to say I enjoyed their Chardonnay the most. That's not surprising at all given it is the wine they are known for and have won awards for. I did enjoy all the other wines as well. Overall, would highly recommend visiting if you can. It was definitely a much shorter trek than going to Napa for wine, and you still get fantastic wine in a beautiful setting to go along with the tasting. PS. There are two adorable dogs that live on the estate who will sometimes come over the sit next to you while you are doing your tasting, which honestly made an already spectacular experience even better.

A hidden gem of a winery up in the hills of Saratoga! We did a wine tasting with them on a weekday (they're currently only open for tastings by appointment on weekdays). The ambiance and view up by their tasting area was amazing, definitely in one of our top favorites. You get a view of their vineyards as well as the entire bay with the mountains by Fremont/Milpitas/San Jose on the other side.The wine itself was very high quality and tasty. We had a chardonnay, a rose, and two other reds. Personal favorite was the chardonnay, and it's one of the ones they're most known for. Tom, the person who introduced us to the wines, was very knowledgeable and friendly. They also have two friendly dogs roaming around that like to say hello to guests.Note that the drive up is windy, narrow, and fairly sloped uphill, with some parts that are dirt (unpaved) roads. It's about 2 miles on the windy road before you get to the winery. There is good signage, but you'll want to drive slowly since the road is shared in both directions. It's worth it though!

My tasting at Mount Eden reminds me of visiting wineries 15-20 years ago, where a tasting room isn 't 1/3 of the winery 's income! Yes, it 's a bit of a bumpy drive up the dirt road, but it 's an operating winery! I don 't want valet parking, and seven $100+ menus to choose from! Tom was an incredible host! Answered every wine geek question I had, poured really wonderful progression, and helped me select a library bottle that 's in its drink now window for a birthday dinner. It was the perfect visit. Mount Eden is a great California winery that goes at its own speed and doesn 't bow towards popular winery trends. Excellent California winery experiences are getting harder to find over the last decade, but Mount Eden is proof that it still exists, you just have to drive up a dusty road to find it!