Bottle Shock in Our Own Backyard Bay Area Wineries - A Day to Wine

A few months ago a friend told a group of us how some other moms she knows put together an annual trip to Napa Valley to explore great vineyards and do a bit (or a lot) of wine tasting.   It's a wonderful way to bring a group together to explore, bond and discover something new together.

So yet another friend and I felt that we did not have to travel 2 hours from the heart of silicon valley to get a similar experience.  There are SO many local vineyards and wine tasting rooms around town that we assembled own wine tour right in our own backyard - or within a 10 mile radius.  Amazing!

Below is the wine tour we put together.  It was fabulous and we all want to do it on a yearly or half yearly basis.  We bond, we chat, we wine and dine.  It's fantastic!  At the end of this take a virtual tour and see the slideshow I put together.  Do you have a winery near you?  If not, there are tasting rooms popping up all around and you can put something together like a "Taste of the Town" to explore, hang out with new and old friends and just plain old have FUN.

Here's where we went:

Picchetti Winery - 13100 Montebello Road, Cupertino, CA.  For only $5.00 per person you can get a private tasting.  Request "Smiler" who was superb.  His vast knowledge had us mesmerized - or was it the first sip of Chardonnay that had us entrapped in the barrel?

Savannah-Chanelle Vineyards - 23600 Big Basin Way, Saratoga, CA.  Nestled in the mountains of Santa Cruz just a mere hop, skip and a jump from Apple Computer headquarters is this gem of a vineyard. Originally established in 1892 by Pierre Pourroy, a French immigrant, Savannah-Channel was renamed when it was purchased by Michael and Kellie Ballard in 1996 after their two daughters.  They still pay tribute to Pierre with a Syrah-Zinfandel blend called "Pierre's Ghost."

Testarossa - 300-A College Avenue, Los Gatos, CA.  $25 per person for a tasting/tour of this historic location which was originally a Novitiate winery operated by Jesuits.  Now fully restored, the tour is worth the price of a glass of wine. And be sure to check out the marvelous wine bar which is open from 3 pm to 7 pm Thursday and Friday and from 1 pm to 7 pm Saturday and Sunday.


For true Napa Valley Bottle Shock (the Movie) fun facts, check out the link to the left.  And create your own wonderful tour of vineyards in our own silicon valley backyard.

Our Video of Vino Fun: