Month-by-month advice for visiting Santa Clara Valley wine country: weather, harvest, crowds and the seasons locals love.
April through October for picnic weather and vineyard green, with daily-open anchors making the valley a true year-round destination.
Season by season: Spring greens the Uvas Valley and fall brings crush along Hecker Pass; summer weekends fill picnic lawns, and the daily-open rooms make even winter Tuesdays workable
September and October on Hecker Pass and Watsonville Road, when the family crews pick and the tasting rooms pour beside working crush pads
Saturday for the Hecker Pass run west of Gilroy, Sunday for the Watsonville Road loop through Morgan Hill with a CordeValle or J. Lohr San Jose finish
Whenever you come, remember the region sits 30 to 50 minutes south of San Jose via US-101 or Hecker Pass Highway, so build the travel time into the day.
Every winery we track in the region, each with its own page.
See the full Santa Clara Valley guide → · Browse all wineries →