A two-day Santa Clara Valley wine country itinerary: where to taste, eat and linger, built from local knowledge.
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.
The region sits 30 to 50 minutes south of San Jose via US-101 or Hecker Pass Highway, which makes the logistics easy and the pace unhurried.
April through October for picnic weather and vineyard green, with daily-open anchors making the valley a true year-round destination.
Confirm hours before every stop; the family-scale rooms that make this region special also adjust their schedules with the seasons.
Every winery we track in the region, each with its own page.
See the full Santa Clara Valley guide → · Browse all wineries →