Tucked away in the redwoods of Los Gatos is a little gem: Loma Prieta Winery. If the name rings any bells, it may be for the infamous 1989 earthquake that struck up a 6.9 on the Richter scale. Luckily, no such natural disasters affected our Saturday afternoon visit to the winery.
Open from 12-5 on weekends, the winery is located at the end of a twisty drive off of Highway 17 & Summit Road. The property itself is quite quaint: limited parking, patio seating, and bar space. While we had a wonderful experience on a winter's day, I would get here right on time at noon if I was visiting in the summer to claim some more personal space. The tasting is served as a flight; my family (there are four of us) were all able to sample six different wines for the price of $15 per person. However, that $15 can go towards a bottle of wine should you choose to purchase one at the end of your tasting (we went for the Pinotage!). While you can go back up to the bar to get your next round, we had a lovely server who also came and found us at our patio table to make sure we got the next fill.
One of the most spectacular elements of Loma Prieta is the view: it sits atop the forested hills and you can even observe the glistening ocean that sparkles past the rows and rows of grapevines. It is rather spectacular, so I'd be sure to check the weather forecast before your visit to ensure a clear view. Another useful note is that the patio is dog-friendly. We met some very cute critters up there that were lounging outside as their owners were indulging in the vino!
Finally, what better way to ensure that the kiddos are entertained than to provide some recreational activities: a fully-supplied chess/checkers life-size set as well as a bocce ball court invite all to play in first-come-first-served fashion. Overall, Loma Prieta was a wonderful afternoon experience, but because of it's small stature I'd also be interested in exploring the other vineyards along Summit Road and the nearby mountains.
Feel free to ask me any questions about the winery in the comment section below! Be well, friends.
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