I've been a big fan and collector of wine for many years. Naturally, that means I'm interested in what wine grapes and wines are produced locally. When I work with clients in Los Altos Hills, a few will ask about producing wine with grapes grown on their property. Depending on the size of your lot, its slope, and terrain they could plant dozens or hundreds of vines to produce as much wine as any boutique winery in Napa or Sonoma.
Los Altos Hills is in the Santa Clara Valley AVA (American Viticultural Area) [see map of the AVA]. Some facts about the AVA include:
- The Santa Clara Valley AVA includes some of the best wineries in the country including Ridge Vineyards
- It includes two smaller AVAs, San Ysidro District and Pacheco Pass
- Recognized as an AVA in 1989
- Includes over 40 wineries
There are dozens of vineyards in Los Altos Hills. Some are harvested and maintained by the owner while many others are maintained by private companies. These companies will plant the vineyards (includes grading and watering systems) and harvest the grapes. For homeowners looking to just have a vineyard on their land for the look, using one of these companies is the best way to go. It's a completely "hands off" operation. One of the most popular companies that provides this service is DeVine Consultants of Los Gatos. No matter how small your vineyard, they can handle everything from planting to harvest.
If you want to do it yourself, you'll want to hire a consultant to give you guidance on what and where to plant. The climate in Los Altos Hills is good for certain kinds of grapes such as chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, and merlot, but it's not a good place for others such as sangiovese (hot climate grape) or muscat (cool climate grape). You'll want to hire a viticulture consultant who will work with you on planting and a winemaking consultant who will work on producing the wine. The folks at DeVine Consultants can help with viticulture and you could talk to Vino Fino Consulting about winemaking.
As a co-owner in a winery, I'll be happy to sit down and talk to you about what is involved with building a winery from the ground up. It can be a lot of work and a lot of fun, if you do it right.
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Bryan Robertson, Broker Associate | T: 650.799.9951 | Email: bryan@serenogroup.com | Website: http://www.BryanRobertsonHomes.com |CA License: 01191946 | Sereno Group - Los Altos branch | 369 S. San Antonio Road | Los Altos, CA 94022
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