One of the delights of a Saratoga Wine Stroll - discovering a new wine from The Mountain Winery and elegant Yolatea yogurt shop in the Village of Saratoga. These happy folks were served by Joan LeMahieu, General Manager of The Mountain Winery.
I love this shot for its symmetry and and wacky spontaneity. The Posh Pet laid out a colorful and nutritious complement of food to compliment the MJA Vineyards wines poured by Cathy Bentley, Tasting Room Manager.
Saratoga and Los Gatos recently have stepped up to the plate to solidify their reputations as gateways to the Santa Cruz Mountains wineries. In the past 18 months, these two towns have hosted five downtown wine walks and strolls (more on the difference later). Together, the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce and the Los Gatos Visitors Bureau have enticed about two thousand tasters to the two towns. Each town has another stroll or walk planned for the fall.
These events are significant to merchants and wineries, nearly all of whom are small businesses struggling to be seen and heard amidst the barrage of commercial messages we receive every day from larger competition.
And now to the Stroll vs.Walk semantics. The stroll thinking goes something like this – walking the tasting path on a stroll is more leisurely in the smaller confines of a village than in a more expansive downtown. But mostly the difference is a “you say potaytoe, I say potahtoe.” And it seems seems reasonable to differentiate the two for clarity. In any case, one walks, one strolls – the journey and destination are the same.
Black Cat Hats and Bags of Los Gatos made it easy for strollers to acquire stylish sun protection for some Saturday promenading along Big Basin Way in Saratoga Village.
Below are are images captured at the May 21 Saratoga Wine Stroll, further titled “Bonnets and Blooms”. The day dawned glorious after many preceding days of rain, and with Saratoga Heritage Day bringing in an early crowd, the village bustled from mid-day, and then swelled at mid-afternoon when tasters filled the sidewalks.
For tasters, what better way is there to sample a wide range of wines (35 different wines served) in a short time in pleasant conditions? One thing I’m learning from working to help organize these events – tasters come to have a good time sampling wine and interacting with other like-minded people. Local merchants host the wineries, which draws many first-time visitors into their business. Tasters discover new wine favorites and new places to shop and dine. Everybody wins!
Sergio played some energetic foot tapping flamenco-styled guitar solos for tasters at Bell Tower Bistro. Next time you hear about Sergio playing at Bell Tower, make a point of dropping in. There's also a wine bar just to Sergio's left and a patio for sitting, sipping and listening.
Bill Cooper is the winemaker of Cooper-Garrod wine, all crafted from estate grapes grown minutes from and hundreds of feet above Saratoga Village. It's always fun to visit their wine tasting room because it's co-located with Garrod Farms Stables and can be quite picturesque with fine-looking steeds clomping about.
On this Spring Wine Stroll day, father Bill Cooper (above photo) was accompanied by his daughter who helped with pouring duties at Montalvo Realty, another stop along the Stroll.
Ristorante Da Mario's street-side patio pouring proved popular all afternoon. Greg Richtarek introduced throngs of folks to several Guglielmo wines and Mario, in red, served delicious samples to accompany the wine.
Bella Saratoga restaurant hosted The House Family Winery on their street-side patio, ensuring high visibilty and lots of tasters.
Just outside the Chamber of Commerce registration area classic rock from The Ones called to tasters. Having live music play throughout the Village really juiced up the vibe and had folks walking with a bounce in their step.
This scene from ouside of Casa de Cobre restaurant is a sign of Wine Stroll success....sidewalks full of happy village visitors discovering new wines, restaurants and retailers.
