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Cooper-Garrod Estate Vineyards
Rating Details »
22645 Garrod Rd
Saratoga, CA 95070
(408) 867-7116
Saratoga, CA 95070
(408) 867-7116
Weekend winery tours
Our knowledgeable and lively tasting room staff lead informative weekend tours on the hour, 12-4.
- Hours:
Mon-Fri. 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
38 reviews for Cooper-Garrod Estate Vineyards
3.5 stars to be exact.
Besides having to smell the manure in the stables nearby, it had a "cowboy rustic" charm to the tasting room. The staff were friendly and after our first three wine complimentary tastings, we opted to share a $5 tasting (six or seven tastings).
My favorites:
2007 Viognier
F-86 Test Pilot
Good place to let loose and have fun. If you're lucky, you might be able to meet and chat with George Cooper, the owner of the winery, who is 93 years old. Great man.
RECOMMEND the two Proprietor's Flights (six or seven wines) - $5 tasting.
Cooper-Garrod was our second stop during our afternoon of wine tasting. It was a little tricky to find in the hills, but we finally came across it, along with some horses. Yes, there are riding stables, and you can go horseback riding throughout the estate and through the Fremont Older Mid-Peninsula Open Space Preserve.
The tasting room staff was very attentive to our group of 9. We all opted to do the $5 tasting. I was a fan of their '07 Viognier, which was indeed "Summer in a bottle."
The real treat was that we were graced by the one and only George Cooper, the winemaker himself. You would never be able to tell he was the ripe age of 93! He came in, chatted it up, took photos and signed a few bottles for our group, all while enjoying a glass of his own wine. Once a fighter pilot in WWII, and a test pilot for NASA Ames, he's lived an incredible life. I was able to get him to sign a bottle of the "Test Pilot" red wine for our birthday boy.
There's a lot of history here, and worth making a stop at if you're doing a Saratoga wine tour.
Cooper-Garrod has a great setting and great story to go along with it. It's in a hilly wooded area on the outskirts of Saratoga. There are horses walking around everywhere - I counted at least 15.
The tasting area is in a rustic ranch-style building. Overall the wines were decent. I opted for the reserve tasting ($5). The wines tended to be big & fruit-forward. The service was passable but awkward.
Eek...I'm pretty torn on this review...I was a member of the wine club at Cooper Garrod for maybe 9 months or so and everyone was always pretty nice every time I went in. I initially came in with my mom on Mother's day because we were going hiking...and then saw the sign...wine tasting - open today! Woohoo!! So in we went and tasted. And everything was decent enough. We actually bought a bunch that first day. And then I went in to pick up a couple of shipments...no big deal. Until they came to the Syrah. Two bottles. Blech. I had tasted it in the tasting room with a friend before taking the bottles home. All was good. And then we cracked those bad boys open. Oh dear god no. That is *not* what it was supposed to taste like. So embarrassing since I had brought the bottle to a friends house. I don't know if it was corked or what the deal was but it was just bad. So I took both bottles back and the winery was really nice about it and exchanged them both. Very good of them. Two more bottles. Of the same crap. And I swear I tasted it at the winery and it was a lot better there. So I took them back again and they did very nicely exchange those two for whatever I wanted - two bottles of Cab Franc. So customer service good, wine bad...eek...like I said...tough decision on the rating but I landed on two stars...maybe ya'll will have better luck than me but I gave them enough shots. I'm done.
$5 for the tasting of 4 wines and plus 3 complimentary ones. The wine pours were a small amount, but you can ask for more if you want more.
Service- very attentive and friendly.
They provide free wine grapes, cheese, crackers, and bread in the back. The cheese and bread was so stale! Must have been out there for like 2 days?! The wine grapes were pretty sweet!
They even got horseback ridings here! I think it was about $40-50 for an hour.
Knowledgable and personable people pouring wine always make any wine experience better and Cooper Garrod delivered. The tasting room has a long bar on the side and room to swirl, sniff, and sip while browsing the usual tasting room doo-dahs for sale. Outside they sometimes have live music and there are picnic tables and there is also horseback riding.
On to the wines. For July Passport Day we tasted several and I was floored by the Captains Cuvee (50% Cab Franc, 50% Syrah) which got me to open my wallet. Georges Vineyard was also a winner.
I beleive they have $5 tasting that is fully refundable with purchase, so you don't need a passport to get a good value here.
Now I have to say to all of my fellow Yelpers who felt thrown off by the fusion of oenophiles and equestrian fanatics, just enjoy it. It is an unexpected pairing that works quite well here. When I think of the Bay Area and its hilly surrounds, I think of both of these things. It makes good sense that they were married here.
Although I did not get a real in-depth look into the inner workings of the winery, (possibly soon), I am impressed with the product. Fruit forward wines which emphasize the inherent flavors of the grape, and lean away from the masking effect of lengthy aging in oak. The Cabernet Franc was very nice, but the standout for me was the Chardonnay.
Bright, crisp, very pleasant. A brief note of sweetness which is immediately followed by pectin-rich fruit flavors like pears and apples. Wonderful wine, backed by a friendly and knowledgeable staff who were taking the weekend crowds in stride.
Parking is limited, but don't give up. CG is worth the effort. Please also see my separate review for their riding stables ("Garrod Farms Riding Stables").
When I hear wine-people talk about Cooper-Garrod, they always mention the Estate Cab Franc. I had to try it for myself and lucky for me, this weekend was very ample for some wine-tasting and savoring in the SCM.
The winery is situated among the beautiful hills in Cupertino/Saratoga area. It's a bit of a trek to get out of here, but the tasting room and wine is so worth it! It's nothing fancy, but often, embellishments are just overrated. The staff was personable and welcoming, they spent a good amount of time sharing information about the owners and winery.
The wine itself did not disappoint either. The Cabernet Franc is as great as everyone said it was-- perfectly balanced, approachable, and drinkable now. I've seen other wineries try to sell their mediocre Cab Francs for twice this price, so $25 is a total steal. We also enjoyed the 2003 George's Vineyard Cabernet--oaky, balanced, with a nice velvety finish. The Captain's Cuvee is sure to be a big crowd pleaser--plush and fruit forward.
Great prices, great service, worth your time to visit.
Wine tasting and horseback riding all in one convenient spot, the Cooper-Garrod Estate Vineyards delivers an interesting take on presenting you their wines with its rustic surroundings. DEFINITELY more "Farm" than "Vineyard"...
To start off, my personal experience here today was NOT the greatest, but I got exactly what I came for, so I'm not going to fault the place for my dropping my camera and getting dirt in it. But if you intend to get photos, do come early because there will not be much time given for photo-ops while on the horse, and LEAVE THE CAMERA AT THE CHECK-IN DESK. Your SLR kit or personal digital will thank me for it. Even IF you do not drop your camera like I did, the horses on the trail will kick up so much dust that it will be covered in it no matter how much you try to protect it, and they don't want you to be fumbling around with camera bags when your attention should be on the reins and where you're going. Moving on...
I like wine, the bf doesn't care much for it... I like horses and nature, my bf is a city boy. So today, he put up with everything like a patient bf, and I give him total brownie points for it. His horse, Trojan, was a grumpy fellow that had to trail behind because he did not like other horses... I know, because Trojan tried to kick my horse. =(
One thing you should also know is that you will not just be slowly going up a mountain on your horse the entire time. I was taken by surprise when my horse went into a sudden sprint up a steep road to catch up to the others, and that's when I dropped my camera. There was a friendly man on the trail that walked back to retrieve it for me, and I was very grateful that he appeared out of nowhere to help.
We continued on the trail, and the views were amazing with low clouds over the city, tucked between hills and vineyards. I was grateful to get off my horse for some wine though, because Sultan was a little sprinter. [My ass hates me right now...] At least I can say I have some riding experience now, because being on top of a horse while someone guides you by the reins is not considered riding. Now I know... and I've been able to stay on my trusty steed for close to a full gallop to know I am not too noob of a rider now. Yup.
On to the wine... oh, the wine... I am an avid fan of reds. I did not like any of them that was included with the wine-ride package. That doesn't mean the wines are not good. The were light with ashy notes, where I like my cabs heavy. The young woman presenting the wines did start us off with a Chardonnay by saying, "This Chardonnay has converted red wine followers, from what I've been told..." - and she did not lie. I loved it. I never thought it possible, but I found a white wine I took fancy to. The tasting included various types of cheeses and croissant sandwiches, and a fruit plate... and the standard water and crackers.
My experience here was not bad. I only wish I was a bit more prepared for what to expect. So my tips are:
1.) Don't bother taking your camera equipment w/ you unless you have a death wish for it.
2.) Wear shoes. They weren't too happy I was wearing boots, but I had no problem with it.
3.) BRING SUNGLASSES AND A SCARF to wrap around your face if you don't want black boogers and temporary moments of blindness due to dust in your eye. Come here with a cowboy mentality, and you'll be well prepared.
I'll re-write this when I have some more time to make this a more entertaining read. So this is just FYI... =D
ARE YOU JOKING!? They have greattt wine! Their cabernet - franc has a sense of sophistication, not just the normal astringency attained from grape skins. Also, their chardonnay was amazing, with a fruity lustful flavor as well. It reminded me of Paris wines. WOW...I never would've thought I'd find wines like these. However, their cabernet sauvignon was alright.
This place was so cool, nestled up in the mountains, had a nice comfy feel with lots of wood buildings. We had planned on horseback riding first, and could not find any pricing or information online. I HATE that. Who calls anymore? Anyway... $45 a person for a 1 hour guided tour. Which means you sit on the horse and the horse walks, no thanks. I wanted horseback riding not sitting being bored on a poor bored horse's back. Plus the wait for 3 hours, and they suggested we wait by wine tasting. For 3 hours? Maybe we should have called.
SOOOO we headed over to wine taste, and I thought they were all pretty good! My husband picked a chardonnay, I'm a darker deeper type of wine person, but I had my way all day, and tried to let him choose. They had a lot of adorable shirts that looked bejewelled, like one that had little wine glasses in a row and said "Wines Constantly." It was like they knew me. We don't know this area at all so it took us a while to find it, but once you turn up Pierce Rd there are lots of helpful signs. I would go back, but only if hitting up the other local wineries as well, not really worth it just for the singular trip.
Not a fan of any of their wines. The wife and I always go hoping that something would be different, but at the end of the day end up not buying anything. The tasting room is wonderful but the wines are not...
Points for horses and kid friendly things around... although I'm not a fan of parents bringing their kids on wine tasting trips.
This is a beautiful location. It's just down the road a bit from the Mountain Winery so you get the nice views. I love animals so I loved seeing all the horses and people brought their dogs. There is a nice picnic spot with seveal tables under some lovely trees. If you want sun, you have it, but if not there is shade as well.
The tasting room is nice and has a warm feeling. There are lots of old pictures on the wall depicting the valley, the old orchards, and the way it used to be before it became the Silicon Valley.
They offer you the first three tasting for free then it's $5 for the next 3. The Chardoney was nice, light, nothing spectacular. I like the Syrah the best. It seemed to have a more fruity taste, more jam, to it and I liked that. However, I was not impressed with anyone working in the tasting room. The women that started our pour barely said anything about the wine and walked away as soon as she poured it. We had to flag someone down to continue our pour with the rest of the wines. It was close to closing time but that should not be an excuse. I could see they were having trouble with the credit cards going through and had to do a transaction by hand. But there were 3 other people behind the counter that had the personalities of a wet mop. NOT good if you are trying to sell wine. The couple that was next to my group tried to start a conversation with an older man that was pouring some wine for them and he just gave them a blank look and a one word answer.
This is a great setting but my suggestion is that they need people with a bit more personality to be pouring the wine. They might sell more wine if they did.
2000 Cabernet Sauvignon George's Vineyard is a steal for $35 / bottle.
This wine (George's Vineyard) is from the oldest vines of the estate, and it is noticeably more complex, integrated and refined than other 2000 Cabs (Vally View Vineyard and Lone Oak Vineyard).
Wow, this is a cute spot nestled in the outskirts of the Santa Cruz (?) mountains in Saratoga. The drive was beautiful, and surprisingly close to my home (15 min). I was bummed that the rains were horrible, but I am looking forward to trying the Eco-tour hike they hold in April (this past Sat was cancelled due to the weather).
*It definitely felt more like a horse stable than a winery, but the service was great and we enjoyed ourselves while we were there. The Viognier and Merlots are sold out for the season, so I was bummed.
*If you are in to red wines primarily, they have some that are nice full bodied reds, yet soft on the palate.
I kinda want to go horseback riding there also... hehe, I don't know if drinking and Riding are a good combo though!
One of the few Santa Cruz Wineries I had not had a chance to visit. One Sunday I decide to locate it. Well, no one told me that it was at the end of the road to nowhere. Not all that bad if you like horses. Somehow with that name and what others I had mentioned to me previously in my wine class, they thought it was good. Yes, so wine drinking is truly subjective.
So I truck out to the middle of never never, finally find it. Hmmmmmmm, WTF horses, big A.. farm. Hmmmmm, where is the Tasting Room. People on horse walking by. Then I see signs, horses this way, tasting room that way. So now I wander down the path since I now discover I could have parked closer and possibly avoided the land mine of cow poop to find this wooden house that resembles an old school post office. I go in, not too inviting. I'm so not impressed. There are medals up, and I say well can't be too bad let's give it a try.
As I am tasting, which for me is more spitting than anything when I"m driving, I'm struggling to understand the characteristics of what they are telling is supposed to be in my glass. I'm bewildered. Still trying to give it the benefit of the doubt, I take my glass and wander around a rather dusty like T.R. When you grab a map and things flap off uh oh.
Well, the wine it's doing it for me, but I did find a few things that did. FREE Recipes, now we're talking. So I go through the recipe box while still trying to determine if the wine I just sample would go better with food, hmmm perhaps, that's what wine is suppose to do. So, being the trooper I buy a bottle of Merlot and pick up an anniversary present for some friends. Sterling wine bottle holder with nice decorations. Unique. I'm pleased with it. So, now I think to myself I should grab a bite to eat with the hope that this wine I have purchased will have some redeeming possibilities. Well, sorry folks, I left it on the table for the wait staff.
I so wasn't feeling it. I have seen the CG name many times and also represented in many events but, this one definitely did not work for me. Now, if you're looking for a local place to go riding this is your place. Picnic, I'm not so sure unless you're used to horses, sorry to say I'm not.. I'd say it's worth checking out, for yourself. But, I don't think I'll go back.
Cooper-Garrod has a lovely setting in the mountains above Saratoga. They also have horseback riding here so you are likely to see horses walking about. It possesses a long history in wine & fruit growing and the military. You will be told all about this within your first 180 seconds in the place. The tasting room is rustic and chock full of history bric-a-brac and knick knacks.
All of the wine at Cooper-Garrod is estate grown & bottled. The wines here are, unfortunately, a bit inconsistent similar to those at Picchetti. The main difference is that the wines here are much more reasonably priced and the sales push is lot less here as well.
This is a family owned vineyard and stable. The owner gives an excellent winery tour. You can tell he is extremely passionate about wine. This place is more like a farm than a winery. They also have horse stables.
The wine here was pretty good. There are three wines for free tasting, and I believe you pay five dollars for tasting of five additional wines. (I don't quite remember how many.) I would definitely recommend going for that additional tasting as the better wine was part of this latter part of my tasting experience here.
The tasting room is an unassuming wooden cabin that reminds me a bit of a clean saloon with trinkets for sale dominating the floor space instead of rickety tables and chairs. The people behind the bar were all friendly, young, and laid back. We enjoyed chatting with them about the wine and winery as we did our tasting.
This vineyard is actually a part of a ranch, so there's a stable filled with horses for horseback riding. I think some of my friends were interested in coming back for that particular activity. :-) I like horses and everything, but I'm not a fan of their smell that came wafting around every so often. Ah well, I suppose you're coming here for the wine anyway, so it's okay. :-)
Cooper Garrod Winery is one of those places that makes me feel inspired. The winery is run by a guy names George Cooper who was in the US Air Force in WW2 and then was a test pilot for NASA until 1973. He then retired but decided to devote himself to his hobby of making wine. Thirty years later he has a thriving business making high quality wines. His walls are adorned with photos of his test flight days yet the focus is still on the wine and the quality. The Claret & Viognier in particular are not to be missed. Most of the employees are family members and very knowledgable about the wine and the winery.
Another interesting thing of note is the Garrod Family Riding Stables that offers horse riding lessons. I haven't tried it but I like how it contributes to the overall farm nature of the site.
COOL:
- Horses in stables to see. One of the horses took a liking to me.
- The "Old West" theming of the entire place was super cool. The styling of the buildings matched this theme and there was an old car parked there too, sitting next to an old school gas pump.
- Friendly guy who did the tasting with us. Friendly woman who showed us a horse.
- Fun, quaint gift shop.
- Free wine tasting.
LESS COOL:
- No sweeter wines.
- None of the wines was super awesome or cheap.
- It's no fun to walk around outside since everything smelled like horse.
Cooper-Garrod was our second and last stop of the day during a mini Sunday afternoon wine tasting trip with my coworkers. One of my coworkers is really into wine, and brought us to Cooper-Garrod and Ridge today. Cooper-Garrod is a nice little winery with the wine tasting area that looks like a small barn. Along with the winery, there is a stable next door for horseback riding.
This winery was pretty packed when we got here, more packed than when we had gone to Ridge. I liked the inside of the wine tasting room a lot. It wasn't modern or chic looking, but more of a nice, old feel to it. They had a lot of pictures on the wall, including pictures of some of the people who had opened up the winery. And also a bunch of pictures that sort of made up a mini-history timeline.
We tried a bunch of wines here, and I loved their white wines. I ended up buying a bottle of their Viognier for $20, which isn't too expensive at all. The staff here was excellent , very nice, and very helpful with explaining the different variety of wines, and also a little bit about the history of the winery.
Overall, I enjoyed my visit to Cooper-Garrod a lot. Considering I'm still pretty young and barely just got into drinking wine, I was very excited to find out that we had so many wineries in the area.
This small, family-owned winery has a free wine tour every first Saturday of the month at 11:00 ONLY! The tour is around an hour long, and since it's free, it's definitely worth it! They ask that you make reservations beforehand (but I think that's all for formalities sake. My bf and I showed up right at 11 and just ran up to join the group tour).
The tour was pretty typical, they show you the grapes and how it's grown, you go into the barrel room, yada yada yada. Afterwards they let you taste basically all their wine. I really enjoyed the experience; and I think we went home with a merlot. (I also placed myself in a wine tasting mood the night before by watching "Sideways".)
The only downside of it is that the air smells like horse dung. Not a good place to have a romantic picnic with your s/o...
A definite little gem in the hills above Saratoga. The Claret and George's Vineyard Cabernet were outstanding. Surprisingly, however, although I'm usually a red drinker I ended up leaving with a bottle of their Voignier. It has a very nice apricot/peach scent and taste but still dry, not sweet. The only way I can describe it is that it is similar to an apricot ale,only in wine form. Very unique.
The only wine I didn't like here was their Syrah. Syrahs are normally one of my favorites but this one just didn't do it for me. The describe it as having " memories of a great campfire" but it was more like drinking a campfire than remembering one. Just way too smoky for me. That's justy my taste though. Apprently it's won awards so you may like like it.
The stables next door are prettty nice too. I brought my 4yo little girl up here for a pony ride and she loved it. Normally "pony rides" are 5 minutes long and they go around in circles inside of a pen. Not here though. They actually get the little ones in helmets and take them for a 1/2 hr trail ride. The smile on my little sweety's face was worth way more than the $25 it cost.
This place is absolutely charming. My friends and I were served by the owners (not unusual) and they were knowledgeable about their wines, and friendly. We even got to meet George, the guy who started this place, and the namesake of their fantastic 2000 George's Vineyard Cab (which truly is a steal for $35).
I used to come here when I was young for horseback riding lessons, and the horses today remain some of the most beautiful ones I've seen.
After tasting their wines in the warm and humble tasting room, I'm starting to appreciate what good wine is, and it puts into perspective that touristy-heavy and overpriced Napa isn't all that great.
I got the 2000 George's Vineyard Cab, and the 2005 Viognier (which tasted like honey, amazing). See http://www.flickr.com/....
I'm a fan, and am taking my dad here for wine tasting for his birthday. They also have tours on the first weekend of the month (call in to check).
One of the things I miss about living in Santa Cruz is that I can no longer purchase Cooper Garrod's Cabernet (one of my favorite wines of all time) at Costco....actually I have not been able to get Cooper Garrod anywhere down here in SoCal. *sigh*
This is a great spot to come and wine taste and it's literally a 10-15 minute drive from my home. Beautiful winery in the hills of Saratoga. It was just unfortunate that it was pouring cats and dogs the day that I came with friends. The staff was nice and accommodating. The first 3 wines were "on the house" and thereafter, you could pay a $5 fee to taste the remaining 5 or 6 wines. Mostly red wines with the exception being the chardonnay which is the first wine on the list. Ok, so I cannot remember the names of the wines (no, I wasn't drunk!) but I remember that the first 2 red wines were soft, very mellow tasting. As you go down the list of the wines, they become more full bodied and dry tasting for my palate. The prices of the wines were reasonable, ranging from $20 to $32. If only I were more into red wines, I would have bought a bottle.
the plan was to drive south on foothill blvd as far as i can and see if i get myself lost, then find my way back. if you follow the road without winding up any of its offshooting side streets, you will eventually find the road ending in a fork.
the left fork goes up mt. eden road, which winds its way up into the hills before depositing you in the richer areas of saratoga. if you patiently follow mt. eden past the pseudo-countryside and big expensive houses, you will eventually find the brown and white lettered cooper-garrod sign on your left.
their 2000 cabernet sauvignon is an award-winning little wine that is sweet on the nose with raspberries. i find it a little spicy on the finish. i truly enjoyed the newly released 2003 cabernet franc (i'm a sucker for sweetish wines, and this one is quite so), and bought two bottles on the spot. the chardonnay didn't leave much of an impression, but it wasn't bad, and i'm not really one for white wines. i didn't jump for the $5 extended sampler, although i hear they are quite good.
as previous reviewers wrote, the bottles aren't cheap - when i did a bit of scouting at whole foods later, i found the same wines for an average $5-8 less. however, that's nothing to pay for the fact that we have an excellent vineyard in our backyard. if you follow mt. eden all the way down and make a left at the t-junction, you will eventually dump out into saratoga-sunnyvale road. not bad for a short sunday afternoon jaunt, eh?
down the street is the mt. eden vineyard, which i have yet to visit.
Cool spot. Really hidden. Has stables with beautiful horses. This is where I realized that I'm allergic to either hay or horses. Tasting was $5 per. Nothing I'd want to buy but the server was extremely friendly and knowledgable. An older gentleman, either Mr. Cooper or Mr. Garrod, was there also serving in his Members Only jacket. Pretty cool. Articles of him being a NASA test pilot were on the wall.
In honor of our friend Kim's Birthday we went wine tasting with 15 of our friends... Good friends, sunny day, and good wine... Such a perfect day.... UNTIL we got to Cooper--Garrod... Our initial impression was "charming" but it stunk like horse poo... Then in the tasting room, we met George who started the whole place... He was cute and very very very old.... The guys pouring were very friendly.... I think they are just happy that bunch of fun young people to liven the place up. So far so good, we are on our second wine.... OH, WAIT... What is that sound??? I turned around and this old butch looking woman was shaking her finger at one of my friend. " IF YOU DON'T KEEP YOUR VOICE DOWN I'M GOING TO ASK YOU TO LEAVE. I CAN DO THAT BECAUSE I AM THE OWNER!!!" First of all, my girlfriend was not being loud. We were exited, happy group of 15... WHAT? Are we at funeral or something? Why do we have to be quiet??? However, to be fair, my friend keep saying "I got it, I understand, etc..." However, the old hag still wouldn't stop pointing finger at my girlfriend & wouldn't shut her pie hole... SHE was way out of line... Of course we don't stand for this type of rude behavior... So we immediately took off & went the Picchitti where everyone was nice, and didn't mind us happy folks...
Little advice to you grumpy lady.... I'm sure by looking at the way you are dressed & your mean attitude you probably haven't gotten laid in 20 years... BUT Please don't take it out on beautiful young happy people.
Your place smell like horse S*it, you serve mediocre wine, and you have a bad attitude. That is a great combination for not so great business... As a business owner, you could have handled the situation in different manner.... You are going to ruin what your Dad took all his life to build.... By the way, didn't your parent teach you that pointing finger is not polite? Why don't you take your "Power Trip" and your wiggling finger up where sun don't shine???
Now this place is a little strange because it's located right by a horse stable. So given that, the air smells like horse, hay & poo. The environment is definitely not like your typical winery with a huge, lush vineyard. What I did like were the people that worked there! Because it wasn't crowded at all, my friends (the wine lovers) got to talk to them and learn more about the wines. I took a brochure with me so that I don't have to go all the way to Half Moon Bay for horseback riding - it's $40 per hour here!
A truly excellent little vineyard producing some impressive wines. Located in the Saratoga Hills only about 25 minutes from Palo Alto, it boasts a tasting room dating back 75 years and a quaint little picnic area where you can enjoy a glass of their wine with your lunch. A complimentary 3 wine sampling is offered as well as a $5 sampling featuring a host of selections from their 'reserved' list. Wines aren't cheap averaging about $25/bottle, but well worth it! Very very good wines from an unexpected little winery. They also have a stable where your kids can go for a horseback ride.
What a great tasting room. A far cry from the uptight snobby staff you find at other tasting rooms, the staff here are so friendly and down to earth that it's tempting to just stand and chat with them for a while (which we did). The room itself is a bit on the rustic side for those expecting a shiny sterile environment, but I believe that's what they were going for & it works in this setting. The wines were all very good and are all estate grown, which is nice to see, especially since most of the other vinyeards buy grapes from each other and from elsewhere. There was no push to buy (but we did anyway, can't wait to crack open that bottle of Viognier!) & I will definitely visit again in the future.
We liked their white wines better than their reds. The Chardonnay was especially good, sweet yet complex with a spicy apple aroma. We also liked their viognier. Horse riding is available at this winery and we plan on trying that when the weather is better.
Cooper-Garrod makes a good companion stop to Picchetti. For me, however, Picchetti is the clear winner of the two. The winery building itself is equally interesting (particularly the Air Force history of the winemaker), but the pourer we had was not very knowledgeable or charismatic (maybe he was the backup guy--it was pouring down rain that day and we were the only ones there). Furthermore, with the exception of the raspberry-tinged Cabernet Franc, none of the wines made much of an impression. Still, don't take my word for it, check it out for yourself if you're in the area.
Cute little vineyard, and you can ride horses after you get drunk!! What more can you ask for??? I would have Ryan pour you the wine, cause he will fill it up a lot more than Barbara!!!
It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon we were a group of 15 in a limo out wine tasting in the Saratoga area, this was our third stop. Since there was 15 of us and it was our 3rd stop we were having a great time and maybe some would say loud while others would say having a great time. We were on maybe the second pour of wine and this short very poorly dress women in a blue sweat outfit came over to our group shaking her finger right in our faces telling use if we did not quite down she would kick us out and she could do that because she was the owner. She was not polite about it at all. It is one thing to ask you to keep it down but it is another thing to have a finger shaken in your face while you are being scolded. I don't know about you but I don't put up with that and my friends don't either. We left right away there was no way a old woman in a tacky sweat outfit was going to talk that way to us. BTW way all 15 of us spent way way too much money on wine that day and not one cent went to Cooper-Garrod. I would say it was their loss not ours.
We found Cooper-Garrod somewhat by chance; it was recommended to us on a visit to another winery. What a fortunate happening, though! We sprung for the $5 extended sampling, and it was perhaps the best $5 we spent all day. George's Cabernet & RV's Claret (on the extended tasting) are our favorites of the wines we've had from Cooper-Garrod. On a return visit (3 months later), Ms Cooper remembered us! We're now members of their wine club. Great service & wonderful wines from an unassuming family winery. To us, Cooper-Garrod represents what is best about the Santa Cruz mountains wineries.
