The Mountain Winery

First time for sangria Sunday. $ 10 cover for the salsa band which was great but no dance floor.
Food prices are super expensive ($ 26 for 3 tiny tacos, $ 14 for a mediocre Bloody Mary, $ 14 for chips and salsa) and the food is not good… a taco truck has better food. The dining room is lovely.
The service is not great but not the worst, but it’s definitely not fine dining service. It’s a really nice place with great views but we spent well over $ 100 for 2 ppl and we left hungry and only had 3 drinks.
I’d come back to see a show, but it’s not worth the trek for brunch.

Wine tasting was great. Very upbeat service. We had a nice time. I recommend visiting this winery as its close to San Jose. Tasted 6 types of wine with cheese pairing. For me and the wife, it came out to $ 57.

I love wineries and this one just didn’t seem to compare. First of all, we had just went to Savannah Chanelle which I thought was lovely & Mountain Winery was definitely the worse of the two. We went on a Friday afternoon — there was no concert, the only thing going on was wine tasting in the tasting room, and yet they wouldn’t allow you to drive all the way up to the tasting room to park. You had to park in the big lot & walk maybe half a mile? Even the handicap spots (which we were) were that far away. My boyfriends father has trouble walking long distances & this was pretty hard for him, just to try some wine & without any warning of the distance. Then once we finally got to the tasting room, it was more like a fast casual restaurant — you wait in a line to get to the cashier, he asks which sampler you want, not giving any details on the wines really & trying to upsell to the more expensive ones, then gives you a checklist and you take the wine and go sit down somewhere. I thought it was very impersonal for a wine tasting (and I’ve been all around Napa and Sonoma at many wineries over the years) I didn’t learn a single thing about the wines accept I did remember him saying 2 of the 4 are theirs and the others. aren’t? I don’t really remember. Then, when you’re ready for your next wine, you have to wait in a line for the to get it with a bunch of other people, and again, got no information on it. Also, I didn’t think any of the wines were very good, I think there was 1 of the 4 that was decent.
So if you have the option, check out Savannah Chanelle over this one.

Mountain Winery is such a romantic place hidden up in the Saratoga hills! Love it!
I randomly came here with a friend after we got done hiking. My friend had gone here for a show and had a great experience. I told him about how fun wine tasting is, in general. We put two and two together (great venue + wine tasting) and decided to make a stop here.
It’s a very narrow road going up and down the winery, so be careful and courteous of cars coming the opposite direction as you. Plenty of parking.
We weren’t sure if they were still doing wine tasting (it was around 5pm, I believe) but decided to check it out anyway. For the views and such, if wine tasting hours were done. We scored cause there was about 30 min left. The bartender was so outgoing and enthusiastic about wine, happy couples, love songs, and being in love. He was entertaining and a genuine guy! I got a glass of sauvignon blanc and my friend got some sort of red wine (can’t remember). I’m normally not a fan of red wine, but the one he got was goooood! Mine was much, much bettttah tho haha. We got a cheese tray to pair it with. It was about $ 16.
It was the perfect place to just unwind, relax, and enjoy the view with good company.
Can’t wait to come back at an earlier time and enjoy more wines and watch a show!

I thought it was me? BBD! Yep, saw Bell Biv DeVoe here back in June, so I gotta tell ya about this place before I forget. It’s just so cool to have a local winery with an auditorium and restaurant serving up some tasty food. So lets get right to it:
Way way up the mountain and parking:
~ Simply put, once you get to the main entrance it’s located up a one-​way road. You’ll have to share it if someone is coming down. It’s a lot of green and has some steep points, so drive carefully. Parking wasn’t so bad as every car was guided through.
Pre-​concert dinner @ The Château Deck:
~ White cloth table top patio with a view. Ain’t gonna get any better than this! Here’s part of the Three Course Dinner they offer:
~~ Course One: Grilled Prawn Caesar Salad to start. This had a couple of buttery herby garlicy jumbo prawns that were sitting on top of a classic Caesar Salad. Not too much dressing and a few slivers of parmesan. A refreshing starter.
~~ Course Two: Roasted Filet of Beef: «WOW» was all I can say about that tender beef and their Mountain Winery Cabernet wine reduction with Béarnaise sauce. So freakin’ good! I was sittin on top of potato gratin and some buttered asparagus. Though slightly salty, this dish was on-​point. Can’t go wrong ordering this.
~~ Course Two (part 2): The Braised Beef Short Rib: Another juicy meat choice! The meat off the bone was tender as well and just perfect in that braising sauce. The wilted greens were good. I think it was a mix of spinach and chard. All of this sitting on top of some whipped buttery potatoes, caramelized onions and some slices of roasted sweet carrots. Can’t go wrong with this plate either.
~~ Course Three, DESSERT: The Mixed Berry Tart and the Caramelized Banana Tart: Although stuffed from all that good food, these two tarts were nice and light. In other words, the custard cream wasn’t too sweet and you can smell that vanilla bean. The type of fruits they selected were also clean, and the outer crust was flaky gooood!
Now for the seating, the view, the stage, and the show:
~ We were seated in Section: 11, Row: A, Seats 1 & 2. Easy to navigate as the ushers were helpful.
~ Excellent excellent view of the stage! Seemed like every seat was an excellent view really, but I chose this section because there wasn’t anyone in front of us. Except the floor section of course. Though I gotta say, I didn’t like the seats. They felt really tight, and there were a lot of big people at this concert. I pretty much stood up the whole time.
~ As for the lighting and sound, it was good, no issues. BBD, well, them boys still got it!
~ Outside of the show, the restrooms were large and clean as well.
Overall, I had fun with this whole dinner and a concert experience. Although fairly pricey (about $ 173 per), I can’t wait to schedule another one for maybe next year. Oh yeah, and too bad their wine wasn’t all that. I just didn’t dig it. It’s kinda like Sterling Vineyards, lovely views but sucky wine.
Tip to think about:
~ It’s very dark leaving the concert. There are NO STREETLIGHTS to guide you down the mountain, so again, drive carefully. Make sure you’re leaving together with everyone. I’m saying «everyone» because at least the road gets lit up as everyone drives down.
Enjoy the show!

The most romantic and sexy concert venue! I love coming here for
Concerts. Food and wine are
Overpriced but hey… The venue views make up for it. Seats are great, well spread out, and you can see the stage fine. Wine is pricey $ 10 – 14 glass, but cocktails are decent, about $ 10. The only downfall: bar closes at 9:30pm :(I give this place 4 stars due to the early close down of the bar and, it’s a pain coming into and leaving the venue with the windy roads. However, the views are to die for and the venue is absolutely gorgeous! Please bring your lady here on a date– she will definitely enjoy!

Gorgeous!
Buuuut…
We tried to taxi to/​from concert because we’d be drinking ($ 17 glasses of wine.)
Sat in a long long line slinking up hill. What should have been a $ 10 ride was $ 65!
Then for the leaving. Oh my God for the leaving. This policy is so so stupid. They make you call your taxi to be there by 930 or you have to wait until 1045. They don’t want TAXI’s coming up the hill while everyone else is driving down the hill.
We were stressed all through the concert trying to figure out what would be the best option for having our taxi come back so we couldn’t even enjoy what we had paid for.
So we called a lyft which waited for us for half an hour and cost $ 25 and the concert wasnt over so we dismissed it and then called a new taxi at 10:45 and it didn’t get up there until almost 1130.
They do not keep the concession stands or wine bars open so we were just stuck there in the parking lot in the cold … waiting. Rude staff. Completely awful. Until they fix the taxi drop off and pick up system, we will not be back.

I’m still in shock with what took place at last night’s concert. Very disappointed in this venue for cutting off Ms. Lauryn Hill in the middle of a song at 10:30pm because the venue has some sort of curfew. That was the shortest concert I’ve ever been to! I drove quite a distance to get there, paid $ 20 for parking, $ 14 for a cocktail, and $$$ for great seats only to be sent home after only seeing Ms. Hill sing a couple of songs. I will never return to this venue again.

I finally got to see a show here last night and I have to say this is one of the coolest venues I have ever been to. The location on the hill overlooking silicon valley has beautiful vistas and the stage area itself is amazing! Not a bad seat in the house due to stadium style terraced seating. I can’t wait to come back for another show knowing what I now know about this place. We had front row seats in the redwood deck balcony, what a great vantage.
The view and the venue are easily 6 star but there’s a few things that drop the overall experience to 4 stars for me. Although this first complaint could be viewed as whining I’m still going to say that the prices for food and drinks are borderline ridiculous. It costs a lot just to go to a show but then they hit you hard once you are there. Parking is even $ 20. Depending on which bartender you get the drinks ranged from a buzz in a cup for about $ 15 (up at the martini lounge), or a partially full jigger pour (BOOO) for the same price (at the redwood VIP lounge).
The last complaint, and this is a big one, is the drain vents throughout the property smell like raw sewage. This is such a smelly clash to the otherwise over the top luxurious experience that is the mountain winery.
Although food prices were steep, the quality of the food and the portions were quite good. Next time I will come a bit earlier to enjoy the grounds a bit more.

Six-​Time Pollstar nominee — Best small outdoor venue in the country & I can see why! Mountain Winery is not just a beautiful vineyard on top of a mountain overlooking Silicon Valley by day, but an exciting concert experience at night. A good friend couldn’t see «Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons» so we were lucky enough to use the tickets. Not only did we luck out with a great concert, but the weather was perfect. Warm summer evening and a sky full of stars! We didn’t get to eat before hand, so we ate at the winery. The winery has a wide variety of eateries and wine selections/​mixed drinks too. Prices were reasonable. We will definitely visit their seasonal concert calendar.

Stunning, breathtaking concert venue. Perfect for a date night.
We came here for Eve 6, who opened for Uncle Kracker and Sugar Ray. Husband and I were impressed with this beautiful winery so close to the heart of Silicon Valley. The view was worth a million dollars!
— Parking is $ 20/​car or $ 15 for carpooling of 3 or more people.
— If you arrive early, you can walk around the winery, or have a picnic by the parking lot.
— There are a lot of food and drink options inside the winery, including salad/​sandwich stands, a crêpe bar, a burrito place, and several sit-​down retaurants with prix-​fixe menu ($ 39/​person for the base option). Price is a bit expensive, but on par with most concerts.
— The concert bowl is small and intimate. There are no «bad seats» IMO because even the nosebleed seats are not that far from the stage.
–The venue was around 20% filled when we saw Eve 6, 50% at Uncle Kracker, and 75% at Sugar Ray. This place is far from being sold out.
–The concert goers on the night we were there were a bit passive and not as engaged. I think a lot of people got free tickets so they didn’t care about the music as much and arrived only mid-​way through the show. We paid ~$ 75/​person and were super excited to see Eve 6. Poor Eve 6 tried to work a small, uninterested crowd glued to their seat…
–People working at the winery, the ushers and staff, are all really friendly.

I really like The Mountain Winery. I’ve been here three times for three concerts. It’s a pain to get to, especially coming from the north/​east bay, but it’s worth it. The concert bowl is relatively small, so any seat you get will be really good. I would even hazard a guess that the «nosebleed seats» here are closer to the stage than many front-​row seats are at larger auditoriums/​arenas. I would be surprised if there are more than ~2000 seats here.
While it’s a pain to get to, the parking situation isn’t terrible. I’ve never had a tough time finding a spot to park, and it hasn’t been a CF while leaving, either (although, I’ve left slightly early for all three concerts). I also wish you didn’t have to pay $ 20 to park, but, sigh, such is life for a concert-​goer.
The VIEWS at the winery are stunning – the winery overlooks the whole valley. At night with all the lights, it’s just really pretty.
The food you can order is really good, although, it’s expensive. Last night my bf and I ordered the fish and chips, a bbq sandwich, and two beers. It was $ 55.00, before adding tip. Considering you’re at a winery, I guess the price fits the venue. And the food is good, like I said. For the fish and chips I got, the fish was probably the best fried fish I’ve ever had. That’s saying something. It was also two BIG pieces of fish, and a good amount of fries. I think the fish and chips on their own were in the $ 16-​$ 20 range. It was expensive, but fair. My boyfriend’s bbq sandwich was just so-​so, he said. It was too messy, and he didn’t like the bun. (Two years ago here at a concert, a friend and I split the spicy chicken sandwich – not on the menu this time. We both thought the sandwich was good, but it was definitely spicy – right on the border of being too spicy for us).
Many many more people «dress up» than wear concert tees of the bands they’re seeing. I always wear my concert tees, and there are a handful of other people who do, too, so you won’t feel out of place with whatever you wear. But, bring a sweater, cause it might get chilly after the sun goes down!
The venue almost gets five stars from me. Honestly, it hits all the marks. It just loses a star because I think it could come down on its prices for both parking and food. It’s not like they’re hurting for money.
(But, also considering the average concert-​goer here is a middle-​aged businessman and his housewife, I know that won’t change! Not ragging on them, just pointing out who the «average» concert-​goer is here. Basically take a look at the cast of «Real Housewives of Orange County,» and you’ve got it.)
Also, one more thing, there was one seat usher/“video nazi” who was making sure people weren’t recording with their phones. I didn’t see any other usher making a big deal out of it.

SUPER COOL VENUE!!!
Wasn’t sure what to expect when told I was being treated to see SWV, Tank, Ginuwine, and Blackstreet perform. First off, to see those groups perform in 2015 would be interesting to see since SWV is one of my favorite female groups of the 90s.
THE ARRIVAL.
Who would have thought Saratoga had such a hidden gem. I would have never thought to follow these random narrow roads up a hill to find a dazzling winery serving food AND with a stage overlooking Silicon Valley. I sure did not feel like I was in the BayArea. The scenery blew my mind away.
THE VENUE.
Mind you, parking will be a pain leaving but coming up here is all worth it. Walking to the venue there were rows of mini vineyards decorating its landscape. Then several community tables with umbrellas to eat — mostly for those buying from the booths. There is a restaurant as well with other outside tables for eating. After you pass the food area it opens up to the stage and its seating. Wherever you get your seat you will have a good view of the stage so don’t stress out not being able to see the stage.
–Pizza, good. think crust
–2011 estate pinot noir, very nice and expect to get drunk
THE EVENING.
bottle of wine was $ 68, glass of wine was $ 17. Most of the night was singing along and dancing to SWV, Tank, Ginuwine, and Blackstreet under Silicon Valley’s evening sky. I had so much fun, I could not even explain how much fun I had. Probably one of the best treats I’ve ever had and by far memorable.
Will I be back? Y E S. Love this place.
Until the next review…

The best venue ever!!! This is our second time to this place and both were to see Rob Thomas. We have another concert in August planned to see Christina Perri and Colbie Caillat. We live out of state and will always make the effort and fly because this place is so awesome. There is not a bad seat in the house however close is even better!!! I loved being outside enjoying the scenery, the wine and the music. Recommend reserved parking pass it’s worth the extra $ 10 for a total of $ 30. Peace of mind of not fighting for a spot is worth it. There are plenty of food and drink opportunities to enjoy before the concert. So many wonderful view spots as well. It’s honestly breathtaking. Recommend getting there early and enjoy all the beauty this place has to offer. Definitely worth the money.

This place is a spectacular venue for a concert. That’s the simple part. There’s a good variety of affordable food, and there’s not a bad seat in the house. However, if you’ve never been there it can be confusing, so I will try to help.
Parking:
$ 20 unless you have at least three in your car and then it’s $ 15. You can pay $ 30 in advance for reserved parking, but honestly I didn’t find the traffic after the show nearly as bad as I feared. It is slow, but the place isn’t that big, so it doesn’t take that long.
Weather:
Simple. Bring a coat even if it is a warm day. It will get chilly when the sun goes down. Not bad, just chilly.
Food:
This is probably the most mysterious thing the first time you go. Essentially, there are three options. The cheapest is to picnic in the picnic area outside the gates. You can’t bring food in. The picnic area is nice. It’s surrounded by vineyard, but it is overlooking the parking lot.
Next is the most popular option, which is to eat at one of the small, fast, easy stands inside the gates, but outside the concert bowl. We ate at the cantina — $ 14 for three soft tacos. Not great, not bad. Other options are things like burgers, ribs, big salads, etc.
Finally, there are two sit-​down, prix-​fixe restaurants that require reservations. Not for us, but it is an option.
We there around 6:15 for a 7:30 show and that was perfect.
So, go and see a great show in a spectacular setting.

Views are breathtaking and the venue is beautiful… for a wedding, a hip hop concert not so much. Came to see the Roots last night, and this place did not have that concert feel, you kno the feelz where you can spark up a blunt & booty dance.
There were strollers & pregnant women everywhere so I felt too guilty to really let loose. Pro Tip– Come late & leave early to avoid the traffic up & down the hill.
This is a great place for your mom.

I had mixed feelings coming to this place because of some of the comments I read. But to my surprise, I thought that this event/​venue was amazing.
Let me break down everything from the start. We came on Saturday June 27^th to see Bel Biv Devoe (they were beyond amazing by the way!!!) The drive up was a little bit of a drag with all of the curves, but there was no traffic so it was quick. Parking was $ 20, so I recommend that you purchase parking prior it’s only $ 15.
As we walked into the venue, the first thing I noticed was the views. Oh so gorgeous especially with the pink and orange sky as the sun was setting. I also noticed the amphitheater and was able to look over it. It was small an intimate and noticed that every seat would have a great view.
The ushers were very helpful and friendly in helping us locate our seats. Amphitheater was very clean and nice and our seats were great!
I was nervous about leaving the winery because there was only one road, but to my surprise it went quickly and we were down in no time.
Can’t wait to come back here again!

It’s quite beautiful but especially nice on a mildly warm day. I was there several years ago for Chelsea Handler and the heat was blistering. No escape — I couldn’t find a place with any air conditioning so we went back to the car in the extremely expensive parking space to escape the heat for awhile.
The food and beverages are far too expensive. Once you shell out $ 350 for 2 seats (Willie Nelson & Alison Krauss) requiring binoculars you should have some reprieve for food & drink purchases. A glass of wine and a club soda were $ 20. My partner had mediocre fish & chips for $ 17. I «smuggled» in blueberries and some crackers though the security guard put the fear of the almighty in me. Heaven forbid I bring some organic, healthy snacks into a place I’ve spent nearly $ 400 to attend.
They have two prix fixe restaurants with vegetarian and vegan offerings but they start at $ 39 (2-​course, no vegan) or $ 89 for the 3-​course (one vegan option). There are other food options but they’re makeshift setups; I didn’t see a real kitchen.

After I went to my first Unilocal Elite Event here in 2009 (Connie C’s days), I was like, «Yeah, I totally need to get married here.» You do have a semi long drive up a windy road but the views are amazing! The outdoor space is beautiful too. I contacted the Mountain Winery to get more wedding information and to set up a tour. Unfortunately they weren’t so friendly via email. I had emailed asking to tour the venue in the evenings preferably before January 2014 and told them of my May 2015 wedding date. I got a generic email response back with all the PDFs, but also that all evening dates are on hold due to the summer concert series at Mountain Winery.
They just seemed like they didn’t want to help out or be friendly at all. So I was turned off by that. The rental prices aren’t bad, and include 6 hours of event time, but the f&b minimums are a lot. They start at $ 8,000 in the off season. It is a big venue, so if you have a bigger wedding like at least 150 – 200 people than this may be a better place for you. From what I remembered the bathrooms definitely were not very nice, and I’ve had some of their wine too, which wasn’t very appealing. As they are a winery, you can only have their wine and beer too.

Wine: 3.5 Stars
Service/​Views: 4 Stars
This place is so beautiful. If not for the wine, I would suggest taking a trip up to the winery just to bask in the glory of the saratoga mountains. When we were actually driving up the road to go there, we were surprised by how long it took. It’s a pretty steep incline and very windy, so be careful!
My mother and I came for the wine tasting that they offer. They had special holiday hours for the new years so we came on a Sunday afternoon. Man, the views are so magnificent, we spent a good half an hour just looking around when we finally parked.
The Tasting room is at the end of a pathway leading to a sort of basement/​ground floor. Dark and cozy, we were served by a couple of people at the desk. You can easily take the slip and your wine glasses anywhere around the winery, walk around the amphitheatre or gaze at the views around you. The wines weren’t really my cup of tea, they were a little bit too sweet. I did enjoy the Cab as well as the syrah, but zinfandel was definitely too light.
They also have complimentary crackers to enjoy which is nice and you can also order a cheese plate which we were tempted to do.