An absolutely beautiful winery tucked into the hills of Almaden, somewhere you wouldn't expect to…read morefind a vineyard. The outdoor tasting area is surrounded by vines and has a lovely view of the Almaden Reservoir. We came in on a Sunday afternoon and enjoyed a tasting and the picnic we brought. The tasting consisted of 4 wines, though you could pay $5 more and taste the port as well. The pours weren't stingy and did give you enough to really enjoy each wine. More knowledge was shared about the bottles than the actual wines themselves, but we did have a menu we could follow along with. We tasted 2 whites, a rosé, and one red while we were there. I noticed all the syrah grapes while walking into the property, so I did ask for a taste of that since they had it open and was given a small splash. I enjoyed most of the wines we had, but thought they were a little pricey for whites/rosé. They're reservation only and you do have to prepay when making the reservation. Though tastings are $25, with tax and the already included tip, our tasting for 3 came out to $100. It seemed like there was a $5/pp included gratuity, which I thought was odd having to pay for in advance. One tasting is waived with a 3 bottle purchase. Not sure if I would come back for a tasting, but would definitely come back to picnic with a bottle of wine! The view is truly fantastic!

I loved the atmosphere and service. Very attentive. And not pushy. We just enjoyed a lovely…read moreafternoon sipping some fine wines overlooking the reservoir, fog over the hills and beautiful scenery of an backyard oasis. It was far from civilization but not really! A piece of tranquility. We loved the chairs, picnic tables, shades.. vineyards.. small reservations area so we felt so at peace with little crowds. Make a reservation as I'm not sure they take walk ins

Ooh it was my first time at El Vaquero Winery, and I loved it! The wine was delicious, the people…read morewere inviting, and the band was great! The venue is pretty large so it hosted a lot of people, which fit the evening band event well because there was a great turnout! There was a food truck just outside so you could bring food in, and we saw many tables with Tupperware so they must allow outside food as well (it may be just for events, so I'd call to confirm). The only reason I had to knock one star off is because of the ambiance. There are many wineries in the area, and El Vaquero is wonderful... it is just a more casual casual, basic setting. The things that count (wine and people) are fantastic though!

We've attended many music events here, including Saturday's AC/DC band. The wine is good and there…read moreis always a good food truck outside. There are heat lamps inside or outside depending on the location of the concert. The sound system is good and the wine is great! Ee usually buy a bottle or two. We always have a great time dancing to the music! Everyone serving is friendly and laid back and great service!

They are now hosting the San Jose Poetry Slam once a month. Great fun, great atmosphere. Terrific…read morebar service and space for events and gatherings in general. It's conjoined with a Round Table restaurant so one can order a really good pizza and share it at the Wheelhouse.

I hosted a private event for around 25-30 of my friends at Wheelhouse last week and had the best…read moreexperience from start to finish! I had a silly idea to do a watch party for a reality TV show and as soon as I got on the phone with Kendall to discuss the details, I knew I was in good hands. She gave a great rate and was super helpful in coming up with ideas for the event. Both Kendall and Marcus were very involved in the event setup and helped with all the logistics necessary to make it a successful event. I've always loved coming to Wheelhouse with my family, but now I will consider them more often for future community events as well. Thank you guys!

get down to it, experience at this venue is inconvenient, tickets cost depending on where you need…read moreto be, parking isn't cheap much less free, food/alcohol are best done if it matters before / after or at a picnic table outside the gate, the road up (and, therefore, down) is tedious though not imho particularly dangerous unless you're under the influence, and management of the crowd and traffic especially after dark lacks organization. but having listened to a lot of music at places like msg, red rocks, the greek in LA, avalon, fillmores, cbgb... an evening of powerful music here is better but it isn't for an average saturday night's entertainment, save it for something special... it's worth twice the price for the right seats. in my case, as a maturing moshpit headbanger from decades ago, this required seats maybe 15 feet from the right side of the stage. i nailed these three months ahead for a total price of about $500 for two, premium parking included. worth it. this was the second time i saw the jblze show, the first being last year's in napa. the mountain winery was much superior owing to both the medieval setting and the power of the sound system which was enough to blow your head away. i had thoughtfully brought along a set of earplugs for my associate's tender ears, but passed on the offer of free ones at the entry gate. my hearing not to mention other functions has survived massive assaults of self-destruction in the past so ear protection seems a bit late to me. i was here to encourage ear damage, with every screech, boom, thud of music from the hammer of the gods this group is the best of all ersatz led zep groups, and more than a "tribute band" owing to Jimmy Sakurai, a japanese guy who spent 30 years perfecting the live performance of guitarist jimmy page. "mr jimmy" while much too civilized to be page incarnate is for sure the absolute best at what he does. the experience is essential if you have any interest in knowing why the original band is still considered the progenitor, the ne plus ultra as it were, of modern heavy metal/blues rock. i won't go on lest i descend into mindless fandom. let's leave it the same as my previous review, if you failed to see the original led zeppelin in msg or wherever, back when it mattered, and you're curious, book tickets next time - one hopes they'll do it here again.

I went to the Mountain Winery to watch an alt rock concert in October, which was an excellent time…read moreof the year to be outside for an outdoor concert when it's not super hot or cold. The venue is beautiful for stage performances, and it's not massive so almost every seat has a good view. I was about five rows away from the stage, and it was incredible to see my favorite band and singer up close! Food and beverages are expensive, but that's typical. I think a can of Coke was more than $5. Don't bother trying to get an Uber back at night from this venue. Ubers are allowed up to the venue for pick ups I think half an hour or an hour after the show ends. I also think Uber won't bother picking up people here because it's a single, narrow, winding road up the mountain, which causes a ton of traffic. So drive up to the venue, carpool with friends, purchase the shuttle ride in advance, or brave through that hell hole situation.

Doing U-pick is fun: rounded up for the fun factor. The fruit is not organic. In case you want to…read moreeat the U-pick fruit on the spot: Bring a basket with holes in the bottom, and bottled water, so that you can rinse the fruit before eating. The lineup: 5/5: U-pick boysenberries: June 4: Blenheim apricots, June: $3.70/pound. About 70% were ripe. 3: Dutch apple pie. Kind of meh. 3: Strawberry shortcake. Bring your own maple syrup and pour some on top; it needs some sweetness. 2: Cherry pie. Kinda meh. For boysenberries, consider wearing latex gloves to keep your hands from getting stained red.

Every now and then, during strawberry season, we pop into Gizdich Ranch, seeking out a Strawberry…read morePie like one that we got about 8 years ago. While we didn't see it listed on the menu board, when my wife asked the order taker, she knew exactly what we wanted and told her that the wait would be 15 minutes as they made them to order. OMG, it was beautiful! Loaded with fresh strawberries and just enough glaze to bind it, the glaze did not overwhelm the taste of the strawberries. You can't really slice it as created. Instead, you pick off some of the fruit on top until it's down to a manageable height and then we use a large spoon to parse it out. Whipped cream? Ice cream? Both would be excellent accompaniments to be sure, but we used neither.

Went for a free wine tasting and got to try their seasonal wines for the year. Very calm and…read morefriendly atmosphere in the hills and got to hang out and enjoy the wine. Would come again and buy a bottle.

Was here last weekend for a member event and it was spectacular. They were having a cab discount…read moreday, so they were only serving their cabs with handmade pizzas. Wine and pizza? a perfect pairing. Got a little hot near the end but there was a slight breeze up where they have their pizza oven which saved us. This winery is very welcoming and we had a great time, also took home a few bottles of cab, though i've heard their pinot's are amazing and hard to get as well.

The wine is very good and the service is excellent. I also love the decor with funny comments…read morethroughout the facility. It's cute and it keeps you with a happy smile. This place is a great spot.

Cute small winery, wonderful live band on the Saturday that I was there. The wine trolley stops…read morehere as well. Nice indoor and outdoor seating, friendly staff. Very mellow relaxed place to spend the afternoon with friends!

Back again but this time for a show.. great space for music. The sound was great and there was…read moreenough room for everyone even at a busy show. The bartenders were amazing. They were friendly and efficient. They refilled my Diet Coke without getting annoyed that's a truly good bartender! Thanks for a great time!

Tried to grab a drink. Bar ignored us and helped several people who obviously came after us. Gal…read morewith the red and black tee...no stars!