The woman that was talking care of my friend and me was so pleasant. She kept the serene feeling…read morewhile we were giggling and having a good time and was honestly just so sweet and knowledgeable! She was positive even though it was such a rainy day and even offered me plenty of crackers. I will say I wish this winery offered a cheese plate. I wasn't prepared to only have crackers as a snacks and tbh that was my bad. Would happily return

Lovely place -- the drive up is really tough though! Last two miles are completely unpaved so you'd…read morebetter bring an SUV or some other car with off-road capabilities. They were happy to accommodate me without an appointment as it wasn't very busy the afternoon that I made the trek, however you certainly should try to call in advance and use their proper reservation system as directed, if possible. The wine is incredible value at the price point and I look forward to serving it alongside some seafood preparations in the near future. 2022 vintage chardonnays will release in April and August this year I believe! They currently only have up to 2021 vintages.

As a former horse girl and present wine lover, this place was a perfect birthday activity spot. We…read morecame on a Sunday morning/afternoon with our two toddlers and well-behaved chihuahua for a pony ride + wine tasting. (Bonus points for being dog and toddler friendly) Our older toddler had a blast on her first real pony ride, even after taking a bit of a tumble when Max got spooked. The staff said this usually doesn't happen and were super apologetic. My baby girl was fine and took it like a champ. She still had lots of fun! On the wine tasting: Wines: Awesome! I ordered their white wine flight, the chardonnay and rose were standouts for me even though I tend to like sauvignon blanc profiled wine more. Service: Great too, the staff was attentive and friendly Snacks/food: Ok, so like other reviews have said...my only critique of the wine tasting experience was that the cheese, meats, crackers, olives arrived completely packaged with flimsy plastic utensils. I was expecting a cute charcuterie board; basically the "platter" presentation just saves me a trip to Whole Foods -- but if you bring your own food, they will banish you 5 feet away to the less comfortable bench tables. It seems like they don't have a kitchen license, which is the reason for the packaged food. That said, I think the provided olives could have at least been the pitted variety. Anyway, literal champagne problems Vibes: The wine tasting area was shaded, relaxing, and comes with a great view of all the pretty horses coming and going.

It's a vineyard overlooking a stable, with live cello music playing in the background…read more Vibe Check: The vineyard exudes rustic elegance, where rolling vines meet countryside charm. This boutique estate offers a refined, artisanal approach to winemaking. A special shoutout to the cellist, who made the entire experience both musical and beautiful. Crowd: Having a reservation definitely helps to get a table here. The vineyard was filled with large groups of people, most accompanied by family and friends, including us. Service: I arrived with my entire family, and we were able to secure a table right away since we had reservations. Although the vineyard was busy, the staff approached us promptly with menus and walked us through their offerings. The overall vibe was relaxed and approachable, less formal than a sommelier, which is perfect for a casual wine-tasting experience. The Sip: We chose the light flight, which included red, white, and rosé. The wines were well-balanced and thoughtfully crafted. Going into the tasting, I expected to prefer the rosé, as that's usually my favorite. However, the Pinot Noir surprised me the most because it was light and smooth, with subtle earthiness and soft tannins, which to me is a true classic Pinot Noir. Overall, it was a strong lineup with no weak points, but the Pinot Noir clearly stood out for me. The Pairing: We ordered crackers, cheese, fig spread, and roasted almonds, which paired perfectly with the wines. This vineyard also allows minors to accompany adults, which I really appreciated. We were joined by my six-year-old nephew, and it was great to see that they offer non-alcoholic beverages as well. He ordered a Sanpellegrino Limonata and proudly enjoyed his own "tasting," which was honestly adorable. The One Drawback: The smell from the horse stable. While the stable adds a unique opportunity to see beautiful horses up close, the smell can sometimes detract from the wine-tasting experience. Since tasting relies heavily on all olfactory senses, horse aroma wasn't exactly the afternote I was hoping for. The vineyard was quite a drive from our residence, but aside from the stable smell, it was a wonderful experience.

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.

Venue and views are breathtaking. Their arrival operations - a total S show. We waited in a massive…read moreline of cars for at least 40 minutes because someone drove a curve too quickly, dangled off a cliff, and needed a tow. No one came to tell us what was happening so folks got out of their cars to investigate - and they spread the news like Paul Revere lol Also, take all the crazy surcharge and parking money you make and install guardrails, Mountain Winery! Staff told us this type of stuff has happened before. Our first time scarred us - not sure there will be a return visit.

I planned one of my best friend's birthdays here and it was a wonderful experience. Stephanie was…read moregreat to work with and very accommodating to our group's dietary restrictions. The venue is situated on a beautiful property and our group had the best photos. During our reservation, we were warmly looked after by Tamara, Owen and Corbin. Each provided great service and were wonderful hosts! For the wines, our group's favorites were the Sauvignon blanc and GSM. Since it was quite hot, the Sauvignon blanc was perfect! Despite the heat, we were very comfortable because of all of the umbrellas providing ample shade. A huge plus for us was that they were dog friendly too so we were able to bring 2 of our pups with us. We'll definitely be back here again!

It was the perfect day to enjoy the sunshine outdoors. The service was excellent, and the ambiance…read moreis truly unmatched. The beautiful natural scenery from the mountaintop is absolutely breathtaking. I will definitely be coming back! There was just one small detail: after my wine tasting, I was served the glass of wine I selected in the same glass used for the tastings. While this may not be a big deal for some, I personally prefer to keep my tastings and full glass separate. Overall, I highly recommend this place to everyone. It's especially perfect for a romantic date with an incredible view.

this place is closed - they should update it here! went over sete for a wine tasting but no success…read more(didn't know it was abandoned until we get there)

If you and your friends and/or family are looking for a wine tasting "experience" that you won't…read moreforget, look no further - Charles Usher Wines is the place! My friends and I had the pleasure of meeting Kathleen and Loren at the 2014 Saratoga Holiday Wine Stroll. We were not familiar with the wines, but were extremely impressed after tasting the wines. I even ended up ordering a case of the "Seven is Heaven" Cabernet Sauvignon for some of the folks in the office for Christmas. Kathleen and Loren had customized labels made for me - rave reviews from all who received a bottle. Yesterday a group of 16 of us had a wine tasting experience of a lifetime. For a group who considers ourselves to be "professional wine tasters", this says a lot. When we first arrived, we were greeted with such a warm reception by both Kathleen and Loren. They made all of us feel as if we were family. As soon as we walked into the tasting room, all the oohs and aahs could be immediately heard. The tasting room and views are absolutely breathtaking - beautiful views of the mountain and vineyards. Loren wow'd us with his extensive knowledge of wines and endless number of "fun facts". Such an educational experience! Kathleen made certain that none of our glasses were empty. Definitely a "bottomless wine tasting". Oh, and let me not forget to mention the food! Endless varietals of cheeses, meats, olives, olive bread, dried fruit, nuts . . . . . Seriously, thought I'd died and gone to heaven. Every wine on the tasting line up was excellent however, my personal favorites were the barbara, the syrah, and of course the "Seven is Heaven" Cab. I could go on and on about how much I enjoyed this tasting experience. This is a tasting experience that you won't want to miss!!

Was looking for an afternoon cap before heading home and we were walking around downtown Saratoga…read morehoping to find a place that was open before 5 PM and we found Roudon-Smith. Al the owner was there working and happy to serve us! My girlfriend and I shared a tasting, it comes with 7 wines. I believe 2 whites, a rose, and 4 reds. Most of the wines he was serving were vintages and the some of the case pricings he is offering are great deals! I really enjoyed the lighter wines, the Voigner, Chardonnay and the Rose were quite good. I bought a bottle of Chard and Rose, and looking forward to opening them on a warm sunny day. Wish I grabbed two of the Chard but I work close by so I can drop in again.

We wanted to go to wine room walking distance from our dinner in downtown Saratoga…read more This place is small and bare bones with a short bar and some high top tables for two, but what really makes it experience is the owner. I wasn't expecting to be there for more than an hour, but he really walked us through and told stories about every wine on the flight which I enjoyed. (It bugs me when they just dumped wine in your glass and have you read the description on your own) Seven tastings of whites and reds for 10 bucks!! I had read reviews of someone complaining that they were mostly vintages, but first of all the wines arranged from 2013 to 2023, and secondly there wasn't a single wine on the tasting that I didn't enjoy. Even the Chardonnay, which is typically my least favorite type of white wine wasn't too buttery. At $10 a flight I didn't feel compelled to buy out my flight but you can with two bottles which we ended up doing since we enjoyed the flights. The bottles were really affordable ranging from 25 to 35 . I really couldn't decide between the Cabernet franc and the Zinfandel which were both complex yet with an easy finish Overall, a really nice experience to have before having dinner in downtown Saratoga

It was nice place to see....was disappointed In the koi…read morepond. It was too sparse. The park lacked charm.

Hakone Estate and Gardens is such a beautiful location for a wedding! I attended a wedding here in…read moreMay and what a stunning back drop. The staff is lovely, the grounds are maintained and clean. There's lots to do and see here, look forward to coming back and exploring the hiking trails in the area.

Best wine ever! I recommend it to all wine lovers. Best wine ever. Wonderful people and great…read morewine maker. Katherine's son*****

There are a lot of wineries in the Santa Cruz mountains. Many are very good. A few are stellar…read more Kathryn Kennedy is is a class of the ultra stellar. I have been a fan of this winery since the early 80s. Some of my most memorable wine experiences include these wines. Marty Mathis, Kathryn's son and owner/winemaker is an artist. Originally known for their Cabernet, make no mistake, any bottle with their name on it will impress and be memorable. Their bubbles in it opinion are as good as it gets. I think one would be hard pressed to classify them as domestic. They are classy. These wines are small production. Seek out these wines. If you ever see an event where you can meet the winemaker, go! In the Santa Cruz mountain appellation there are a few wineries that set the benchmark, these folks are one!