"My wine-making philosophy is 'good grapes, good wine. The wine is made in the vineyard through good viticulture and by mother nature's fermentation process. The wine maker must be a good babysitter to this process." -- Jerry Ross
So working and living in the area of Morgan Hill I have recently seen a bunch of signs popping up directing drivers to Morgan Hill's newest winery: Ross Vineyards. Turns out there are 50+ signs all about the area so after hiking Uvas Canyon, I saw a couple more and had to stop in.
The Winery is situated on a Hill overlooking Chesebro Reservoir. The vineyard and winery are located on the site of the historic Coffe Ranch whose original owner Joseph Coffe came to the United States from France in 1870 and five years later Mr. Coffee founded The Wine Depot Winery in San Jose. The family lived and farmed on the 300-acre ranch along Llagas Creek in Morgan Hill for three generations the Coffe and cultivated 50 acres of vineyards. The original ranch buildings and farming/winery equipment are still at Ross Vineyards and it was a kick today tasting in the historic barn filled with antiques and photos.
Jerry Ross is quite a character and is the main reason for the 5 stars. He was a non-stop story teller, with a Bud of all things, while his grandson was pouring wine and his wife Judy encouraged everyone to sit down and eat the hot dogs and beans that were prepared (I had a dog with the homemade beans. Very good).
Jerry was a home winemaker starting in the late 90's and the winery was bonded in 2005. The tasting room opened in May, 2013 and it is a must-visit in the area for the views, the ambiance and the awesome vibes one gets from the Ross's. Married 50 years, this is how wine tasting should be: fun and unpretentious!!! (Here is what my 8 readers are waiting for) None of that fussy stuffiness and overblown pretentious nouveau-riche chateau you find at The Winery That Shall Not Be Named (although we usually do). A messy ranch with rental homes, a tasting room in a historic barn, hot dogs and beans from a crockpot and a funny dog knocking a balloon into the air with his nose until it pops.
The winery sells only red wines, grown on Ross Hill Vineyard which is above the tasting barn, and they include Cabernet, Merlot, Barbera, Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Petit Syrah, Mourvedre, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Grenache, Syrah, and Zinfandel. I enjoyed the 2007 Tempranillo very much and bought two bottles. The other wines were good to very good and I think you will be surprised at the quality. Ross Hill Vineyard is two acres and the winery makes 14 barrels of wine a year. Most of the wines sell for between $20 to $25
So get away from snooty wineries (Hmmm, which one one comes to mind? Oh I remember...) where just getting a cracker, much less a taste, becomes an exercise in civil disobedience. Come out here in the beautiful backcountry of Morgan Hill and let the Ross's, on the 1st and 3rd weekend of every month, show you some true Santa Clara Valley hospitality.
Highly recommended! read more