"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

Ross Vineyards & Winery - Ross Hill Vineyard as soon from below. I just missed a photo of the dog playing with a balloon (the balloon popped). - Wineries Near Me - Morgan Hill, California

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Sitting high above the clouds on a long windy road is Fort Ross Vineyard.We actually turned around the first time because it was sooo foggy and had no clue where we were.Glad we tried again. A nice fellow explained the wines as he poured then ones we had chosen.He also had a list of places to eat afterwards!A nice deck is out back complete with picnic tables to sit and sip and enjoy the amazing view.Your family pet is also invited! read more

Ross Vineyards participated at the Santa Clara Valley Fall Passport Weekend event this year, and that is how I stumbled upon it. It is a small family owned winery in a rustic setting that has got everything you need to enjoy your wine tasting to the fullest- tasty wines, friendly faces, wonderful views to the reservoir and the hills, history, and most of all, the charm. The tasting room is just off of a windy steep dirt road in an old barn that also serves as a museum. The owners will be happy to walk you through and tell you all about the history of the winery and show you the old photos of the family that started it. They have plenty of tables and chairs under the shady trees where you can bring your own picnic and enjoy the wine. It is an idyllic place with wonderful views. They only make red wines, and there is about 7 varieties on their tasting list. Besides the passport weekends, they are open 1st and 3rd weekend every month. read more

Ross Vineyards & Winery - tasting area at the the Santa Clara Valley Fall Passport Weekend event 2014. - Wineries Near Me - Morgan Hill, California

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Hospitality is second to none here! If you are a fan of red wines with a great fruit-forward flavor, Ross is a great stop. Family owned, Jerry Ross started as a home wine marker in the late 90's. They recently opened their tasting room once (as he put it) his wife found out how much it actually cost to make wines. Tucked away off the lake, you go through a few rental homes to an old barn tucked away in the back of the property. Ross has a casual, laid back feel as if you were on a friend's ranch. The grandson pours and gives some tasting notes on each wine. All grapes are estate-grown, and everyone is very friendly and knowledgeable. The prices are on par with the rest of the region, however (I felt) were a bit high for a winery who has yet to establish itself. This doesn't mean the wines were any less quality of it's counterparts in the region however. read more

I'll admit, I am a bit biased as we know the owners. However I wouldn't give a 5 star review if it wasn't warranted. This place is inviting, set up nicely and has great wines. I love reds! We got a history of every wine before each pour. Generous pours too. We set up at a table with our snacks and the wine was brought to us! The tasting price goes towards a bottle of wine also. I love it for the laid back atmosphere and non commercialized feel! Try it! read more

A little hole in the wall winery that is only open on the 1st and 3rd weekends of the month. The service there was fantastic and the wine was good as well. It seems like you are driving up to a house when you go there but keep driving and it will be worth it. Cute little inside seating and lots of outdoor patio seating. I wish they were open all the time! read more

Ross Vineyards & Winery - What a beautiful day to wine taste! - Wineries Near Me - Morgan Hill, California

First of all don't let the dirt road with the ranch houses keep you away! Head straight up to the red barn and have Jim pour you some fabulous wine! You will also get a warm welcome from Judy and Jerry! They will give you the history of the Ranch and vineyard and treat you like family! Bring a picnic and bonus they are dog friendly! Mabel will be there looking for her infamous lizard or following you up the hiking trail! We had a great time! Thank you!! read more

Ross Vineyards & Winery - Me and my girl Z... Sipping wine .. PS we were supposed to go hiking that day - Wineries Near Me - Morgan Hill, California

Great customer service. Very nice people, started giving us hugs and telling us how happy they were to see us:))) Loved their wine. Oh yeah, and their cheese was fantastic too! Will definitely come again and bring more friends. read more

Just the drive up the dirt road was like something out of the Movie Deliverance.. almost decided to turn around driving past mobile homes and generic ghetto filth.. then a building emerges with some tables and chairs outside and an open dirt lot to park the car... now as for the staff .. they were all very nice and pleasant.. and the young man pouring knew an aweful lot about wine... but every single wine poured ended up in the dirt.. there were so many things we hated about this place to ever consider going back .. and this did get the " Never Again " status read more

This place is a hidden gem! We had so much fun here yesterday. We started talking to some really nice people and the owners. We ended up staying way past closing time. The wine was great and people were even better! We will definitely be back here. read more

What an unexpected treat to follow the signs to Ross Winery one Sunday afternoon while headed back from another winery. Intrigued with this unpretencious rustic boutique winery, we bought a bottle of everything we tasted and tomorrow we're headed back for more. This time around we are bringing some friends. Looking forward to another fun, relaxing afternoon shared with the Ross family. read more

We came upon this little GEM of a Boutique Winery when we were out for our Sunday drive and boy what a pleasant ending to our beautiful day! This winery was "down home" charming and the family running it was as refreshing as the wine we tasted. The Ross family is friendly and welcoming to their winery and are more than willing to tell you about the abundant local history surrounding their wonderful small gem of a winery. You cant blink an eye while driving past because you might just miss this wonderful little taste of Santa Clara County culture! A little piece of heaven right here in South Santa Clara County! Thank you Ross Family! read more

During the past two years my wife and I have been to more than a dozen of the different wineries around Morgan Hill and Gilroy. Ross is only open on the first and third weekend of the month and we finally found ourselves in the area on a day they were open. Their signs are not pretty, their driveway is gravel, their winery is in a small building that's been around more than a few years, and you'll be sitting at plastic tables and chairs. But... if you want to spend an enjoyable hour or two completely relaxed, sitting in the shade of an old walnut tree, tasting and drinking some good wines, and chatting with the friendly and interesting owners/winemakers... then Ross is a nice place to spend some time. They offer a wide variety of wines, mostly 3-5 years old (aging helps to balance out the acidity usually found in this area), at very reasonable prices. read more

The best hidden winery in Northern California. The moment we got out of the car we were greater by the owners/ winemakers. An exceptionally friendly and down to earth place. Great views in the hills above Calero reservoir. On top of it all, the wines were great! read more

Had a great time wine tasting and visiting with the owners of Ross Winery. They produce only red wines and their tasting room is part of a historic barn. The owners were proud to give us a tour of the barn with many photos of the original ranch owners. The wines sell for $20-25 and were 2005-2007s. We liked all their wines, especially the Zinfandel, Sangiovese and the Cabernet. We really enjoyed talking with the owners Jerry and Judy about the ranch and area. There are plenty of picnic tables to relax, taste and have lunch. We will be back! They are open the 1st and 3rd weekend of each month. This is a very rustic tasting room where you come to taste and visit with the owners/wine maker. read more

Giving this place two stars because the people were very nice. However the wine was terrible and the tasting area was mediocre at best. One of their signature wines literally tasted like cigarette ashes. It also wasn't too reassuring to see the wine maker drinking Budweiser while doing our tasting. Shouldn't he be drinking his wine??? Needless to say, wouldn't recommend visiting this winery. read more

Rustic little barn at the end of the road....welcomed like friends and family, and treated to wonderful wines and great stories by Jerry and Judy... We will certainly return and take friends to enjoy this winery. read more