Passport temptations
Santa Clara Valley celebrates spring with wines
LOCAL TRAVEL Wineries of Santa Clara Valley Spring Passport 2019 includes 25 wineries and 14 restaurants in one great month.
The weather may feel a season away from spring, but come Mar. 1, the Wineries of Santa Clara Valley begin their month-long Spring Passport event with a kick off celebration at the Coyote Creek Golf Club, beginning at 6:30pm. For the first time, guests can opt for a VIP ticket that gets them early entry, at 6pm, to enjoy food from 14 local restaurants and reserve tastings from 20 of the 25 wineries who will be pouring, along with live music on the patio.
VIP tickets to the kick off, plus passport, are $100 each, while general admission plus passport, costs $75. Passports alone cost $50, and are good for the entire month of March. Purchase before Mar. 1 and you might win a night stay for two at the gorgeous Rosewood CordeValle resort.
According to Stacy Giannini, Director of Marketing for the Wineries of Santa Clara Valley, 2019 is starting off on a high note, with local wineries taking home 3 Double Gold Medals, 10 Gold Medals and 47 Silver Medals at the SF Chronicle Competition, many of which will be shared at the kickoff party.
Thirty-two wineries will participate in Spring Passport, from Saturday, Mar. 2-Mar. 31. Guests can expect three one-ounce pours, meet talented winemakers and get a personalized peak into the world of winemaking. Many wineries will have food and entertainment, and pour special or library wines.
Geoff Mace, Owner of Calerrain Wines and President of the Wineries of Santa Clara Valley, observes, “We’re very excited to welcome back the crowds that purchase Passports year after year, as well as those that are discovering the 32 wineries right here in their back yard. We are seeing a huge influx of new guests who would like to stay the weekend, which is why we’ve partnered with so many lodging establishments. It’s great to see visitors enjoying the beauty of the area and the diversity of the wines, and building personal relationships with the wineries and winemakers. The Santa Clara Valley AVA is home to so many award winning wineries, and we love to show them off as much as possible.”
In addition to maps and winery listings, the Passport booklet contains a wealth of information on over 30 Passport Partners, including local restaurants, bakeries, wine bars, massage salons, hotels and transportation businesses, all offering special discounts exclusively to Passport holders throughout the month—a $350 value.
Passports are good for one visit per winery or Passport Partner during the month of March. New this year to the Passport program are Verde Vineyards, across from Satori Cellars, and Tank House Winery, off of Harding Ave., which opens Mar. 2.
Also new, the House on Fifth Street and Cottage Creek Vineyards will both be offering a 10 percent discount on a two-day stay.
Tickets can be purchased online at springpassport2019.eventbrite.com, at any of the wineries or the Visit Gilroy Welcome Center.
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