
About Sarah's Vineyard
Download Sarah's Vineyard Introduction
Gilroy, CA
The philosophy and dream of Sarah’s Vineyard brings together the world of fine wine, fine food, and fine arts. Founded in 1978 in a hidden corner of the southwestern Santa Clara Valley, Sarah’s Vineyard produces handmade wines using traditional techniques. The Santa Cruz Mountain foothills near a windy mountain pass afford Sarah's Vineyard a coastal microclimate of foggy mornings, sunny afternoons tempered by strong ocean breezes and chilly nights that are ideal conditions for premium Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Rhone varietals.

Sarah's Vineyard harvests various blocks in each vineyard based upon careful monitoring of grape sugar and acidity with a focus on the pH of the grapes. To insure the highest quality of fruit at the crush pad, all harvesting is done by hand from 6am til noon. Gentle destemming and sorting provides an output of perfect whole berries. Whole berry fermentation, with no crushing of berries or pumping of must, contributes to the high quality of our wines. Free run juice is aged separately from lightly pressed (1.6 bar) wine prior to blending and bottling. We use only French oak 228 liter barrels which are topped twice monthly in our humidity controlled barrel room. Bottling is done on premises using our own small fully automated bottling line, which includes nitrogen sparging and vacuum corking to limit oxygen pickup. Typically our wines receive six months to one year of bottle aging before release.
Winemaker Tim Slater takes us along at harvest time.