While many festivals offer a variety of wines, the Los Altos Arts & Wine Festival is one of the few events featuring wines from local wineries. The six wineries at the festival return from last year. Following is a summary of each winery and the wines representatives are pouring.
Page Mill Winery
Page Mill Winery has participated in the Los Altos Arts & Wine Festival since the initial festival in 1979. Dick and Ome Stark founded Page Mill Winery in 1976, when the family began to grow grapes. They soon excavated a large cellar under their home in Los Altos Hills and began making wine.
For 28 years, the winery was located on Page Mill Road in Los Altos Hills, just a short drive from downtown Los Altos. Its new, expanded location in Livermore has enabled the family to become an even bigger player on the local wine scene. Page Mill Winery’s tasting room is located in the heart of the wine trail in Livermore, and its French-style wines are available extensively on the Peninsula.
Page Mill Winery representatives are pouring a 2014 Sauvignon Blanc, a 2014 Chardonnay and a 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon. Find the Page Mill booth at the corner of Main and Second streets.
For more information, visit pagemillwinery.com.
Naumann Vineyards
This is Naumann Vineyards’ 11th year at the Los Altos Arts & Wine Festival. The Naumann vineyard is located on Montebello Road in Cupertino, 2,000 feet above the Silicon Valley floor. All work in the vineyard is performed by hand, with the goal of producing low-yield, high-quality fruit.
Vintner Don Naumann has enjoyed much success with his wines – particularly the Tre Rosso Cali, which won a Silver Medal in the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition and a Gold Medal in the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition.
Naumann Vineyards representatives are pouring a 2012 Merlot, a 2014 Rosé, a 2014 Chardonnay and the 2010 Tre Rosso Cali. Look for the Naumann Vineyards booth at State and Fourth streets.
For more information, visit naumannvineyards.com.
Thomas Fogarty Winery and Vineyards
The story of Thomas Fogarty Winery and Vineyards is an example of the innovation and entrepreneurship that Silicon Valley is known for – even in the early 1970s. That’s when Dr. Thomas Fogarty, who was working as a cardiovascular surgeon and noted inventor, first attempted at-home winemaking in a cabin high above Palo Alto on Skyline Boulevard. He planted his first grapes in 1978. The property is now home to 325 acres of vineyards.
Thomas Fogarty representatives are pouring a Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay, a Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir, a Skyline Wines Artisan White and a Skyline Wines Artisan Red. The Thomas Fogarty booth is located at Main and Third streets.
For more information, visit fogartywinery.com.
Martin Ranch Winery
Martin Ranch Winery returns to the festival for the sixth year.
Dan and Therese Martin are known for their passion for winemaking. Their 17 acres in the southern tip of the Santa Cruz Mountains provides the ideal microclimate for growing Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. In 2003, they constructed a small winery building there and increased production to 2,000 cases. They now produce many award-winning red and white varieties.
Martin Ranch representatives are pouring their Therese Vineyards 2013 Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc and J.D. Hurley 2013 Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. The booth is located at Main and Second streets.
For more information, visit MartinRanchWinery.com.
Domenico’s Winery
Domenico’s Winery, named by Dominick and Gloria Chirichillo as a reflection of their commitment to their Italian heritage, returns to the festival for the third consecutive year.
The winery’s origins are rooted in family. Dominick was introduced to the traditions by his nonno (“grandfather” in Italian), Domenico Giovinazzo, in 1955. In the basement of their New York home, Nonno showed Dominick a wine press. That began the passing down, from one generation to another, of the family’s love of handcrafting wine.
A move to California enabled Dominick to choose his grapes from carefully selected vineyards in Napa Valley, Alexander Valley, Russian River Valley, Amador County and the Lodi District and on Sonoma’s Central Coast. He is a member of the Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association, a region in which he sources Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes.
Domenico’s Winery representatives are pouring a 2013 Santa Cruz Chardonnay, a 2014 Rosé, a 2011 Mambo Italiano and a 2011 Russian River Zinfandel. Look for the Domenico’s booth at Main and Third streets.
For more information, visit DomenicoWinery.com.
Fernwood Cellars
Fernwood Cellars is returning to the festival for the eighth year.
The Gilroy-based winery makes a variety of estate wines and is dedicated to producing wines that reflect the vineyard’s unusual microclimate while showcasing the inherent characteristics of each variety.
Second-generation winemaker Matt Oetinger founded Fernwood Cellars in 1999. The property that his vineyard occupies has been in his family for six generations – stretching back to 1863, when his great-grandfather Charles built the family’s first home there.
Oetinger’s father, Lew – owner of Hummingbird Hill Vineyards – first introduced him to winemaking. Oetinger earned a degree in biology from UC Davis and worked at several vineyards before founding Fernwood Cellars.
Fernwood Cellars representatives are pouring a 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon, a 2014 Chardonnay, their popular 2011 Sidecut and a 2012 Mirepoix (a Bordeaux blend). The Fernwood Cellars booth is located at State and Second streets.
For more information, visit fernwoodcellars.com.
For more information on the festival, call 949-5282 or visit downtownlosaltos.org. s
