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THE
BEST TASTING ROOMS
Mirassou Winery
and Tasting Room
3000 Aborn Road, San Jose, CA, 95135
Ph: (408) 274-4000 Fx: (408) 270-5881
Mirassou Champagne Cellars
300 College Avenue, Los Gatos, CA,
95030
Ph: (408) 395-3790 Fx: (408) 395-5830
The Mirassou winemaking traditions
began in 1854 when Pierre Pellier planted his French vine
cuttings in the fertile Santa Clara Valley soils. In 1881,
Pierre's eldest daughter Henrietta married neighboring French
vintner Pierre Huste Mirassou. The two Pierre's
joined forces to produce some of California's best early
wines. Their descendants are still making first-class wines.
Only 20 acres of the original Pellier planting remain
surrounding the Mirassou winery. Most of their wines are
produced from grapes grown at their Monterey County
vineyards.
The
winery itself has the look of a grand old Spanish Mission.
Surrounded by mature trees and meticulous grape vines, the
vine-covered wall speak to the tradition of Mirassou wines.
Inside, the large tasting room is flanked by shelves of current
and library wines for sale, and two long tasting tables.
Standing in front of the tasting tables, visitors are treated to
an excellent view of the redwood aging casks in the production
room.
Wine
tasting at Mirassou is a friendly, casual affair. Tasters help themselves
to large tulip glasses that line the rear wall. At the tasting
tables, friendly, knowledgeable hosts pour generous taste's from
their list of available wines. Most days, though, many
additional wines are open for tasting upon request.
Reserve and
library wines can also be tasted for a nominal fee and are free
for Mirassou Tasting Panel members. French bread or Lavosh
crackers are plentiful for palate cleansing.
Winery
tours are both frequent and casual. Visit during the week to
watch the winery in operation. The adjacent retail room has a
giant wood-burning hearth to warm chilly fall and winter
visitors and offers a wide variety of wine accessories for sale
including memberships in the Mirassou Tasting panel.
You can
also buy any of their current release wines priced from $6.50 to
the mid-teens, or choose from a dramatic selection of library
and rare vintages at premium but reasonable prices.
Mirassou
produces consistently excellent quality wines. Among our long
list of favorites, Harvest reserve Pinot Blanc, Family Selection
Monterey Riesling, and their Pinot Noirs stand out.
Mirassou proudly received two "Best of Class" awards
at this year's California State Fair Wine Competition. Their
Harvest Reserve Chardonnay won a Double Gold with a 98 score,
and their Showcase Selection Pinot took Gold with a score of 94.
For
a special treat, take a short drive to visit the Mirassou
Champagne Cellars located at the Novitiate in the hills above
Los Gatos. Driving up the short but steep road you pass
million-dollar homes, and depending on which path you take, a
Nunnery.
Beyond massive iron gates, a winding driveway through
meticulous grounds leads you to a breathtaking view of Los Gatos
and the Silicon Valley below. No less impressive though is the
tasting room itself.
Through heavy wooden doors, a stone-cut
tunnel ramps upward to a cavernous, but elegantly decorated
tasting and retail room. Much like at the winery, tasting is
comfortable and friendly with many wines available for sampling.
Take
some time and visit Mirassou's two wine tasting rooms. You will
quickly see why they are one of America's best and most awarded
wineries. www.mirassou.com
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