by Nancy Gilbert
Think about a beautiful, secluded valley drenched in sunshine, with open meadows, sloping hills studded with oak trees, rows of verdant grape vines rolling as far as your eye can see, and nary a house or other building in sight. Does this sound like San Jose to you?
Well, technically, it isn't, but Lion's Gate Valley is a mere fifteen minutes away from downtown San Jose, and it is the home of one of the newest and best wineries in Northern California.
Clos LaChance is the happy brainchild of co-owners Bill and Brenda Murphy, who began this "hobby run amok" as Bill likes to call it, in 1987 when they planted some Chardonnay vines in their back yard in Saratoga. And guess what? The wine was good. Good enough to have friends and neighbors want to buy it, and good enough for the Murphys to take the leap of faith and establish their enterprise as a commercial winery in 1992. You can't make a few thousand cases of wine in your garage at home, so the Murphys soon began looking for suitable property for both vineyards and wine production facilities.
They didn't have to travel very far: the developers of a new resort called CordeValle, in Lion's Gate Valley, were building a golf course and resort there, and as part of the permit process through Santa Clara County, were required to set aside a certain amount of acreage for traditional agricultural use - grapevines. Bingo. Enter Clos LaChance for a fortunate partnership of land usage. Purchased in 1996, the property soon saw the creation of both a 60,000 case per year production facility, and in 2002, the winery's hospitality center, with tasting room and banquet room, was officially opened to the public.
This means that you can now escape the traffic and congestion of Silicon Valley without having to make a day-long trek north (through even more traffic and congestion) to what has traditionally been called "wine country." Welcome to the new wine country. Welcome to Clos LaChance.
Situated at Number One Hummingbird Lane, the winery and hospitality center look as if someone waved a magic wand and created old world buildings that have already gracefully aged and weathered. The red-tiled roofs and climbing vines give a Tuscan feel to the entrance. Inside the spacious tasting room are walnut-paneled walls and a zinc-topped bar. The tasting room opens onto the Grand Salon, where Clos LaChance hosts both weddings and winemaker dinners. The entire area is surrounded by a large terrace with tall French doors that open onto it. Low stone walls and steps separate the terrace from a verdant lawn, which is the romantic setting for wedding ceremonies. Stepped down again from the lawn is a picnic area and bocce ball court. From every vantage point the view is one of unending rural serenity - vineyards, rolling hills and stands of oak trees. San Jose? Where's that?
Clearly, Clos LaChance is aiming to be a destination winery. Not only does it offer some exceptional wines, but the Murphy family goes all out to provide educational and social events that are lots of fun and "user friendly." For starters, there is the Essence Table, where you can sniff more than 30 different scents that are associated with wine vocabulary - like clove and honey and pear, etc. There are displays explaining barrel making, winemaking and vineyard management, plus cellar and vineyard tours and wine tasting classes. (Explore the web site for details.)
Marketing Director Cheryl Murphy Durzy also offers "Wine Geek Sundays" in July and August, where visitors can get the real low-down on subjects such as barrel toasting levels, wine bottle closures and yeast strains. The mother of a two-year old, Cheryl also strives to make visitors' experience child friendly, with activities for children plus sparkling cider tasting. "Time for Wine" is a summer evening event on Thursdays, where wine lovers bring their own picnic dinner and enjoy the evening air on the terrace. In the winter, this event morphs into "Fireside Fridays" with the dinner coming indoors to the huge stone fireplace in the elegant Grand Salon.
Despite a myriad of good reasons to visit Clos LaChance, the most compelling one is the quality of the wines. Don't miss Amber's Cuvee (yes, it's named after the winery dog, but there is no other resemblance). This exceptional sparkling wine is 100% Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay. It's bright, crisp and refreshing with citrus and peach flavors. ($30, available only at the winery.)
The estate-grown 2004 Sauvignon Blanc, blended with 24% Semillon, is a silky, lush white wine offering. ($16) The 2003 Pinot Noir has excellent varietal character of cherry, pepper and nutmeg, clean and smooth and rich in body. ($25) Clos LaChance also makes all the other classic varieties - Chardonnay, Merlot, Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon. All wines are made from local vineyards, some bearing the Santa Cruz Mountains appellation and some the Central Coast name. All are well worth sampling.
Check out the winery's well-designed and informational web site (www.clos.com) for driving directions and to find out what's going on when you plan to visit. Or telephone (408) 686-1050. The winery is located at 1 Hummingbird Lane, San Martin. The tasting room is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends.