Splendor In The Glass ~ A Wine Lover's Tour

Southern Nevada Home & Garden

July 2006

By Julie Engelhardt

San Benito County

Although this is one of the smaller wine regions on our tour, San Benito County is also one of the oldest wine-growing regions in the state.  The county covers approximately 1,396 square miles and is bordered on the north by Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties, by Merced and Fresno counties to the east, and by Monterey County to the west.  Hollister, which is the county seat, is approximately 95 miles south of San Francisco and 300 miles north of Los Angeles.  San Benito County is also home to the charming town of San Juan Bautista where you'll find the fifteenth California mission.

There are several superb wineries in the county.  Many are located off the beaten path, so one way to enjoy them is by taking a specialized tour with Night Out Limousine in Hollister.  The visit takes you to Leal Vineyards, Calera Winery, DeRose Vineyard, Teague vineyard, Donatti Family Vineyard, Enz Winery, and Pietra Santa Winery.  The enticing part of this tour is that you can visit the wineries, plus have a chance to sample chocolates and other goodies at local factories such as the Marich Confectionery and DeBrito Chocolates.

Once a year, in May, the San Benito County Winegrower's Association holds a Passport Weekend.  Visitors have a chance to sample wines from the places listed above, but other wineries that are generally closed to the public will open their doors for this special event.

Lodging in San Benito County is rather limited, but if you book far enough ahead, you can find accommodations at two of the nicer facilities in the area: Ridgemark Golf & Country Club in Hollister or the Pasada de San Juan in San Juan Bautista.

For more information about the wineries in San Benito County, log onto www.sbcwinegrowers.org.