The scene was set for a beautiful day in the vineyards.  Gorgeous weather with temperatures in the pleasant 70s, sunny with a gentle breeze, a winery with great wine, and friends who were all free to go together for a picnic in the vineyard.  This was my perfect afternoon at Clos LaChance Winery in Morgan Hill in the South Bay.

Clos LaChance is a beautiful winery off the beaten path situated in the South Bay hills of Morgan Hill.  My friend Padmini has been telling me about this winery for years and finally we were able make time this past week to go wine tasting together.  I was excited to check out this talked about winery in Morgan Hill.  The area surrounding Morgan Hill and Gilroy has become an up and coming winery scene with more than a few wineries offering wine tasting and beautiful gardens to enjoy the wine in.  But Clos LaChance is the “big one” in this area with a large wine tasting room with gorgeous views of the vineyards and the valley beyond.

We set off for our wine tasting adventure from Almaden Valley down a picturesque country road towards Morgan Hill. Truly I felt like I was in a movie with the beautiful scenery in front of me and Padmini as the driver. We passed through horse ranches, reservoirs, lakes, and even came across a group of wild turkeys on this winding country road.  All this to experience wine tasting almost in our backyard – how lucky are we?

After a beautiful 20-minute drive we arrived at majestic Clos LaChance winery. Surrounded by vineyards and rolling hills this really is a beautiful tasting room.  It was so serene and peaceful on the day that we were here, we absolutely loved it.

Aside from the beautiful scenery what we all expect from a good winery is the wine, and Clos LaChance does not disappoint. Reds, whites, roses, and even port are available for the tasting.  Since wine is subjective it’s hard for me to say what’s great and what’s good but I will say that all of us liked their Sauvignon Blanc and Pirates Red Ganache.

On the topic of wine tasting, I have to mention the craziest new discovery I made at this winery – a wine tree tasting!  When my friend Padmini asked the barista for a wine tree tasting I was truly perplexed. I kept wondering what is a wine tree? As it turns out it is the coolest wine-tasting contraption I’ve ever seen and I’ve done wine tastings at a lot of wineries around California.  The wine tree is a tree-like structure made of iron that can hold up to 6 glasses. With each glass a tasting of a red or a white wine. Is this the coolest thing or what?

My friends and I went prepared to have a leisurely picnic on this afternoon with each of us bringing something to share. Here is a look at what we all made for our picnic in the vineyard.

Picnic in the Vineyard Menu
Cheese and crackers – Rose
Artichoke pesto sandwiches – Me
Golden beet salad with asafetida cumin vinaigrette – Padmini
Fresh cut fruit of watermelon and cara cara oranges – Shalini
Jam bars – Rose

After a wonderful relaxing lunch accompanied by delicious wine, we went for a stroll around the gardens and took a few instagram worthy photos.

For those of us who aren’t able to head to Napa or Sonoma, Clos LaChance surely makes for a great alternative with wonderful wine tasting experience.

A very special thank you to my friend Padmini for chauffeuring us and being our tour guide and introducing us to this gem of a local winery.

Clos LaChance Vineyards in Morgan Hill, California

Cheers 🍷!