44 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {due west} It’s a crisp fall afternoon and you’re headed to a concert at Saratoga’s Mountain Winery. As you drive through the wooded Saratoga and Cupertino foothills, a series of enticing adventures bid you pull over. On Highway 9, your route wraps around the shimmering Stevens Creek Reservoir and winds along the nearby creek. Opt for a meandering route along Skyline Boulevard and Big Basin Way, and you’ll whisk by boutique vineyards promising enchanting tasting rooms and signs pointing to county parks. Every branch off the main road murmurs of possibilities. The discerning DAY TRIP exploring the foothills words by JOHANNA HARLOW explorer will heed the call and return to the region when there’s time to spare. WINNING WINES Where to start? You’d do well to prioritize the region’s pride and joy: its boutique wineries. Not only do the vines flourish with temperature fluctuations from fog and elevation, but you’ll also stumble across stellar views everywhere you turn. House Family Vineyards makes for a great start. With shaded couches flanking the hilltop’s crest, you’ll sip wine while scoping out neighboring vineyards as hawks coast on the air currents overhead. The tasting menu is excellent—ranging from blanc de noir with hints of white nectarine and a honeydew finish to cabernet sauvignon with black fruits and a touch of spice—but it’s the well-aged wines that truly sing. “Merlot is a crooner, the Sinatra of wines,” reflects winemaker Jim Cargill as I sip a 2012 vintage. “It can be velvety smooth. However, it often needs some back-up singers: cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and maybe petite verdot. These other varieties really help shoulder the wine through the palate. They give it the nuance to finish and deliver a complete wine.” This region’s wine history dates back to the mid-1800s when a hunter and trapper by the name of Elisha Stephens arrived after leading the Stephens-TownsendMurphy Party across the Sierra Nevada, the first wagon train to successfully make the crossing (two years before the ill-fated attempt of the Donner Party). After settling in Cupertino, then known as West Side, Elisha planted a vineyard and blackberry patch— and had a slightly misspelled creek named after him. Many more followed suit, including PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: HOUSE FAMILY WINERY / KYLE MACKEY
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