The Mountain Winery

Hilltop winery and outdoor concert amphitheatre with Paul Masson history

Paul Masson's original 1905 hilltop winery, perched on Pierce Road above Saratoga, is now best known for its 2,500-seat outdoor concert amphitheatre — one of the most scenic summer venues in the Bay Area. The chateau-style stone winery building has hosted concerts since 1958, when the Paul Masson Mountain Winery Summer Series began with jazz and classical performances; today's lineup runs to mainstream pop, rock and comedy from June through October.

By day the grounds are open for tours and tastings; the views across Silicon Valley from the terrace are excellent. The hiking trails through the surrounding vineyards (now leased and replanted) make for a pleasant hour. Concert tickets get snapped up months in advance, especially for the big names.

Address: 14831 Pierce Road, Saratoga, CA 95070.

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A story
French immigrant Paul Masson hauled the chateau-style winery's hand-cut stones up the hillside in 1905 — many salvaged from the rubble of a Spanish Romanesque church destroyed in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. He founded the property in 1852 and produced what he insisted was California's first true champagne, marketing it across the United States.