S Cruz Mountains Wineries: Where to stay
 

I'd like to visit some wineries in this area following a business trip to SF in June, with my wife. We are not really very price sensitive, however we don't plan to be in the room except to sleep. Can anyone suggest some good places to look, with convenient access to restaurants? Thanks.

Definately look into lodging in Los Gatos, CA. The Toll House Hotel is part of the Larkspur Hotel group and is in a central location. Another suggestion is the Hotel Los Gatos which is part of the Joie de Vivre hotel group.

Three Degrees restaurant is located at the Toll House. The Forbes Mill Steakhouse is very popular for good reason and Kuleto's has been on the rise. Check the following for more options:
http://www.losgatos.com/dining/

Be sure to stop at Byington Winery off Bear Creek road for the wine and the views.

Also check: scmwa.com for more info on the region. And be careful driving on those mountain roads!

Thank you very much. The mountain roads are one of the reasons that it is difficult to work out which communities are sited conveniently for touring. We'll drive carefully.

You could also stay in Santa Cruz. It is only a difference of minutes from some of the wineries - vs Los Gatos. Both offer good food and motels.

Thank you.

If it's on a weekend in June, I think you'll get better value staying in Los Gatos. I'm often shocked my the prices they ask for modest motels in Santa Cruz on summer weekends, let alone the nicer places. You can also check out Scotts Valley, which is close to the SC mountain wineries.

Oh, relatives of mine have stayed at the Garden Inn in Los Gatos, and really liked it. This was about 2 years ago.
http://www.losgatos.com/gardeninn/
Dining in Los Gatos, my faves are the following:
The Wine Cellar
Los Gatos Brewing Company
Los Gatos Cafe (for breakfast or lunch/ cash only)
Willow Street (lunch)
Los Gatos Roasting Company (coffee and tea)
Sweet Peas (Crepes, sandwiches, salads)
FYI, Kuleto's closed in Los Gatos. It was replaced by Dio Deka, which I haven't been to yet: http://www.jdvhotels.com/dining/siliconvalley_dio

Terrific information. It looks like we have lots of options. We will be driving down from SF on Sunday June 22. Our plans for departure are flexible - either Tuesday or Wednesday depending on what we find to do. Wineries and food, of course, - I am treasurer of our city's chapter of the American Wine Society and am anxious to report back on this area. We also like to explore local arts.

Thanks again for all of the help.

Here are a few links you may want to check. Saratoga is close by to Los Gatos via CA-9 and is a small village-type town with several excellent restaurants and a good local wine shop. Stop in at Uncorked, 14500 Big Basin Way, enjoy a tasting and get some info from the friendly staff there :). Also for a change of pace you might enjoy visting Hakone Japanese Gardens at Saratoga.
http://www.hakone.com/

losgatos.com/
saratoga-california.com/

I just wanted to put in another thumbs-up for Uncorked. When I lived in Palo Alto for seven years, I spent a lot of time showing oenophile visitors Napa (mostly snobby and overrated, IMHO) and Sonoma (much more true to California living). For my own trips, I enjoyed Santa Cruz mountain wineries (especially Bonny Doon) as well as those in Carmel.

Uncorked in Saratoga is a really down-to-Earth place. I've been to a baby shower (what a saintly mom-to-be, yes?) and two tastings there. The tastings were scheduled events on a weekend night, centered around a particular region/style. Great included munchies, good information, no hard sell. Then, you have all of downtown Saratoga to enjoy. Very cute town, mostly expensive but enjoyable restaurants (another thread, I guess).

No lodging advice- I sleep super cheap. Wherever you wind up, I hope you have a wonderful trip.

Just a few notes on the Los Gatos Garden Inn. We stayed there a few weeks ago and our room was small: 10 x 20' with a tiny closet and bathroom. Also, if you have a large car or truck, parking in their lot is next to impossible. The spaces are incredibly small and the lot incredibly tight. We stayed 1 night on an original 5-night reservation and requested an early checkout (which the front desk accomodated with no hassle, to their credit).

We moved to the nearby Los Gatos Motor Inn. Rooms were larger and rates less expensive.

Uncorked is on my list. And the suggestion about the Japanese garden is a real bonus - Japan is one of our favorite countries and we are missing it right now.

We are seriously considering extending our trip thanks to all of the help we've received here.

http://www.manresarestaurant.com/menu/menu.html

Very highly rated in Zagat's - 28 I think.