Vintage Santa Clara

All you can eat and drink wine festival? Yes, please! There is nothing like a spending a sunny afternoon under palm trees at the picturesque Mission Garden surrounded by Spanish Mission architecture at Santa Clara University. For $ 50, you get a special commemorative wine glass and a wristband that allows you four hours of unlimited access to food, drink and eye candy. While you are there, brush up on little bit of California history at Mission Santa Clara, next to Mission Garden. Tickets generally go on sale early August and the event is scheduled annually for early September. 2012 was Vintage’s 29^th year. Great job, SCU!
It was pretty warm hanging out under the sun all afternoon. There were plenty of shade tents and stand alone water coolers plus a water bottle refill station near the live band, to provide relief from dehydration.
Beer options were available for non-​wine drinkers, such as Red Hook Pilsner, Red Hook seasonal summer beer Wit and a Shock Top beer.
Last year, a guy arranged with the band to play his girlfriend’s favorite song… and then he got down on one knee and proposed to her (with the microphone)! Very romantic!
Red Hook Wit was delicious, but I’m all about the food.
The Mmoon offered three kinds of empanadas — chicken, beef and mushroom, plus a zesty dipping sauce. They were full size empanadas, cut in half and we just helped ourselves. All very delicious. Took us to the Mmoon and back. ;)
Kirk’s Steakhouse was serving up plates of perfectly cooked filet mignon and fried calamari with cocktail sauce. Decadent! I got in this line only twice, due to the mega long line.
Mio Vicino — plates stacked high with several kinds of pasta salads. Yum!
Little Sky — Lavender chocolate brownies and sugar cookies. Actually very good!
Kyoto Palace — California rolls. They had soy sauce but I didn’t see any wasabi. Maybe they can premix some soy sauce with wasabi for those who like it hot.
Forgot to check out Adobe Lodge. I think they were handing out lamb chops! I’m so sad I missed this one. :’(
Rumba Desserts — delicious ice cream (Lucuma) and sorbet (Mango) all made without eggs or preservatives. I kept coming back for more, it was sooo yummy.
Park Place Cupertino — deeeelicious gazpacho. A little heat, plus micro greens on top so that even their samples are beautifully presented.
A Catered Affair — mini take out boxes filled with Chinese chicken salad.
Marianis Inn and Restaurant — doughy bread sticks and seasoned cream cheese spread… really good, but who wants fill up on bread when there are so many options!
2012 Wineries, Restaurants, and Specialty Vendors
A Catered Affair
Adobe Lodge
Allure Winery
Bargetto Winery
Battaglini Estate Winery
Bell Wine Cellars
Birk’s Restaurant
Bivio Italia Wines
Bön Apetit Mission Catering
Brady Vineyard
Britannia Arms Downtown San Jose
Cardella Winery
Carmenet Reserve Vintners Collection
Champignon
Classic Wines of California
Curtis Winery
Dare2Wine
Emergency BBQ
En Garde Winery
Falcone Family Vineyards
Fat Cat Cellars
Forest Glen Winery
Fortino Winery
GiaDomella Wines
Guglielmo Winery
Haraszthy Family Cellars
J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines
Jarhead Wine Company
Kari’s Desserts
King of Mushrooms
Kyoto Palace
Lewis Port
Little Sky and Lavender Farms
M.E. Fox
Mais Fica Winery
Malvasia Del Fiore
Marianis Inn and Restaurant
Mio Vicino Santa Clara
MJA Vineyards
Nicholson Vineyards
Pacific Cheese Co.
Park Place Cupertino
Patianna Organic Vineyards
Pear Valley Vineyard and Winery
Perrucci Family Vineyard
Picket Fence Vineyards
Poetic Cellars
Portalupi Wine
Punch Vineyards
Ranchita Canyon Vineyard
Rancho Del Rio-​Reedy Vineyards
Rancho Sisquoc Winery
Red Truck Wines
Rios Wine Company, LLC
Robert Hall Winery
Rock Hollow Winery
Rumba Desserts
San Joaquin Wine Company, Inc.
Schwab Cellars
Strike Brewing Co.
Sun Fed Organic Beef
Testarossa Winery
The Mmoon Empanadas
The Other Guys
The Pasta Market
Thomas Kruse Winery
Ventana Vineyards
Villa del Monte