Elliston Vineyards

Well we just had our company holiday party here and I can’t say enough about what a wonderful night it turned out to be!
We had limited time to put the party together because of a busy schedule and Kirstin Mendoza was quick to respond to my inquiry about availability. She provided several options that we could go with and made it very easy to arrange the party. She was extremely kind and helpful and took all of the stress out of the planning!
Elliston Vineyards provides everything you need, food, drinks, and they also have wonderful vendors for other needs such as flowers, photographers, dj’s etc… one stop shopping which I LOVE!
When we arrived for the party everything was set up and looked stunning… The Christmas tree was up and the place was decorated beautifully with lights, flowers, the works! The staff working that night was fabulous. they were so attentive to our guests and made us all feel warm and welcome. Food was amazing as were the wines they served.
One of the things I love most about the place is the location. It is tucked away in Sunol and even though you are close to more populated areas it has a destination feel that just makes it extra special… its a hidden jewel and we will surely be back for future events.
Thank you Kirsten and staff for a lovely and memorable night!

Came here to check this location out as a possible venue, and while it didn’t turn out to be the venue we would have wanted, it was still a charming place.
It has a very rustic feel, but with an air of nobility. Our tour guide was very nice and gave us all the information we needed when checking the place out. The actual venue dance floor is a bit on the smaller side, but if you’re looking for a smaller wedding, then this place could work for you. They also have wine tasting, but we didn’t get to taste any of their wine.
The ceremony area is also impressive, but overall we found this place to be a tad overpriced. Still, it has a great homey feel to it, and it’s not your typical venue. Check it out.

Reply to Iris Z.:
I am the organizer of this event. The actual participants is about 150. Since the BBQ was delayed, we had to provide the featured Chinese restaurant food first instead, which changed the appetite of people. I apologize to participants who were not fully satisfied in this event. I appreciate any feedback, however please note that the food has nothing to do with Elliston Vineyards, we only rent their place. Thanks!

My husband and I were married at Elliston Vineyards this August and had a wonderful experience. We worked with Kirsten, who was very sweet, thoughtful, responsive and overall amazing. When my husband I were looking at venues we wanted to find a place that would provide coordination and be easy to work with on the day-​of, and we felt like Elliston did a great job making this happen. They helped to put together the layout of the décor and gave us a few options for the room layout that would best fit our 135 person wedding. We had a semi-​large wedding party for this venue, the room best holds about 110 — 115 people, after that it starts feeling a little crowded if you want to dance a lot. I give Kirsten 10 points for all her efforts and execution, but I felt like they were a bit short staffed on the day of our wedding because some of the cleanup did not happen as quickly as I thought it was going to, but that of course, was no reflection on her… Elliston was a beautiful and quaint place to get married, a great spot for a romantic and wedding!

We just had our wedding at Elliston on Saturday, July 25^th, 2015. We were SO HAPPY with our entire experience. Here are some reasons why:
— We initially chose Elliston because of it’s uniqueness (not many people had heard of it or even been to Sunol), and it’s affordability compared to some other venues we were considering.
— They also provide a day-​of coordinator… a MUST-​HAVE. We had Madeline and she was AWESOME. She was so responsive to all of my e-​mails and little or big questions and my overall inexperience with planning a wedding. I was able to trust that she has done these weddings a lot now and would know what to do for my wedding day.
— They have on-​site catering and alcohol and service which made the whole wedding planning process just a bit easier. Now I’m not really big on food so I can’t really expertly review that, but all of our guests ate plenty of it! And they have a good range of options and prices. They also let us bring our own keg of IPA to mix in with the wine, champagne, and blonde beer they provide.
— They also set up ALL of our décor which was a huge help!
— They had vendors to recommend for everything, and even though we only used one of them, Elliston’s experience with vendors was a helpful starting point.
— The entire venue is usually open during business hours, and open for wine-​tasting on weekends. We were able to just stop in every now and then and take a walk around and envision what décor we wanted.
I’d say I only wish the reception hall was a tad bigger, I’m definitely glad we didn’t have more than 112 people or our dance floor would have been small. But they do have the option to extend tables onto to the deck, so larger parties can be done! I also wish they were able to allow amplified music for the ceremony, but it’s a city ordinance they don’t have control over. We used just 1 acoustic guitar and it was suitable, and in the grand scheme of a wedding it’s a pretty small detail I remember. One recommendation I have is for the entire wedding party to be completely dressed when they arrive 2 hrs before the ceremony like Elliston allows (more time for pictures!). We decided the bride and bridesmaids would just «throw-​on» dresses once we get there… and we should’ve known getting 6 girls dressed in a timely manner was wishful thinking.
Elliston Vineyards will always be a special place for us now, and we’re happy they have wine tasting on weekends so we can come reminisce on our wedding day :) Thank you to all Elliston staff and Madeline!

Came here for a good friend’s wedding and loved the venue. It’s tucked away in Sunol, but it’s in a nice location. The parking is mostly on rocks, but there’s plenty of it. They have a nice, grassy area with some good acoustics for an outdoor ceremony. The one downside is that the reception room is a little small, and with the ~11 tables in the room, the dance floor seemed really small once the dancing started. In addition, because of the size, the sound is very loud in the room (this coming from someone who goes to a full-​body cycling studio every week with very loud EDM going off). The outside of the reception room is pretty nice though, and the music doesn’t bleed out into the patio.

Cellar Door
White wine. Oxidized nose. Wet cement, bitter flowers: chamomile, and penicillin. Also rotting fruits. Not recommended.
13 merlot.
Flat, muted nose. Oxidation, firm tannins. Uninspiring.
12 Pinot Noir.
Sweet overripe. Rotting fruits: red fruits, sweet nances, nauseating finish. Not recommended
06 red top.
Nauseating aromas. Over Ripe fruits. Sweaty feet. Cayanne peppers and some earthy finish. Not Recommended

By far the most value for your money if you are simply looking to have a wedding ceremony only. I searched almost every venue in the East Bay and Elliston Vineyards had every place beat for a beautiful setting and services includedI for the cost.
I was lucky to be assigned Donna F. as my day-​of-​wedding coordinator. From our first meeting until the day of my wedding, you could tell Donna was a seasoned events coordinator. Donna had the unfortunate task to deliver a message to me from my florist only 15 minutes before I was set to walk down the aisle – they were short four boutonnières! My florist’s poor project management did not distract Donna with her task at hand, which was to deliver the message to me calmly and to prepare me and my wedding party to walk down the aisle. Mission accomplished!
The setup of my personal decorations and flowers were exactly as I wanted and Elliston had floor and table top easels, wine barrels, and two cool beverage dispensers that they allowed me to use free of cost! The women and men in the wedding party also received a basket of healthy snacks and champagne in the bridal suite and library respectively to enjoy before the ceremony.
The setting was absolutely breathtaking, especially with the large fountain and «bubbling brook» running. The new redwood gazebo with the lush hillside was a beautiful backdrop for our nuptials. Make sure to snap some pics in the mansion in front of the period antiques and outside along the vineyard.

This place is amazing!!! I would highly recommend getting married here! Finding the right wedding venue can be an overwhelming process, but Elliston Vineyards is a hidden gem! The grounds are absolutely beautiful, and the staff is so amazingly helpful, supporting, and sweet. As you can imagine, I had so many questions, and they always replied promptly and with enthusiasm. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to work with! The inherent beauty of the property, coupled with the up-​to-​date room for the reception is an ideal way to have a wedding! I can’t thank them enough! The wine is also great!

We landed up at the winery, thinking it was open, but found out it was only open for tasting Saturday’s and Sunday’s. Despite that, the staff was so friendly, Sonya was especially great, and they let us buy bottles from them and relax at the winery for as long as we wanted. The ambience was great, the mansion was wonderful, and the champagne was delightful. The prices were also very good. I’d definitely recommend coming here for a peaceful, relaxing winery experience. It was absolutely unforgettable!

OMG! I think I died and went to Heaven! Elliston Vineyards encompasses everything I long and lust for in elegance, civility and social sophistication, that our everyday world is so sorely lacking. Elliston Vineyards is located near the bucolic hamlet of Sunol east of Fremont on Niles Canyon Rd. The winery is up Kilkare Rd. a little road that leaves Sunol. Driving up, you can just feel the elegance and civility. The buildings and grounds are such a pleasing sight. I was here some years back for a special event dinner with a some years back BF. It was a wonderful affair, a type I’d never been to before, so formal and fancy, I thought I was in a movie at the time. Now, I’ve come to relish these types of winery events. Yes, I can drink with my pinkie in the air too!
This time I’m here with my fam for the Mother’s Day event. We’re all dressed for the occasion, even my sis is in a dress, although a bit on the short side. I’m here with Mom, Dad, and my sis. There were two seatings 11am and 1pm. We selected the 1pm seating, that way there wouldn’t be any rush to get out for the next seating to arrive. This is a place where you want to take your time. The event was a buffet brunch, including Mimosas made with Elliston’s own champagne (sparkling wine). Reservations were a must for this event. I heard this event was sold out, so I’m glad we thought ahead and got reservations. The price was $ 45.00 per person and was all inclusive including tax and tip. That’s classy, having just one price and no add ons.
The starting tasty treats were a delectable and beautiful selection of pastries and salads. We took our time and started with coffee, Mimosas, and pastries, knowing we had plenty of time to get food and enjoy ourselves. This wasn’t some crowded buffet in Reno or something where everybody is in a rush to stuff themselves full. It felt so European, just enjoying the ambiance of elegance and service and sipping coffee with lovely pastries. It was nice just being with my family, meaning there wasn’t any idle small talk you do with more casual friends, that take away from your concentration on the food and experience. Most of our talk was about how nice this was!
The salad was a spring mix with walnuts and cheese dressed in a honey balsamic dressing. I passed as I wanted to save room for more scrumptious stuff, like the carved meats and hot breakfast items. As, I wondered around the buffet, I saw the carving station with tri-​tip, turkey and ham. Then over at the breakfast foods, there were scrambled eggs, sausages, waffles and potatoes and biscuits. There were even chicken pot pies! The selections may not have been as extensive as some super big holiday buffet at a casino in Reno, but it was sure more classy! The quality of the food was perfect. I mostly had the tri-​tip for my meat. It was cooked perfect and not all gristly, just nice and tender. Mom had the ham, which she said was moist and not too salty. Sis ate 2 of the pot pies! We all ate till we were full and we took our time drinking Mimosas wallowing in the classy elegance this place embraces. Sis was commenting on how well dressed everyone was here. No, I didn’t see anyone picking up a wine glass with their thumb inside the glass and fingers wrapped around it, slurping their champagne. The champagne served was very high quality, unheard of for a all you care to eat buffet. I opted not to be taking pictures of the food and buffet here, as it seemed a bit uncouth in a classy setting like this.
The whole affair turned out to be incredibly luxurious in service and surroundings. None of us over ate so we didn’t have to do the el stuffo waddle outta here. I am so happy we came here, and maybe we’ll return next year as well! Mom had a super nice Mother’s Day brunch here. Gotta get those reservations in early. The price sure was right, considering it was all inclusive.
Wine tasting here is available too! So, that’s another reason to come on out here. This little known Sunol area actually has 4 or 5 wineries to check out. I’ve had the wine made here at Elliston before and it is premium wine and priced accordingly. Even if you don’t dine out here, do stop in and taste the wine and find out about upcoming events! The tasting I think is $ 7.00 for 7 tastings, but if you buy a bottle, the cost is credited to your purchase. Really, make a drive out here, it’s so worth the experience.

I had the pleasure of visiting and touring Elliston Manor during my visit to California. We went here for wine tasting and my experience was amazing! The grounds and house are beautiful. The wine was great and affordable. Looking forward to coming back again soon!

This place was beautiful with lots of history! Our tour guide Jason took us on a tour of Elliston Manor, the house was filled with beautiful antiques and the tasting was great! Will visit again for sure!

While the building and grounds are absolutely stunning, the wine is really not that good. The server was very friendly and helpful, and I had a great time at the tasting (which was complimentary!) but I thought the majority of white wines tasted like vinegar sadly, and the dessert wine was like syrup. The reds were passable (especially the syrah), but not something I’ll be serving at my next dinner party.

As an operation manager for a high tech company and one thing we always looking for is how to motivate our sales team and for November Sales meeting, our VP sales would like to hold outside meeting, after research for Fremont Marriott, Fremont Hyatt and Double Tree Newark and I finally decided on Elliston Vineyards. Their pricing and packages are very reasonable (only ¹⁄₃ price compare to hold in Hotel meeting room) and all inclusive which makes it easier for me. From my first correspondence with them to my last, all of my emails were responded to in a timely manner. Their coordinators are well seasoned and put together my entire event in less than a week! The wine was really tasty and their food has great flavor. What I loved most about Elliston is that out meeting space was set-​up in their mansion. The character and personality of the building was really inspiring and it made me feel like I was in a different world — although in reality only a quick fifteen minute drive from Fremont.
Share with you our meeting agenda:
8:00 am to 12:00 PM (Meeting, KPI review)
12:00 PM to 1:00 PM Lunch
1:30 PM to 3:00 PM team building
3:30 PM to 5:00 PM Wine testing and wine knowledge education with food paring
5:30 PM to 7:00 PM Dinner invite family member to join
Great experience and we had lots of fun and we will definitely be coming back to Elliston for wine tasting, and now I know where to book my next off-​site meetings!

Gorgeous building and setting. Food was very old fashioned — roast beef and heavy sauces. Wine was so-​so. Service people were nice, but amateur (a young lady dropped a bunch of champagne on the mother of the groom). Liked the bartender Mason in particular. Had a nice time overall, so not horrific.

This place is beautiful! It has a wonderful outdoor location for a garden setting wedding next to a historical mansion as a backdrop and they have a nice building for the reception that has a patio/​deck for cocktail hour and those wanting to escape from dancing.
From the moment you first meet with them, up to the last minute of the wedding, they are nice and very helpful (they answered all my emails very quickly), and they are very personal, remembering every couple by name anytime you drop by. They provide you with a day of coordinator that is included in your package which helps so much!
The food is great! They have a lot of different options, especially for vegetarians as well, and have a lot of flavor.
Perhaps the best part is all of this comes at a great value. Weddings are expensive, especially the venue and food, but they have very reasonable packages for all budgets and don’t try and upsell you too much. Don’t think that because the price is so low, that there is something lacking in the quality like I found with other venues.
Oh and the location is nice and centrally located for people all over the bay area!

Took my wife here for a great Mother’s Day brunch. They had a great selection of food. I tried to sample most of it, but there was so much, I was stuffed with half the dishes to go. I really liked the sausage dish, the ham, the bread pudding was amazing, and I had a great salad.
It was nicely laid out, with tables inside and out. The buffet wasn’t crowded, moved quickly, and there was no waiting for seconds.
One of the employees, Madeline, was especially helpful, and so nice to deal with.
Best of all my wife loved it, it will be high on our list for next year.

I worked with Kristen and Donna a year ago to plan for my ceremony and hors d’oeuvres reception in the afternoon. Both were always responsive and helpful. Excellent service and planning!
I did everything remotely and did not see the ceremony site until 1-​week prior to my wedding. During the tour, the mansion was what stuck out to me the most, especially inside with all the beautiful vintage Victorian designs and furniture. It was very cool to turn back the time. At first, I was not impressed on my tour of outside but that was about to change. On the day of my ceremony, everything was setup outside, the chairs, flowers, and everyone dressed up so nicely. My ceremony was so beautiful, the weather was perfect, and guests were all happy… enjoyed the champagne very much.
Thank you Elliston Vineyards for making my wedding day as special as can be!

Update:
We were married on June 30^th, 2013 and I was over the top impressed with how seamlessly things went. Katie had touched base with ALL our vendors and everyone knew the timeline and the wedding played out without ONE incident.
Guests have been telling me that they loved the wedding, especially the food and the outdoor setting for the ceremony. We are so happy that we chose this venue and will be back for wine tasting on the weekends when we are in the area!
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — –
This venue is super charming and after our first visit, my fiancé and I KNEW we were getting married here. We booked our June 2013 date in October 2012 and we have never had any issues with our coordinator Katie.
Every time we call, someone answers the phone. Every time we e-​mailed them, we had a response within 24 hours. The group menu tasting was delicious and we got to meet the in house chef and taste more of their delicious sparkling wine and beer from a local brewery.
They even had a bridal event here that is free for couples who had a wedding date booked. At the event we decided upon our live musicians for the ceremony as well as our florist. We also got to savor their menu once again. Their hors d’oeuvres are wonderful! The stuffed mushrooms were my favorite.
Katie is super down to earth and totally understands that we are working within a budget. She never tried to up-​sell anything to us. We have built a relationship with Katie and feel that she knows what we are looking for on our big day! A bonus is that we didn’t have to hire a wedding planner as she is the on site coordinator for the day.
I love the waterfall in the back next to the dining patio. It gives a nice space for a cocktail hour before dining in the main reception hall. The high ceilings and hardwood floor are also gorgeous! So excited 12 days to go!