History

The Santa Clara Valley was California's premier wine region before Silicon Valley development converted most of its agricultural land to suburbs and office parks in the 1950s through 1980s. The region, known in the 19th century as the Valley of Heart's Delight, had hundreds of vineyards and orchards. A handful of wineries survived, particularly in the hills around Morgan Hill, Gilroy and the Santa Cruz Mountains, and have built reputations for Rhone-style blends, Zinfandel and Chardonnay. San Jose diners making the 30-minute drive to Guglielmo Winery or Kirigin Cellars are following a tradition older than the tech industry.

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Common allergens: Sulfites

Make it at home

Yield Serves 4 as a wine pairingHands-on 15 minTotal 20 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 1 bottle Santa Clara Valley Zinfandel or Rhone-style blend
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 200 g mixed olives, pitted
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • Half tsp chilli flakes
  • Crusty sourdough bread

Method

  1. Warm olive oil in a small pan over low heat. Add garlic and cook gently 5 minutes until golden and fragrant but not brown.
  2. Add olives, rosemary and chilli flakes. Cook 3 minutes until olives are warmed through and fragrant.
  3. Pour into a small serving bowl. Drizzle remaining pan oil over the top.
  4. Toast sourdough slices under a grill until golden.
  5. Serve warm olives with bread as a simple accompaniment to a poured glass of local Zinfandel.

Tip from the editors. Santa Clara Valley Zinfandel, with its jammy fruit and medium tannin, pairs well with the saltiness of warm marinated olives: this combination works equally well with the region's Rhone blends.

Where to eat santa clara valley wine

Santa Clara Valley wine in San Jose

Ozumo Santana Row ★ 4.0

$$$ JapaneseSantana Row

Ozumo at Santana Row is San Jose's top Japanese restaurant: expert robata grilling, precision-crafted sushi, sake flights and a lively outdoor terrace.

OrderRobata-grilled black cod and omakase makimono

Directions

District ★ 4.1

$$$ Cocktail barWine and whiskey barDowntown

District is a sleek Downtown San Jose wine and whiskey bar with curated global programs paired with chef-driven globally inspired small plates nightly.

DrinkCurated global wine and whiskey selections with seasonal handcrafted cocktails

FoodChef-driven globally inspired shareable plates

Directions

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