Mountain Winery

Mountain Winery is a historic winery and entertainment venue in Saratoga, California, in the Santa Clara Valley. The property was established as the Saratoga base of French-born California winemaker Paul Masson, who purchased it in 1901 after building his reputation in the state's early wine industry. It was formerly known as the Paul Masson Mountain Winery and remains closely associated with Masson's role in developing California sparkling wine. Masson first worked with Charles Lefranc, one of the French immigrants who helped expand viticulture in the Santa Clara Valley after the region's earlier mission-era cultivation. Following Lefranc's death, Masson acquired interests in the Almaden vineyards and introduced sparkling wine there in 1892. He later became known as the Champagne King of California. At Saratoga, he concentrated much of his sparkling-wine production and developed the property into both an industrial winery and a prominent social estate. The site includes the Chateau, a residence built by Masson in 1905 on a knoll above the winery. Masson became known for lavish hospitality there, while his wife, Louise, was a prohibitionist and did not participate in the parties. After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, the winery was reconstructed with sandstone blocks salvaged from the destroyed Saratoga Wine Company's building. The rebuilding also incorporated an entrance portal from St. Patrick's Church in San Jose, another structure damaged by the earthquake. These architectural features helped give the property its enduring historic character. Prohibition placed severe pressure on California wineries, but Masson maintained a connection to the wine trade by selling grapes to wholesalers and obtaining permission to sell sacramental wine. Winemaking at the site ceased in 1952. Six years later, the property began a second life as a concert venue. Its outdoor concert program eventually attracted performers from jazz, pop, rock, soul, and folk music, including Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, Aimee Mann, Ringo Starr, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, the Beach Boys, Santana, Airto Moreira, and Flora Purim. The venue's combination of historic architecture, hillside setting, and relatively intimate outdoor performances became central to its modern identity. The grounds also hosted an annual chess tournament during the late 1970s and early 1980s, when the event became a recognizable regional fixture during Silicon Valley's formative period. Around 2000, the owners engaged winemaker Jeffrey Patterson to revive wine production. Vineyards were re-established at the property in 2004, restoring a limited winemaking dimension alongside the much more visible concert and hospitality operations. Mountain Winery is recognized as California Historical Landmark No. 733 and is listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places. Its brand therefore combines heritage wine production, historic preservation, destination hospitality, and live entertainment rather than functioning solely as a conventional packaged-wine label. The concert series was produced in affiliation with Live Nation for the final time in 2011; beginning in 2012, seasons were produced by AEG Live. The venue continues to operate as a Saratoga cultural and event destination, although current ownership, corporate structure, detailed product portfolio, and current executive roster are not established by the supplied sources.

Mountain Winery's history is rooted in the late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century development of commercial viticulture in the Santa Clara Valley. Paul Masson, a French-born pioneer of California wine, initially worked with Charles Lefranc, one of several French immigrants who expanded grape cultivation in the region after the foundations laid by Catholic mission agriculture. After Lefranc's death in 1887, Masson briefly partnered with Lefranc's son, Henry, before buying out his interest in the Almaden vineyards. Masson introduced his first sparkling wine at Almaden in 1892 and went on to establish a reputation that earned him the nickname Champagne King of California. In 1901, he purchased the Saratoga property that would become Mountain Winery. The site became the center of his sparkling-wine activity, while other wine development continued at Almaden. Masson also made the Saratoga estate a social destination. In 1905, he built a residence known as the Chateau on a hill above the winery and hosted elaborate dinners there. His wife, Louise Masson, was a prohibitionist and did not attend these gatherings. The property was substantially affected by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Masson rebuilt the sandstone winery using blocks recovered from the Saratoga Wine Company's destroyed building on Big Basin Way. He also added the historic entrance portal from St. Patrick's Church in San Jose, which had been damaged by the same earthquake. These reused architectural elements remain important to the site's historic identity. Prohibition created major difficulties for the wine industry, but Masson kept the business connected to legal markets by selling grapes to wholesalers and securing a special authorization to sell sacramental wine. The Saratoga operation later changed direction: winemaking ended at the site in 1952. In 1958, the property began hosting concerts, creating the entertainment tradition that would eventually become its principal public-facing role. Over subsequent decades, Mountain Winery developed into an outdoor music venue known for presenting performers across several genres. Artists associated with its concert history include Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, Aimee Mann, Ringo Starr, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, the Beach Boys, Santana, Airto Moreira, and Flora Purim. The grounds also hosted an annual chess tournament in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when the event became a regional institution during the early growth of Silicon Valley. Around 2000, the owners hired winemaker Jeffrey Patterson to restart winemaking at the historic site. Vineyard re-establishment followed in 2004, bringing wine production back to the property after a hiatus of more than five decades. This revival complemented, rather than replaced, the venue's concert and hospitality activities. The site received formal historic recognition as California Historical Landmark No. 733 and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In the concert business, the 2011 season was the final one produced in affiliation with Live Nation. From 2012 onward, AEG Live produced the concert seasons. Mountain Winery consequently evolved from a working winery into a hybrid heritage property whose identity rests on California wine history, landmark architecture, live music, and destination events.

1. 2012AEG Live takes over concert production

   AEG Live began producing the concert seasons.

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2. 2011Final Live Nation-produced season

   The concert series was produced in affiliation with Live Nation for the last time.

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3. 2010Fatal concert incident

   An attendee died after jumping from the venue roof during a Swell Season concert; the death was deemed a suicide.

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4. 2004Vineyards are re-established

   Vineyards were re-established at the property as part of the return to on-site wine production.

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5. 2000Winemaking revival is planned

   The owners hired winemaker Jeffrey Patterson to restart winemaking at Mountain Winery.

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6. 1958Concerts begin

   The property began its long-running concert tradition six years after winemaking stopped.

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7. 1952Winemaking ceases at the site

   Wine production at the Saratoga property ended.

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8. 1906Earthquake damage leads to sandstone reconstruction

   After the San Francisco earthquake, the winery was rebuilt with salvaged sandstone and incorporated a portal from St. Patrick's Church in San Jose.

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9. 1905The Chateau is built

   Masson built his residence, known as the Chateau, on a knoll above the winery.

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10. 1901Paul Masson purchases the Saratoga property

    Masson acquired the Saratoga site and centered sparkling-wine production there while continuing other wine activity at Almaden.

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11. 1892Masson introduces sparkling wine at Almaden

    Masson introduced his first sparkling wine at Almaden, an important step in the career that later made him known as California's Champagne King.

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12. 1887Paul Masson becomes independent of the Lefranc partnership

    After Charles Lefranc's death, Masson briefly partnered with Lefranc's son before acquiring the interest and continuing his own development in California wine.

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A heritage California winery and destination venue combining historic architecture, revived on-site winemaking, outdoor concerts, and hospitality.

• Mountain Winery winesWine1901

  Wine made at the Saratoga property represents the site's original business and its modern revival. The winery became particularly associated with Paul Masson's sparkling-wine production. After production ended in 1952, the owners hired winemaker Jeffrey Patterson around 2000 and re-established vineyards in 2004. The supplied sources do not identify current varietals, labels, volumes, or distribution markets.

• Mountain Winery concert seriesLive entertainment1958

  The concert series began in 1958 and became the property's most visible modern offering. It uses the historic winery grounds as an outdoor performance setting and has presented artists from jazz, pop, rock, soul, and folk traditions. Production was affiliated with Live Nation through 2011 and moved to AEG Live from 2012.

• 2012Change concert-series producerStrategy

  The 2011 season was the last produced in affiliation with Live Nation.

  What changed. AEG Live began producing Mountain Winery concert seasons from 2012.

  Aftermath. The venue continued its concert program under a new production affiliation.

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• 2000Restart on-site winemakingStrategy

  Winemaking had ceased at the Saratoga site in 1952, leaving the property primarily associated with historic preservation and concerts.

  What changed. The owners hired winemaker Jeffrey Patterson to revive wine production, followed by vineyard re-establishment in 2004.

  Aftermath. The revival restored a wine-producing dimension to a property whose public identity had become centered on live entertainment.

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• 2012AEG Live begins producing Mountain Winery concert seasons

  Starting in 2012, AEG Live produced the venue's concert seasons after the conclusion of its Live Nation affiliation.

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• 2011Live Nation affiliation ends for concert production

  The 2011 season was the last Mountain Winery concert series produced in affiliation with Live Nation.

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• 2010Mountain Winery concert attendee dies in rooftop fall

  During a concert by The Swell Season on August 19, 2010, an attendee jumped from the venue roof onto the stage and died. The death was determined to be a suicide.

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1. Mountain Winery
2. Mountain Winery official website