Mountain Winery Concerts

The Basics:

• Held July through September
• Held at the historic Mountain Winery, originally Paul Masson, in the hills above Saratoga
• Mountain Winery website
• Admission charged and reservations recommended. See below.

The Venue:

This outdoor venue is built around the historic Paul Masson Winery building, whose ivy-covered front door serves as the backdrop for the stage. On the nicest summer evenings, the ambiance rivals the performance of the best artists who perform here, which is no small feat.

Crowd Factor at Mountain Winery:

Mountain Winery is small and intimate, with good sight lines and no seat is far from the stage.

Mountain Winery Tips:

• Concerts are at 7:30 p.m. Gates open at 5:30.
• Bring cash for parking ($15 in the 2008 season)
• You can't take food inside the venue, but you'll find tables near the parking lot, or bring a couple of folding chairs and have a tailgate picnic.
• No alcoholic beverages are allowed, and the county sheriff's office is very vigilant about enforcement.
• The only animals allowed are service animals.
• Leave cameras and recording devices at home.
• It can get very chilly on the mountain after the sun goes down. Even though you may not need it, bring a warm jacket and a light blanket to put over your legs.

Likes and Dislikes:

In our opinion, this is the best place in the state to see some of the top performers, with an unmatched combination of ambiance and intimacy. We've seen some fabulous concerts from top names, at prices lower than we would have paid at other locations and sat closer to them than would have been possible elsewhere.

How to Get to Mountain Winery:

To get to the Mountain Winery, take Big Basin Way (Highway 9) out of Saratoga. 3.7 miles out of town, turn right onto Pierce Road, where you will see a medium-sized, burgundy-colored Mountain Winery sign. After 0.2 miles, turn left at the Mountain Winery gates and drive up the hill to the parking area.

Mountain Winery Tickets and Reservations:

Insider's tip: We think the best seats in the house are low-numbered seats in sections C and D, a few rows up. They're on the side of the stage but because they're stadium-style, you can see better than in seats a few row back in the middle, and they're cheaper, too. The only drawback is that they have no backs.

You can also make a reservation to have dinner at the Mountain Winery before the concert.

Sold Out Shows:

Tickets for popular performers sell out. Your best bet is to plan ahead, but if you can't, you can still get tickets. Try Craigslist. Ticket brokers such as TicketsNow may also have Mountain Winery tickets, but priced higher than face value. However, they may lower prices at the last minute if they have seats left.

The Event:

Mountain Winery offers a range of performers that may include greats like Ray Charles, Smokey Robinson and Stevie Wonder or 60s favorites such as Chicago, Creedence Clearwater and The Beach Beach Boys. Other guests have included India Arie, Dave Koz, Lyle Lovett, Huey Lewis and the News, UB40 and Etta James. The ambiance is laid back, and you're not likely to find a heavy metal band or rap group performing here.

However, if you find an admired performer on their schedule, you'll never have a better chance to see them than this.