Paradise Valley Vineyards Seeker Vineyards Lion Ranch Vineyards and Winery
Claude and Evelyn Solanas are New Orleans
transplants who settled in the Bay Area
and turned their passion for food and wine
into a business. Their Morgan Hill winery
takes its namesake from the locale of their
vineyard, Paradise Valley, tucked away at the
foot of the Santa Cruz Mountains, where
they grow Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
Tasting opportunities are available at Hiram
Morgan Hill House on selected weekends. The Seeker family opened their winery at
the base of San Martin’s bucolic foothills,
just south of CordeValle. Roses hold a
special significance for the family as can
be seen from the signature image on their
Cabernet, Rose, Chardonnay, and Syrah
bottles. The Seekers also intend to produce
more than just wine with the upcoming
releases of their own olive oil and an Indian
Pale Ale (beer). Kim and Todd Engelhardt opened Lion
Ranch Vineyard and Winery in San Martin.
They were inspired by their travels in the
south of France and brought some of that
winemaking tradition home with them to the
Bay Area. They have incorporated biodynam-
ic growing practices, such as avoiding chemi-
cals and pesticides, into their growing process.
The Engelhardts intend to expand their vine-
yard and winery to include red varietals.
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015
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