Mountain Winery
Mountain Winery is a historic Saratoga, California winery, landmark, and outdoor concert venue founded by California winemaking pioneer Paul Masson.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
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.
History
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.
- 2012
AEG Live takes over concert production
[1]AEG Live began producing the concert seasons.
- 2011
Final Live Nation-produced season
[1]The concert series was produced in affiliation with Live Nation for the last time.
- 2010
Fatal concert incident
[1]An attendee died after jumping from the venue roof during a Swell Season concert; the death was deemed a suicide.
- 2004
Vineyards are re-established
[1]Vineyards were re-established at the property as part of the return to on-site wine production.
- 2000
Winemaking revival is planned
[1]The owners hired winemaker Jeffrey Patterson to restart winemaking at Mountain Winery.
- 1958
Concerts begin
[1]The property began its long-running concert tradition six years after winemaking stopped.
- 1952
Winemaking ceases at the site
[1]Wine production at the Saratoga property ended.
- 1906
Earthquake damage leads to sandstone reconstruction
[1]After the San Francisco earthquake, the winery was rebuilt with salvaged sandstone and incorporated a portal from St. Patrick's Church in San Jose.
- 1905
The Chateau is built
[1]Masson built his residence, known as the Chateau, on a knoll above the winery.
- 1901
Paul Masson purchases the Saratoga property
[1]Masson acquired the Saratoga site and centered sparkling-wine production there while continuing other wine activity at Almaden.
Products and positioning
A heritage California winery and destination venue combining historic architecture, revived on-site winemaking, outdoor concerts, and hospitality.
Wine · 1901
Mountain Winery wines
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.
Live entertainment · 1958
Mountain Winery concert series
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.
Brand decisions
2012
Change concert-series producerStrategyBackground
The 2011 season was the last produced in affiliation with Live Nation.
Action taken
AEG Live began producing Mountain Winery concert seasons from 2012.
Aftermath
The venue continued its concert program under a new production affiliation.
2000
Restart on-site winemakingStrategyBackground
Winemaking had ceased at the Saratoga site in 1952, leaving the property primarily associated with historic preservation and concerts.
Action taken
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.
Sources2 sources
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