Gali Vineyards debuts tasting room
Los Gatos residents who were wondering what the paper on the windows was about at 21 W. Main St. can wonder no more. The 1,300-square-foot space that most recently housed Craftbox has been converted to a wine tasting room for a Los Gatos couple who have turned their love of farming into a wine brand.
The new Gali Vineyards tasting room features wines from grapes grown in the 18-acre Gali Vineyards in Corralitos, and made by local winemaker Anthony Craig, one of the great talents behind the David Bruce Winery.
Proprietor Janice Gali, who resides in Los Gatos with husband Joseph and daughter Madeline, said the building that houses her tasting room was built in 1902.
“It was really well cared for,” Gali said. “The fir floors are gorgeous, and the natural light is great. It’s a mix of rustic industrial with black accents for an elegant look. We’ve made the whole space open, airy and inviting. Everyone is very excited about what we’re doing with the place.”
In addition to the natural edge wooden bar, there is a large lounge area with comfy leather chairs, cocktail tables and an 18-foot banquette seated under three large windows. The Galis plan to feature local art in the space. There’s also a transom window in front with seating.
“There’s lots of standing room at the bar, and four people can enjoy sitting in the bay windows,” Gali said. “Our goal is to make it comfortable.”
Gali says their vineyards in Corralitos provided them with key raw materials for furnishing the new tasting room. “There was a 20foot white cedar log on the property ready to be milled for the bar top. We also milled a walnut tree that was on the property, which we had made into two- and three-foot cocktail tables for the tasting room. There’s a story behind each piece of furniture. We wanted to bring the vineyard into the tasting room.”
At the suggestion of their daughter Madeline, who works for an L.A.based ad agency, the Galis hired videography company Water Tower Creative to shoot footage of the vineyards to play on TV screens to further augment the experience.
Gali had been looking for a tasting room location for a while. It’s been a long-held dream of her and her husband to have a place to share their wines, which include a rose, chardonnay, pinot noir, tempranillo and syrah. They have also planted albarino, which they should be able to harvest in 2023.
Wines will be available in a tasting flight for $15 per person, waived with a two-bottle purchase or through joining the wine club, which offers allocations twice a year. Wine by the glass will also be available for $15, and charcuterie boxes from Table & Terrace Catering are $25.
Table & Terrace will also handle catering for private events at the tasting room.
The grand opening of the Gali Vineyards tasting room was set for Aug. 21. Regular hours are Wednesday-Thursday, noon-6 p.m.; Friday, noon-7 p.m.; Saturday, 11a.m.-7 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. 408354-1468, wine@galivineyards.com