Team David Bruce, Very disappointing 60th anniversary event. Wow... James at the main room was the only saving grace to a day of disorganization, chaos and an ill-planned event. You shared wine that was NOT for sale (really ??-lost $$$) and 15 min was spent finding a glass. Unfortunate to drive up the hill to such a disaster. I feel terrible for you to have such great Pinot and see that you have veered off and lost your roots. So sorry to see such a great winery fall. Good luck and cheers. Consider reassigning your event planner. In total disappointment... best regards. Sent from my iPhone read more

David Bruce was open on Friday and we waited 15 minutes in the lobby and almost left. We were served old flat whites and a corked Pinot Noir which was supposed to be their flagship. The lady that served us was sick and coughing the whole time, and appeared to have an eye infection. She smelled the bottle and said, "Yes, it does smell corked". She proceeded to charge for the tasting of old white wine from the previous weekend and the corked wine. A terrible experience since we used to be wine club members. read more

David Bruce is worth the visit. Plenty of outdoor seating & parking. There are gazebos with benches to sit under, as well. Kid and dog friendly. Only open Saturdays and Sundays. Very hard to get ahold of to make a reservation. Left multiple emails and phone calls, so my husband and I decided to just show up, and we were able to taste. David Bruce is known for their Pinot Nior, but they also make a fantastic Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. Tastings are $12 per person. read more

David Bruce Winery - two glasses of wine on a table - Wineries Near Me - Los Gatos, California

If you are Industry Do Not Go to this winery, unless you are Ok with only 10% discount on wine purchases, for a minute I thought she was going to try and charge me for my tasting, Industry Standard is 30 % also you cannot buy a glass of wine and hangout, Very limited seating outside too.. Wine was yummy, Linda was Nice but 10% for Fellow Industry, come on ! read more

After getting a late start on our way to David Bruce, we also got a little lost up in the mountains finding our way to the winery. Long story short, we arrived fifteen minutes before they closed for the day. No matter. The staff was friendly, helpful and courteous, and we managed to taste six wines - all quite good - before we let their folks go home. We ended up purchasing a half case, to give as gifts and enjoy for our personal use. (The wines made the journey back to Atlanta, safely ensconced in our checked luggage.) The tasting room is spotlessly clean, and the surrounding outdoor area offers stunning views. I highly recommend checking out this winery if you're in the area. Added bonus, it's only a short drive to Los Gatos, where you can enjoy your wine at many of the local restaurants for a small corkage fee. read more

See all

If you're looking for the best tasting wine, friendly staff, and an amazing view....come to David Bruce Winery! I've been a club member for about 5 years and enjoyed every visit, every tasting, and every Holiday party. David Bruce himself is present quite often to meet his many wine fans. All of the staff is tremendously accommodating and knowledgeable about the wine served. They are very cheerful in opening different bottles outside of the tasting menu and are quite generous with pours! Even on off days, the staff is considerate enough to change their schedules at the last minute to accommodate any private tastings. Linda, especially is the best! She not only remembers our names but what we talked about from the previous interactions making our visits that much more special. The other best thing besides the wine at David Bruce Winery is the tastings are free! Did I say the tastings are FREE?!!! Yes! Trust me....you will always leave with bottles or cases! You just can't help it and will crave for more the moment you drive off! Love this place and love their wine!!! read more

My BFFs, husband, and I ended up here after a disastrous tasting down the road at Byington. After that experience, I would have looked favorably on a visit to Boone's Farm, but thankfully David Bruce was the opposite of both of those. The winery looks both classic and modern at the same time, if that's even possible. The building is an imposing structure, but the tasting room is done up nicely. Bonus points to them for the brass pourer-thingies on the bottles by the way. It's the little things! :) The guy who poured for us was interesting and funny to talk to; he was very knowledgeable about the wines and had plenty to say about them. He even went "off the list" a little bit once we got to the pinots, so we could do a little vertical-vintage comparison. That was quite awesome to do, and very interesting to notice the differences between the years. The first wine was a Chardonnay and this one is unlike any I've recently tasted. It's incredibly fruity for one thing -- not just on the nose, but on the palate too. It almost tastes like pineapples! Although a touch sweet, it's really quite nice. After the Chard was a whole variety of Pinots. Every single one was great, but the '09 from Santa Maria Valley was my favorite (the "mushroomy" one). The syrah at the end was nice as well. The best part of the whole thing is that the tasting is complimentary. Not many places will do that anymore!!!! It's well worth it to stop in and check these guys out for yourself. We left with a 6-bottle vertical selection of their library pinots (2002-2004) for a ridiculous deal. If you're into pinots, I highly recommend coming here! read more

See all

I went to visit David Bruce Winery with my family and was very disappointed. The staff were rude and distant - they do not treat customers like people, rather it felt very transactional. The selection of Red Wine we picked out also left a lot to be desired. It took them over 15 minutes to pour and there were pieces of wood in the glass. When I asked to speak to the Owner/Manager, they were nowhere to be found. There are far better options in the South Bay. Do not recommend.. read more

Last summer my daughter and I took a drive and ended up at David Bruce Winery. We are all familiar with the wine and know it's fantastic. What I didn't know, is that the tastings are the tasting room are free! Where on earth can you get free tastings anymore? That alone makes this a 5 star stop. This is a very unassuming venue with no sweeping views or overstated Estate style. It was casual, comfortable and unassuming. And the best part (besides the wine) was the excellent customer care we recieved. I don't know a lot about wine and how it's made or where the grapes are grown (and I honestly don't care) but when the sweet woman sharing the history with us was explaining it, I never felt lost or board. She made it enjoyable and I really appreciated that. We tasted several wines and chose one to purchase. I would have bought several if I could have afforded it. Outside, there is a small picnic area where a group was celebrating a birthday party. There could have been more spaces for picnics but we didn't see them. The parking lot is large so I don't think anyone would have issues finding a spot unless it was a wine weekend. Overall I would absolutely come back here and next time I'll be prepared to purchase more than just one bottle. I believe I bought the Chardonnay and it was DELICIOUS! Hmm with the weather being so warm these last few days, a glass of that sure would taste great wouldn't it? read more

I had high expectations for David Bruce and I was disappointed as soon as I walked in. The place looks like a clinic. zero ambience, gray, cold, and just blah. The women enjoyed the Pinot Noir and the men enjoyed the Syrah. (We took home 6 bottles) I might just give it another try and update my review... read more

David Bruce Winery - They should do tastings outside instead - Wineries Near Me - Los Gatos, California

This place made me sad. David Bruce was one of the pioneers is Santa Cruz Mountain winemaking. Through the years many of their single vineyard Pinots have been well regarded. I stopped in yesterday during the Santa Cruz Mountain Passport Day. The tasting room looks like a sterile church social room or the lobby of a cheap motel in the middle of nowhere. Just sad, sterile and depressing. They were pouring four wines yesterday. The first was an '03 Chardonnay. Only the best of California Chardonnay can still be poured this many years later. And, this was not one of them. One whiff and you knew it was crap. We were hardly able to get that one sip down before making our way to a bucket to pour the rest out. They also offered a Santa Cruz Mountain Pinot as well as a Sonoma Coast one. Neither was very good. Last, was their Central Coast Petite Sirah. It was okay at best. And, it is available much cheaper at Safeway! read more

David Bruce Winery - Wineries Near Me - Los Gatos, California

See all

I like them. They make good wine. Used to make great wine. Will likely do so again. It IS a pain to get there. Makes me wish they put a tasting room in Los Gatos or Saratoga. Still, it's a pretty property and a good location. read more

It's all about the Pinots here! A friend sent me here after we had a long discussion about stocking up on Reds for the Winter. At first, we found it really confusing where to park and ended up in the totally wrong area! But all was well shortly. The tasting room is just the right size to feel both homey yet still allow enough space to not be sitting in another groups laps. That is until a party bus showed up and filled the whole place up in an instant. Despite the distractions, we still received top notch service and good conversation about what we were tasting. We went home with a 6 pack of the Estate Pinot Noir. It was a great deal and pretty cool how you received 2 bottles of the 2002, 2003 and 2004. read more

I don't know about y'all but I like to get all of my wine and hard liquor supplied directly to me by a doctor. When it's prescribed to you, it just seems feel less guilty drinking it. I kid I kid. But I do think it's cool that this winery was established by a doctor, particularly a dermatologist, because I'm a fan of good skin and deep down I feel like if I drink the wine here I'll get that glass skin look that I want so badly. I'm not big on wine but my parents are and they love the Pinot here so I have had the chance to come here quite frequently. I think the wine is good, but I'm no expert. What I like best is that the people that work here are super friendly, hospitable, and make you really enjoy the tastings. If you love Pinot or want check out a local winery but save yourself a trip to Livermore or Napa, I would definitely recommend coming here. read more

This is fast becoming one of my most favorite local wineries. I've been here twice and I am looking forward to my next visit. On my first visit my group and I were fortunate enough to spend time talking and sipping wine with David Bruce, who was so friendly to us and even let us take a picture with him. They have some delicious wine and the staff is awesome. The grounds are also gorgeous. I totally recommend coming here if you're looking for a nice winery that is local. I can't wait to go back! read more

Came here for wine tasting and it was nice, but I wasn't impressed. I think the "wine country" feel and granted only a select few winery's probably actually have that feel, but David Bruce was super simple. There was a tasting counter, one wall of wines and some pictures on a white wall. There wasn't much of an exterior either. Just a small patio that overlooks the parking lot. As for the wines, they were okay (and I'm only judging it as a non wine drinker, so don't totally take my word for it). The staff was nice, but it was just pour, explain, drink experience. Overall, it was okay. read more

David Bruce Winery - Ready for tasting - Wineries Near Me - Los Gatos, California

See all

such nice winery with spectacular service! The Chardonnay and the Rose had been my best choice. i do not trust rieslings, but here it kicks off any Gewürztraminer. Beautiful quiet winery. read more

I don't understand the ratings for this winery. It is one of the great local vineyards and short of the winding road to get to it, I love the experience each time! The service is really friendly and welcoming. It's nice to get a run-in with Dr. Bruce from time to time too! The member events and tastings are delightful and bountiful so I recommend membership for all. The reds here are my favorites - especially the Pinot Noir selection - from their "rose"-esque Pinot to their more bold ones. I always get a couple of bottles each time I visit!! read more

The young gentleman who appeared to be an intern or a new associate was really polite and friendly. The older employee tried to be friendly but she came across very cold. It got a little awkward when every ten minutes she would pull aside the younger associate and whisper something to him... even if she was teaching him sales tactics or giving tips.. it really comes across like gossip about the customers. We came in when they were offering free tasting and overpaid for 6 bottles of chardonnay. I enjoyed the Chardonnay and wanted to get a few bottles as a gift for friends so I didn't mind paying a little more to get them immediately but older woman made the experience slightly uncomfortable. In my opinion, wine culture is famously pretentious but a lot of good wineries have found a way to remove that by simplifying the wine jargon and creating an environment that invites both cultural and economic diversity. Sadly I didn't get that feeling here. Felt like one long aggressive sales pitch. read more

Want to get a quick handle on the David Bruce Winery? Think of it as a classic rock radio station playing the greatest hits from the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and today. Yes indeed, it's been around that long, having been founded way back in 1964. Such impressive staying power at or near the top of the California wine world deserves a halfway decent Silicon Valley Yelp shout-out, don't y'all think? Welcome, then, to KDBW, sound of the southern Santa Cruz Mountains since the days of LBJ. What's on the commercial-free (i.e. complimentary) tasting list depends on the seasons, but you're sure to find something to your liking. Here's a sampling, based on a recent visit. Enjoy! 1. The 1960s "A Cal-Ital Classic" 2008 Paso Robles Sangiovese - "California Dreamin," The Mamas & the Papas Something about this unpretentious and excellent wine embodies all that is admirable about classic Californian viticulture and its Italian-American heritage. One sip, and you'll get lost in its alluring aromas, brisk fruit, and structured but softening tannins. It's been a DB staple for decades, and it reminds you that food-friendly reds are not always French in origin. Think of it as Californian Chianti, but at $28/bottle, not the kind you serve in straw baskets or slurp down with all-you-can-eat spaghetti. It's more of a Sunday dinner sort of sipper, with half the bottle set aside for tomorrow's pasta: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/95lrm76CYpysQW3UuqJoiA?userid=73DZUFYAXuycbJ_eEAox1Q#NF-FUMOSRA5cXkT6Lz4j9A 2. The 1970s "The Hit Parade of Pinot" 2008 Santa Cruz Mts Pinot Noir - "Sultans of Swing," Dire Straits 2009 Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir - "Lady D'Arbanville," Cat Stevens 2009 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir - "Maggie May," Rod Stewart Pinots are cool, Pinots are hot, with loads of exotic spice and ordinary heartbreak all bottled up inside. Nothing is more reminiscent of the highs and lows of the sensuous but scandal-prone '70s than a love affair with Le Vin Noir. DB has invested much of its current 60,000 case production into Pinots sourced from Mendocino in the North to Santa Barbara in the South, with a little Russian River (from DB's Sebastopol estate), the Santa Cruz Mountains, and Monterey's lovely (for a grape) Santa Lucia Highlands thrown in for good measure. Personally, I love the cool and unpretentious vibe of the swinging SCM vintages, a little less sexy than the others, perhaps, but with longevity and good mountaintop character. The Santa Maria has perfume that intoxicates, but like an impromtu love affair, the sparks fade fast. As for the luscious spicy plum fruit and softly silken texture of the Anderson Valley Pinot, you really do wish that you never saw its face, because at $42/bottle, it's an expensive summer pleasure. 3. 1980s "Que Sirah, Sirah ..." 2006 Estate Petite Sirah ' "The Way it Is," Bruce Hornsby and the Range DB has regrafted its estate Syrah and Petite Sirah vines over to Pinot, to satiate the seemingly infinite thirst for the Sideways drink of choice. So sad, really. But some things will never change, and at DB it means keeping up with the times and that's just the way it is (But don't you believe them ...) The last estate vintage of PS is inky, wet, and olallieberry jam extracted at great effort from the rocky soils of Skyline Ridge. It's an honest, tough little wine. And what's not to love about that? Even if the Paso Robles Shell Creek Vineyard PS will still be available, we shall miss the peppery little pocket rocket and look back fondly when it's finally gone. 4. 1990s "Rosé-Colored Glasses" 2009 Sonoma Coast Rosé of Pinot Noir (Saignée), "Desert Rose," Sting Silicon Valley in the 1990s was a land of optimism now forever hidden behind a dark cloud of post 9/11 sadness and sobriety. Who has time now to sit back on the deck and savor a chilled pink Pinot, oozing Seascape strawberries and letting pale rose petals waft in the wind? Well, at DBW, you can relive the Clintonian moments of the lost millenium, one satisfying swallow at a time (and no stained blue dresses in sight). 5. Today (2000s) "When Chard Ruled the World" 2005 SCM Estate Chardonnay, "Viva la Vida," Coldplay David Bruce hit the world stage running with a 10th place finish in the 1976 Judgement of Paris, and like so many other California winemakers at the time, he helped put West Coast Chardonnay on the map. Unlike the overly oaked fruit bombs of Lake County (brainchild of that "other" Jackson family, not the singers), DB SCM Chard has minerality, modest fruit, and subtle oak, a classic case of letting the terroir dictate the taste and not the other way around. While the Russian River AVA may win more medals when it comes to critics and connoisseurs, I'll take a 10th place Santa Cruz Mtn Chardonnay anyday. Even if the world of CA whites has exploded to encompass lesser-known varietals (Gruener Veltliner and Verdejo, anyone?), it's fun to recall that simpler time when Chards were still California's king. read more

David Bruce Winery - Pure. Bliss. In a bottle. - Wineries Near Me - Los Gatos, California

The younger tasting room associate was very nice to us until the older one Poo-poo'd her for serving us. Mind you nothing on previous reviews or signs or website said anything about a dress code or tattoos not belonging there but that was definitely what was presented to us. Plus the not so quiet smack talking the associate was having with other patrons at my expense. Which is unfortunate because we were looking for a couple bottles for a dinner and to join their wine club. But the overall lack of quality in their wine, high-end price, and their lack of professionalism sealed the deal and made us move on to Byington. read more

Came here for nice day of tasting. The "intern" did not have a clue. After the first taste she disappeared to the back room. The manager ignored us while exchanging mindless small talk with some completely pretentious threesome about who knew who! As we walked out, we were finally conspicuous by our departure and the apologies started. We left anyway. I made it clear from the start with my business card, we were "industry" and interested in carrying their wine on our list. Not only will we not return, we will not be carrying their wine on our list. Traveled down the road to Byington Winery and here come the pretentious threesome with their tired bs act and once again sucked the oxygen out of the room. read more

Ok Not a fan at all. Third stop on the birthday extravaganza winery tour. My boyfriend was planning this trip for about 3 weeks and emailed each winery to see if the tasting rooms were open, if we need reservations or what time is best to come. (Just general information) All the other wineries emailed him back within 48 hours except David Bruce Winery. He waited till the end of the week and has one of his coworkers call in. The worker told him that we didn't need a reservation (there was 11 of us), that the tasting room was open and to 'just come in!'. We came in about 12:30 and it wasn't busy. About 2 other small groups were in the middle of their tastings and three pourers. We walked up and the pourer looked at us and said "oh you need a reservation". This really pissed me off because he said it in a very smug way THEN he tried to "cut us a deal". We are old enough to not get dicked around. 10$/person for tasting. 11 of us.... 110$ he said "I'll give you the wine tasting for 110$ but since I like you guys I'll let it slide if you buy 120$ worth of wine" ..uhh what? My friend and I were staring at each other.. We decided to buy 3 bottles of wine which totaled about 100$. The guy then says "oh I like you guys, I'll let the rest slide" ugh.. what the hell is he talking about. There was a good 5 minutes between each pour. We ended up buying the the Russian River Pinot. It was the best in my opinion. But other than that, I wouldn't come back. Poor customer service from whoever picked up the phone and just overall a very shady vibe was given off from all the workers there. P.s. I jokingly told my friend "hey they didn't ask for IDs!" and a worker over heard and said in a very rude way "what you think we're crazy?!" read more

What happened to this place?! Their wine used to be fantastic. During my last visit they poured us 4 wines, none of which I liked. As usual, they were trying to push their pinot rose ("Saignee"). Essentially it's runoff from the production of their higher quality wines. It has never been that great which is why I was baffled to see it being sold at a ridiculously inflated $28 a bottle! Their tasting room was bare and unfinished. The staff was fine although they kept raving about all the "gold medals" the wines got. Whoop-di-doo - the Merced county fair gave you and 25 other wines a gold medal. Sad sad sad. Stop serving me lines and start serving me good wine. I went with my dad, who is a wineclub member, and they didn't even have any special bottles open. I added one star to the review - I'm clinging to my hopes that the Pinots behind the counter (the ones we didn't taste) are still as good as they once were. Otherwise this place is a solid one star. read more

David Bruce has some decent wines, that is true. They also offer a sampler case which is intriguing- it's a case with 12 different wines for a fraction of the price of each separately. However, the gentlemen in the tasting room suffer from the "Alienating Young People" Syndrome that we occasionally experience in smaller tasting rooms. They look at a small group of young 20-somethings and treat us poorly, assuming we are just there to get drunk. Word to the Wise: some of us younger patrons are there because we enjoy wine and do know a little bit about it. In 10 years we will be those older folks that you fawn over, and we shall remember the bad treatment. Because of the service, we will not return again. read more

I honestly don't even feel like I should waste my time writing a review for such a horrible establishment but I owe my fellow helpers the truth. I would NEVER recommend this winery, EVER! The people that run this place are completely rude and pretentious. I came with a bachelorette party and yes, there were a lot of us, but that's no reason to treat us like we aren't potential buyers. I told the worker I'd like their free tasting of whites and he responded with "those aren't free for YOU!" how rude. They tried to smooth things over (after getting a few complaints from our group) by sending down ONE BOTTLE to "taste" there were 17 of us and after giving everyone literally a drop of wine, they still had over half the bottle filled. Pathetic excuse for a winery and a pathetic excuse for an apology. Please don't waste your time or more importantly your money at this poor excuse of a business. read more

So sad to read all the bad reviews. DAVID BRUCE Wine and David himself are AWESOME!!!!! DB has been a staple at my dinner table for almost 2 solid years now. I am a Pinot Noir Fanatic and really have trouble finding a Pinot as good as the DB '06 Santa Cruz Mtns produced right here in our backyard. I was fortunate enough to meet David himself on a random afternoon and shared a glass of his special Estate Pinot. This was a treat because the staff member told me he RARELY has a taste with his guests. It was such a treat! He even signed two bottles for me! I also attended the Wine Club Event this past Sunday and came away with 2 cases + some. This is how much I LOVE BRUCEY!!!! **Side note #1: To all the wine bussin' party tasters, this is NOT somewhere you should bring your frat party to. Head to a Brewery if you want to bring more than 10 people with you. **Side note #2: David let me know he was also Dermatologist, yes, a doctor!! I think that is why his decor is so clean and medical office like. There is an explanation for everything! read more

Looks like a beautiful venue, until you get inside. No windows, zero ambience, drop celling and fluorescent lighting,...yuck! They have a huge deck area but it's not open for tastings. The people pouring were nice enough but totally confused and tripping all over each other. We tried one bottle of Syrah and wanted to buy some but they could not find it. Weird. Would not go back...there's more ambience at bevmo. read more

I am addicted to DB's 2006 Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains. Like seriously addicted. Probably going on my 4th case of it! There was a 2009 Cab reserve that was quite delicious as well. But alas, my heart lies with the 2006 Pinot SC Mtns.... Plus I love how I can pick it up within 20 mins of my house! They have 50% discount on most wine if you buy by the case. BevMo sells the 2006 Pinot for $35 per bottle and if you buy a case here, it comes out to $15 per bottle. It seemed like a huge commitment to buy a case at first but it was finished within 2 weeks! read more

FREE WINE TASTINGS. Wine is pretty pricy. Also very bland. You would think wine what costs an arm and a leg would taste good, right? Wrong. If you are looking for a free buzz on your way to SC then by all means go. But don't expect orgasmic tasting wine. read more

Piss Poor Pinot Noir Perhaps back in the good old days, when David Bruce actually made the wines, they were "something to talk about" - but now they barely nod toward their prior greatness. I really can't "TASTE THE DEDICATION" no matter how many times they splash that mantra on brochures, websites, emails, order forms and signs in the Tasting Room. read more

David Bruce is one of the Gems that we can enjoy from right here in our back yard in the South Bay. As a member of their Wine Club, we were recently invited to their private, Members only tasting. They featured 5 different wines, including a Chardonnay that my fiancee fell in love with immediately. Accompanied with the light snacks, this turned out to be a very nice Saturday afternoon outing. After going through all the wines, my fiancee decided to go back and try the Chardonnay again, after just trying 4 of Dr. Bruce's finest Reds. To our surprise, Dr. Bruce was in the tasting room and watched her go from Red back to White. As she walked back, Dr. Bruce stopped her and asked why she decided to have more of the Chardonnay. He was surprised that anyone would want more Chardonnay after trying the world famous Pinot Noir and Petite Syrah and he took this a quite a compliment. She chatted a few minutes with Dr. Bruce and we were on our way. Without a doubt the best Pinot Noir EVER!!! read more

I'm generally in the area about once a year & try to always make a stop in to David Bruce. Since I'm usually there on a weekend afternoon, it's generally not too busy & pretty laid back, and there's plenty of time & space to chat with the folks pouring. The last time I was there David Bruce himself was in the room, so it was a treat to get to talk to him for a while as well. I like most of their wines, but my two favorites are the Russian River Pinot Noir (and I am not generally a huge pinot fan; this is dark & bold) & their Petite Sirah (super dark & inky, & delicious). Talk the talk, & the folks pouring might just offer a few things off the list, which is always a nice bonus. Overall, a chill, laid back winery with some tasty & reasonably priced wines. read more