More than 1,000 wine drinkers visiting from throughout the South Bay and farther took over downtown Morgan Hill’s streets April 30, glasses in hand, for the ninth annual Wine Stroll.
The event, organized by the Morgan Hill Downtown Association, aims to spotlight Santa Clara Valley wineries and local merchants and restaurants, while providing ticket holders with a fun experience in the company of family and friends both old and new. For the first time this year, the Wine Stroll featured arts and crafts vendors—a total of 11 who set up on Third Street, according to MHDA Vice President Kathy Sullivan.
Early attendees of the Wine Stroll, which took place throughout the afternoon, were mostly local, with one exception being Fernando Delsotto of Porto Alegre, Brazil. Delsotto, a software engineer, is in California for work, and his friends invited him to join them at the Wine Stroll.
“I’m just getting to know the wines from California,” said Delsotto, who described those featured Saturday as “very good.”
Local couple Louise and Darryl Brothers said they have fallen in love with Morgan Hill and the surrounding wineries since they moved here about two years ago.
“We’re here to support the community and the local wineries, and the restaurants. We’ve got good weather, good wine, good people. What more do you want?” Darryl Brothers said.
Mark Knisley of “beautiful San Martin” is a frequent attendee of the Wine Stroll. This year’s event was at least his fifth consecutive annual Wine Stroll, he estimated. He showed up downtown April 30 by himself with a ticket, but quickly ran into some friends.
“You see people you haven’t seen in awhile. You get to see what new stores are here, that maybe weren’t here a year ago, and you meet up with friends,” Knisley listed the reasons why he enjoys the Wine Stroll. He said Clos La Chance winery is his favorite in the region.
Sullivan described the Wine Stroll as “very successful” with no unfortunate incidents reported. She added that this year, organizers added more tasting stops, which helped disperse the crowds. A total of 24 different wineries from Santa Clara County set up tasting stations at different restaurants and shops downtown.
The MHDA Wine Stroll takes place the fourth Saturday of April every year.
