Open: Year-round
Testarossa's location at the historic Novitiate in downtown Los Gatos is both a state of the art working winery and a truly dramatic setting for visitors. The old stone cellars and beautiful grounds of the state's fourth oldest continuously operating winery house the tasting room and Wine Bar 107 and provide an amazing venue for private events.
The old Novitiate Winery was originally built in 1888 by Jesuit Fathers and Brothers from Santa Clara College (now Santa Clara University); it was intended to help fund their new seminary college, built on the grounds the same year. The term Novitiate means house of the novices, the name used for seminary students. For nearly 100 years, the Jesuits made altar wines, as well as sweet, fortified wines at the Novitiate Winery. The Novitiate Winery was best known for its fortified Black Muscat dessert wine (similar to a tawny port), which was a perennial gold medal winner at the California State Fair.
