The winemaking heritage at Bargetto’s Santa Cruz Winery began with brothers Phillip and John Bargetto, who emigrated from Castelnuovo Don Bosco, a small town in the Piedmont region of northern Italy. 
The Bargetto family winemaking heritage continued with John’s son Lawrence during the 1960s and ’70s. He introduced modern technology – stainless steel fermentation, barrel aging, etc. – and added new Santa Cruz Mountains varietals such as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The third generation of Bargetto family members now directs the operation of the winery.
Founded by Bill and Brenda Murphy in 1992, Clos LaChance in Saratoga has grown from its backyard roots into a 60,000-case-per-year wine business. As the business has grown over the years, the Murphys have enlisted the help of their two daughters, Cheryl Murphy Durzy and Kristin Murphy. Cheryl manages sales and marketing for Clos LaChance and its subsidiaries, while Kristin manages the events portion of the business, as well as a vineyard management company.
Founding winemaker George Cooper of Cooper-Garrod Estate Vineyards in Saratoga planted the first Cabernet Sauvignon in 1972 with his nephew Jan Garrod, thinking of it as a hobby for when he’d retire from test piloting at NASA/Ames. In the ensuing 22 years, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc were added on lands farmed by the family since 1893.
George took courses at U.C.-Davis and learned from fellow winemakers in the Santa Cruz Mountains and on visits to France. Spring of 1994 heralded the first commercial release for Cooper-Garrod, and in 1996, son Bill completed a career in the Foreign Service to return to the ranch where he grew up and join his father in winemaking. Bill’s cousin Jan also is part of the second generation of family members now involved with the winery.
