A very cool place to enjoy an outdoor concert is The Mountain Winery in Saratoga, California.
It’s sort of like Ravinia, north of Chicago, or L.A.’s Hollywood Bowl — only with a much sharper focus on food and wine before the show. The venue, after all, is a winery.
Choices range from a quick pre-concert bite (grilled pizzas and gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches take center-stage) at The Plaza Bistro to The Plaza Grill (casual dining on the Plaza Deck) to the Vineyard Wine & Martini Bar (an outdoor lounge) to a pair of restaurants (The Chateau Deck Restaurant and the Backstage Brasserie) serving multi-course, prix fixe meals. And for something entirely different, there’s The Mountain Creperie and Candy Shop, serving specialties both sweet and savory.
Many people in Northern California visit The Mountain Winery — the historic home of Paul Masson — multiple times during the concert season. But if you can go only once, I recommend the “Ultimate Night Out Package,” which includes:
- One premium top-priced reserved seat.
- One pre-show, three-course prix-fixe dinner on the elegant Chateau Deck.
- One glass of estate wine.
- VIP preferred parking.
So pick an artist or a date, and make plans to have a memorable wine and music experience. Tickets go on sale this coming Monday at www.mountainwinery.com.
Here’s the 2015 season calendar:
- May 22 — Erykah Badu.
- June 6 — KC and the Sunshine Band / Jody Watley featuring Shalamar
- June 9 — Peter Frampton / Cheap Trick
- June 11 — Gordon Lightfoot
- June 12 — Audra McDonald
- June 14 — Paul Rodgers
- June 18 — Brian Wilson / Rodriguez
- June 19 — Little Big Town / David Nail and Ashley Monroe
- June 20 — George Thorogood & the Destroyers / Brian Setzer’s Rockabilly Riot
- June 21 — Brit Floyd (“The World’s Greatest Pink Floyd Show”)
- June 22 — Willie Nelson & Family / Alison Krauss & Union Station
- June 24 — Smash Mouth / Toad The Wet Sprocket
- June 27 — Bell Biv DeVoe / Doug E. Fresh
- June 28 — The Roots
- July 1 — New Jack featuring Blackstreet / Ginuwine / Tank / SWV
- July 2 — Rob Thomas / Plain White T’s
- July 7 — Boz Scaggs / Aaron Neville
- July 9 — Ozomatli featuring Sheila E
- July 10 — Amos Lee / David Gray
- July 11 — David Gray / Amos Lee
- July 12 — Jake Shimabukuro
- July 14 and 15 — Harry Connick Jr.
- July 16 — Lyle Lovett and His Large Band
- July 17 — Creedence Clearwater Revisited / Dennis DeYoung
- July 18 — The Whispers / Stephanie Mills
- July 19 — Zap Mama / King Sunny Ade & His African Beats
- July 21 — Sugar Ray / Better Than Ezra / Uncle Kracker / Eve 6
- July 22 — Barenaked Ladies / Violent Femmes / Colin Hay
- July 23 — Jim Gaffigan
- July 24 — Blondie / Melissa Etheridge
- July 25 — Big Head Todd & the Monsters / G. Love & Special Sauce
- July 29 — Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo / John Waite
- July 30 — Boston
- July 31 — Spandau Ballet
- August 4 and 5 — Sheryl Crow
- August 6 — Huey Lewis and the News
- August 7 — Gladys Knight / The O’Jays
- August 8 — Juanes
- August 13 — Ziggy Marley / Steel Pulse
- August 14 — Chris Isaak
- August 15 — Orquestra Buena Vista Social Club “Adios Tour”
- August 16 — Maze / Frankie Beverly
- August 18 — Michael Franti & Spearhead
- August 19 — Diana Krall
- August 21 — Ron White
- August 23 — Jill Scott
- August 25 — Colbie Caillat / Christina Perri
- August 26 — Heart
- August 28 — The Fab Four (“The Ultimate Tribute”)
- September 1 — Pink Martini
- September 2 — The Gipsy Kings featuring Nicolas Reyes and Tonino Baliardo
- September 4 — Neko Case / Robyn Hitchcock
- September 5 — Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons
- September 6 — The Psychedelic Furs / The Church
- September 8 — Yes / Toto
- September 11 — ZZ Top / Blackberry Smoke
- September 12 — Eddie Izzard
- September 15 — Lynyrd Skynyrd
- September 17 — Rodrigo y Gabriela
- September 20 — ABBA The Concert (“A Tribute to ABBA”)
- September 25 — ABC / Wang Chung / A Flock of Seagulls / Naked Eyes / Animotion / The Flirts / Gene Loves Jezebel / Boy Don’t Cry
- September 26 — The Beach Boys
- September 27 — Kristin Chenoweth
- September 30 — Cooder-White-Skaggs (Ry Cooder / Sharon White / Ricky Skaggs)
- October 1 — The Doobie Brothers
- October 3 — Chicago
- October 7 — UB40 / Astro / The English Beat
- October 10 — Galactic and Macy Gray — Alone and Together
