Clos La Chance

Clos LaChance winery takes its name from the French word for enclosed vineyard (clos) and co-owner Brenda Murphy's maiden name. The hummingbird is the winery's symbol, chosen for its aesthetic beauty and ability to keep other birds away from grapes.

The winery dates to 1987 when owners Bill and Brenda Murphy planted a few rows of Chardonnay in their Saratoga (Santa Cruz Mountains) backyard and produced very credible wine from the grapes. They released their first commercial wines in 1992. In 1996, they founded CK Vines, a vineyard maintenance and installation company specializing in small estate vineyard development throughout the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA. Currently CK Vines manages 40 acres of backyard vineyards.

The Clos LaChance Winery & Estate Vineyard is intimately identified with the Santa Cruz Mountains but is actually located in San Martin, California, about 20 miles south of San Jose. A winery and hospitality center was opened in 2002 adjacent to the CordeValle Resort & Golf Course. The winery offers a variety of wine tasting programs and tours as well as special events scheduled throughout the year.

Currently Clos La Chance farms 150 acres of estate vineyards planted to a diverse collection of varietals. The wines are released under three categories: The Special Selections Series, The Estate Series and The Hummingbird Series.