Big Dog Vineyards

Fantastic wines and super reasonable. Their red wines are among the best in Northern California and are totally reasonable. In fact the wines are so delicious I joined their awesome wine club and have my wine shipped out to the East Coast. Beautiful venue, beautiful wines, and a great hidden gem.

Five stars for the beautiful location and wonderful dog-​friendly environment. Three stars for the wine — wasn’t very impressed with any that we sampled.

I have been to the Big Dog a few times with my friends. After the first visit I joined the wine club and my friend also joined on his first visit. I like all the wines they have to offer. My favorite have been the estate wines. Everyone who works there including their clients have been so friendly. I like that it is dog friendly too. I love the music on Saturdays and bringing snacks to munch on while drinking their fabulous wines. I need to plan my next visit there soon!

I am a winemaker myself of some note, my wines have had great scores in the wine magazines so I know what I’m talking about when I say that Mark and Sandra know what they are doing at Big Dog. Their wines are something unusual for bay area wineries… really really good! They do it for the love of it and it shows. Mark’s Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is outstanding and his Pinot Noir’s are excellent!
This is a tough business sometimes, the competition is intense, friends and visitors can be jealous, people can be drunk beyond reason sometimes and to maintain the love for it is a sign of a master and that is always good for the wines.
Well done you guys… keep up the great work!

This rating is based on their poor customer service (in person & phone) and their wine. My husband called prior to me and my girlfriends arrival to see if he could order a bottle of champagne to surprise me and my friends with. The woman on the phone, who we later found out was the owner, snickered and responded that most of the clientele was women so it would be difficult to identify us. Followed by, «we don’t have champagne, we’re a winery». Putting her dismissive response aside, he excused himself for not being knowledgeable about wine and requested a «good bottle» instead. Rather than ask about our preferences he was told «all our wine is good» and to call back at a later time to pay. Needless to say no sale was made.
Fast forward to our experience. We had our tasting outside. The grounds are alright but nothing to write home about. Our pourer, Anne, was stoic and uninspiring in her wine description. This only highlighted the mediocrity of the wine. Once we finished with our tasting we let Anne know that we brought our own champagne. She offered to keep it cool for us but added that we should be discreet about the champagne and not have it out on display. We were surprised by this as a family friend said that when they were at the winery a couple of months ago customers brought in outside alcohol. One group even had a bottle of tequila on their table! Despite us keeping our alcohol tucked away we were later scolded by the female owner for bringing in outside alcohol. Yes, five grown women publicly scolded. When we explained what Anne and our friend had said she basically called us liars. If it hadn’t been for us not having a vehicle we would’ve left right away after being treated so poorly. When our designated driver arrived we spoke to the owner about the poor customer service and conflicting «rule» about no outside alcohol. Rather than hear us out she was immediately defensive. Only towards the end did she ask what we wanted her to do. Ummmm we want you to treat all parties equally and work on your customer service! Hellooo! If you’re a winery in Milpitas with low quality wine I’d think you’d want to at least impress people with your friendliness. Or is that what the dogs are for? A mere distraction from your wine and poor reception?
A message to the owner: Please do not send me a private message asking me to take this down only so that when I dont, you respond by lying and saying we were asked to leave multiple times. We’re professional women sir, at no point would we EVER stay at your winery if we were asked to leave. Even without a car we would’ve stood on the side of the road for our ride if this was the case. It’s called integrity. How low of you to to resort to lying and try to reverse the blame on your customers rather than take accountability for your poor service. Yet another display of your lack of business acumen.

Today was my second time at Big Dog. I love this place! As soon as we parked, we were greeted by Daisy, the Great Dane of the vineyard… love, love, love her!
The wine is great, the staff is friendly and the venue is charming! It’s one of the most relaxing places I’ve been to in regards to wine tasting.
It’s dog friendly and almost all guest’s dogs are well trained. Although one dog today kept peeing on the beautiful flowers located on the deck, that did irritate me a tiny bit! Don’t think Daisy would approve of that! Ha!
All seriousness, this is the perfect place for an intimate date or even with a group of friends. They don’t sell any charcuterie platters, so I highly suggest you bring your own… which they encourage!
When you visit, tell Daisy I said HI!

If I could give this place no stars, I would. To begin with, the female owner, was not helpful and dismissive when my friend’s husband called ahead to purchase a bottle of wine for his wife and friends. Later, after having arrived, and paid for a 5 wine tastings, an employee mentioned we could have outside liquor as long as it was discreet and that «no one ever checks». It should also be noted that our family friend had previously visited this place and had a great time and also brought her own bottles of wine. Mind you, the employee, Anna later offered to store our outside bottles of wine in the cooler/​refrigerator.
Later after having been here for a few hours, the female owner chastised one of my friends about having brought our own wine. To further chastise and be rude, she walked over to our table to «also let all us ladies» know that outside bottles were not allowed. She was rude, condescending, and called us liars, openly in front of other customers, when we mentioned we were misinformed by her employee.
My advise to this owner is that if you have this «no outside bottle rule», enforce it with everyone, as our family had been there weeks before and had done this and, furthermore two surrounding tables ALSO had brought their own wine! Additionally, maybe if this is their rule, which they are entitled to have, then they should clearly post this information in a visible area upon entering the premises.
The owner later apologized only when told that we would be reviewing her on Unilocal and FB. she was dumbfounded upon being confronted with these facts and had no explanation for her rude behavior.

We had a meetup at this place recently, the place is very nice with scenic views and the owners were very nice and hospitable. While I do not know too much about wine, the wine is also great and I learned a thing or two about wine making on this trip.

Lovely wine, friendly owners, beautiful view, dog friendly, live music… the list goes on and on. Truly a hidden gem. Can’t wait to go back!

If you enjoy wine and relaxation, this would be the perfect place to go. They have live music and patio seating on the outside. You’re able to bring in your own snacks to enjoy with your friends and family. Their wine tasting is $ 10 for 6 tasting, such a great deal! Or I see some people just purchasing a whole bottle. They also offer a mini tour of the vineyard, which was very interesting. I would definitely come back and bring my friends here.

I am by no means a wine connoisseur. But, I do love dogs and I love exploring local businesses. This place really is a hidden gem! I grew up so close to this place and never realized it even existed. I found out about it whilst browsing my Facebook feed one day. A high school classmate attended her friend’s wedding here. I was very intrigued by the name an the fact that they had a dog and their own wine.
My boyfriend and I had met a friend for dim sum and I told her I wanted to check out this local winery. She said it sounded like it would be fun, and the rest is history.
The staff is so patient and nice. I was really glad that my friend’s first wine tasting experience wasn’t met with any rudeness. I’ve been wine tasting in Napa valley and unfortunately, I haven’t received the best service. I’ll leave it at that as my buzz from the wines has worn off and I’m keeping it classy.
Anyway! I didn’t catch anyone’s names but everyone was nice! We sat outside to enjoy the live music and absolutely amazing weather. Now it’s usually a bit on the warmer side in Milpitas in the summer, but when you’re up in the hills, you feel this incredible breeze. Not to mention the have umbrellas so it’s the perfect place to just relax and catch up with friends.
The next time I come back I definitely do want to have lunch on the grass out front or on the patio! I’m finally coming around to red wines and I loved three of the four Cabernets that we tried. I brought home a bottle of the 2012 reserve that I’m excited to have everyone try at the next dinner party!

After all these years growing up in Milpitas, I never knew that there was a winery here! Thanks to my husband’s boss, we found out about this place and headed up on a Sunday afternoon.
Great drive up the hills! Beautiful view of the Bay Area! Plenty of places to sit and taste wine. We saw a couple and their dog even having a picnic on the grass. Make sure to take your allergy meds and bring a jacket as it gets pretty windy up there.
We were greeted by friendly staff and the big dog. Seems like a pet friendly winery. We got to taste their Chardonnay, Zin, and Cabernets. Their cabs were pretty good.
If you’re in the area, check it out. With actual vineyards there, it definitely feels like you’re not in Milpitas! :)

Two words: Hidden gem!
I found out about Big Dog Vineyards from the Southbay Unilocal Helps Appreciation Party back in March because they were one of the vendors at the party.
My significant other and I went few weekends ago to check out the winery — the hilltop view was just breath taking! We went inside the tasting room and was greeted by one of the staff (I think his name was Dick but I’m not completely sure, lol). The $ 10 tasting included 5 wines plus a Port. My highlight was the 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon.
Staff was just so nice and friendly. Daisy the Great Dane is around to ask how everything is and you will see Socks the nonchalant grey & white kitty walking around as well. So cute! They also have live bands playing so come grab a glass of wine, sit down and listen!
Say hi to the furry friends!

I never knew there was a vineyard right in Milpitas and I’m so glad I found this place! The view is gorgeous for the entire drive up to the vineyard. The view from the parking lot is spectacular. They are dog friendly, and right when I got there Daisy the Great Dane came out to greet us and lead us to the tasting area. The prices were reasonable and there are also some souvenirs available for purchase. I am a wine newbie and not once did Dick act condescendingly or make me feel uncomfortable. The staff there is incredibly friendly and welcoming. There is also a patio area with lots of seating where you can sip some wine while enjoying the views. I would definitely recommend this place and would like to visit again!

A Hidden GEM. An awesome find! The views are dazzling.
You are greeted by friendly folks and Yes, Daisy, the big dog. Mark. the vintner was so attentive and warm. His hospitality was unparalleled. While enjoying the generous wine tasting, he walked us through Napa terroir, different vintage years, oak barrels selection… I cannot wait for the Pinot Noir! To complete our day, we enjoyed an extraordinary powerful bottle of 2011 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon in the lovely patio with open fire going, it definitely added to the charming ambiance of the vineyard.

What an amazing find! the views are just spectacular and the wine is amazing too! Went up to the winery one Saturday afternoon with a small picnic basket! We were greeted warmly by the big dog (Daisy) and the lovely staff at Big Dog Winery!
The outdoor patio is lovely to sit, sip wine and admire views of the bay. Apparently they do free tastings every first weekend of the month and have some live music on Saturday nights.

We found out about Big Dog through Ruthe Roberts Wine Collective in Saratoga.
This past weekend we were excited to visit the winery and have a picnic. Although it was a little busy, we were greeted immediately. Our pourer, I think her name was Annie, was new but knew a lot about the wines. Everyone was very nice and friendly. No snobby attitudes here! Out of the 6 or so wines we tried, we liked the Zin. It’s lighter than what you would expect out of a Zin, very drinkable. It went well with our picnic goodies.
They have shaded tables outside to graze on your food. So bring some goodies and make a day out of it!
Minus points because the wine we had at RRWC was better than what we tasted at the winery. We are lucky to still have some 2006 Cab Franc and Cab Sauv, so we’ll definitely savor those since they are no longer available for purchase.
If you love dogs, say hi to Daisy. You can’t miss her!

Our experience with Big Dog Vineyards was truly awesome! My wife and I decided with their venue for our wedding (in the vineyard) ceremony and reception party.
What a beautiful hilltop location, boasting an incredible view of the hills to the east and of the Bay Area to the west!
The wine is some of the best we’ve had, the Chardonnay and Cabs are spectacular and they even make a superb port!
We highly recommend this place for the wine, the location, the big dog and best of all, Mark and his wife! They are super nice and helped us have the best party ever!

What a wonderful find! Only 7 miles from our house, so I think we just found our new favorite winery. I recently moved from Northern VA and have been looking for a homey feel kinda vineyard., I sure found it here.
They are only open the first weekend of every month and do a complimentary tasting of 3 wines or 5 wines plus a port for ten dollars (keep the glass) and on future visits only 5 dollars when you bring your glass.
The wine: there wasn’t a single pour I didn’t enjoy, even the merlot was phenomenal and I am usually not a big merlot fan. They are big on cabs– and all incredible. They only have one white but with that Chardonnay– that is all they need. They are coming out with a Zin blend, which we were lucky enough to try, can’t wait til it’s bottled!
A big dog friendly vineyard, so don’t come if you aren’t a dog person (but who isn’t a dog person?!) we wanted to bring our pup but also wanted to test the place out on our own first.
The entire staff was very charming and they have a beautiful deck with heaters, the view is something else. We are considering joining the wine club and can’t wait to come again next month!

Tucked away in the hills behind Milpitas is Big Dog Vineyards. An easy drive, we pull up to this gorgeous house and took in the view. Who knew Milpitas looked so nice?!
Followed the signs to the cellar in their backyard and was greeted by Miss Daisy, the sweetest Great Dane! There was a live band playing and people sitting outside enjoying their vino.
Our wine expert, Dick was really friendly and answered all my questions I had about the wine descriptions. It was $ 10 for a wine glass and we tasted all the wines on the menu except for one super limited French oak one. They do have a few wines that are complementary if you just wanted to try 1 or 2. Dick was really engaging explaining each wine and asking what we liked/didn’t like so he could figure us out. I am still pretty new to the world of vino, but I never felt like an amateur.
It was a very enjoyable experience and my friend and I both left with a bottle. It’s a beautiful place and I can see a great afternoon spent up here picnicking up there with a bottle. I’m so happy that we discovered this place and we will definitely be back every month, I need to visit daisy!