Mountain Winery owners propose boutique hotel, housing on Saratoga property

The owners of Mountain Winery submitted plans to Santa Clara County for a mixed-use project including an 81-room boutique hotel and 255 housing units to be built on the winery’s property and parking areas.

The project, called Encore, is intended to complement the Saratoga winery and concert venue’s existing operations, according to a press release. The housing will consist of 71 detached single-family homes, 31 triplexes and 145 multifamily units – 20 percent of which will be designated as affordable housing.

The proposal comes just after the Saratoga submitted to state officials its fifth draft of the city’s Housing Element, a plan for all housing built in the city for the next eight years.

“We view Encore as a complementary use to what the Mountain Winery has become,” Bill Hirschman, co-owner of the property, said in the release. “This plan helps us complete a long-held vision for the site that will serve the community well and create a more cohesive entertainment, living and visiting experience.”

The development will also include two parks and a clubhouse entertainment area for residents.

Doug Dahlin, whose architecture firm DAHLIN has been involved with some of the winery’s recent upgrades, is the principal architect for the project.

“The plan seeks to preserve a great majority of the 600-acre site while focusing new development on the small areas that have been previously developed,” the release states.

The team involved with the project will begin to meet with residents, first with those in the immediate area, and local leaders to incorporate their input into the plan.