Big Dog Vineyards, First and Only Winery in Milpitas

I thought it was a rumor, but it's true.  Milpitas' first winery... I don't know whether to be proud or scared. 

After a three-mile drive up Calaveras Road and onto Felter Road residents will find themselves at the estate of Big Dog Vineyards. Milpitas' sole winery is a venture created by Mark Capalongan, owner and winemaker, and his wife Sandy who moved from Fremont in 1996 to their 48-acre lot, where the vineyard is located along with their home. The winery is named after the couple's fondness for large dogs, including their big St. Bernard Cabernet ("Cab" for short) who joins our conversation a couple of times for a good scratching.


Like their more than 3-year-old pup, the Capalongans' winery is young but stands strong.  Their estate grapes produce an average of 600 cases a year. Many of their wines have earned high marks in the industry usually reserved for the Napa Valley appellations. Although the 2006 Cabernet Franc is marked off the beaten track in the San Francisco Bay appellation category it has seized countless honors including gold in the 2010 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition and The U.S. Professional Wine Buyer's Competition in Santa Rosa.

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