Winery in South Bay hills bought by Saratoga Cemetery District

SARATOGA — Nestled in the South Bay hills, Savannah-Chanelle Vineyards was bought by the Saratoga Cemetery District, which had previously purchased a house in the area with an eye on expansion.

Located off State Route 9 west of Saratoga, the 57.9-acre property at 23600 Congress Springs Rd. was bought for $20 million, according to documents filed on Aug. 1 with the Santa Clara County Recorder’s Office. At one point the property was listed at $27.5 million.

The winery site increases the cemetery district’s holdings. The district, which manages the 12.5-acre Madronia Cemetery that provides a burial ground for people who own property in Saratoga and Monte Sereno, has been seeking sites for expansion.

In April, the district paid $4.5 million for a house next to the cemetery at 20604 Lomita Ave.

In 1901, brothers Pierre and Eloi Pourroy planted the first vineyards on at least a portion of the Savannah-Chanelle Vineyards property. In 1923, the brothers completed construction of a large family home, a structure that is still standing.

In 1971, the property was renamed Congress Springs Winery after the winery, family villa, and vineyards were sold.

In 1996, Michael Ballard and his wife Kellie Ballard bought the winery and renamed it Savannah-Chanelle Vineyards, after their two daughters.

“Mike and Kellie are involved in all aspects of the winery and use the villa as their vacation home,” Savannah-Chanelle Vineyards states on its website.

In 2022, the Ballards sued Santa Clara County in connection with the county’s demand that an RV parked on the property be removed.

The Ballards claim in the legal action that the vineyard’s manager, Marcelino Martinez, is living in the RV. The Ballards allowed Martinez and his family to live on-site in the RV. That lawsuit is ongoing.