Immigrated to America
David Garrod, his wife Sophia, and their children Ralph Vince (R.V.), Mary (Maisie), and Harold immigrated to America from Suffolk County, England in 1892.
David Garrod, his wife Sophia, and their children Ralph Vince (R.V.), Mary (Maisie), and Harold immigrated to America from Suffolk County, England in 1892.
Garrod Farms was established in 1893 with the purchase of 66 acres from the Mt. Eden Orchard and Vineyard Company. The family made a living by working for neighbors, cutting wood to sell in San Jose, and ultimately planting orchards of prunes and apricots. For decades Garrod Farms produced dried prunes and apricots, like much of the Santa Clara Valley, which was then known as “The Valley of Heart’s Delight.”
In 1916, when R.V. was 37, he married Emma Stolte, 34, the daughter of Ferdinand Stolte, a German sea captain immigrant. Emma was born in an apartment over a saloon in San Francisco, which her father owned and worked. Her father ultimately deemed it imprudent to raise daughters over a bar and moved the family to a small farm on the summit of the Santa Cruz Mountains. R.V. and Emma lived on Garrod Farms after marriage, and added acreage plus children until they had 240 acres of apricots, prunes, and hay fields plus Louise, Vince, and Richard.
The family purchased the building from the Los Gatos railroad depot, where it originally served as a warehouse when trains went over the Santa Cruz Mountains near what today is Highway 17. The building was taken apart, the pieces moved here, and then rebuilt in its present location with the aid of cousin Wayne Ware, a carpenter by trade. The Fruit House was primarily used to store dried fruit before it went to market, as well as a location to hold meetings and host square dances after harvest.
Louise married George Cooper, whom she met at UC Berkeley. Louise and George went on to have four children: Bill, Jim, Barbara, and David.
Vince married Jane Whiteman, whom he met in the eighth grade here in Saratoga, CA. They went on to have six children: Peter, Tim, Jan, Vicky, Emma, and Christina.
Dick married Edna May Duddy, whom he met while working as a lobbyist for the Farmer’s Insurance Group in Sacramento, CA. They did not have children, but were very fond of their nephews and nieces. This wedding photo is the one Edna May kept in her wallet her entire life long.
With the decline of agriculture and development of Santa Clara Valley following World War II, the Garrods moved away from dried fruit, which no longer paid the bills. Aging orchards were replaced with stables, offering boarding as well as trail rides and lessons. This core equestrian business continues to this day!
The sport of Vaulting – gymnastics on horseback – came to Garrod Farms in 1969, brought in by Jane Garrod, who felt it would be a strong addition to the equestrian activities already offered on the ranch. Today the Mt. Eden Vaulting Club continues to make its home here, winning medals in both national and international competitions.
Then followed the addition of grapes, planting Cabernet Sauvignon cuttings from the nearby Paul Masson Vineyard. George Cooper served as the founding winemaker, with his nephew Jan Garrod managing the vines. Winemaking began as a retirement hobby for George after an almost-30-year NASA Test Pilot career at Ames Research Center, Moffett Field. For the better part of two decades, growing grapes and making wine was a family pastime.
1972 also marked the start of the family’s long involvement in Open Space, as Vince Garrod helped to found the Midpeninsula Open Space District. In the early 1980s, the Garrod Family sold and gifted 120 acres to the Midpeninsula District. This act enables continued use of the land for bridle trails and public hiking, as a part of the Fremont Older Open Space Preserve today.
Bird Flat Ranch, located just outside of Susanville, CA, was purchased by the family as a place to grow their own hay for the horse operation. Today it is run by Tim Garrod and his son Luke Garrod.
The first vintage of Cooper-Garrod wine was released in the spring; the Tasting Room opened to the public that fall. What had started as a hobby and pastime was now part of the family business. Today you see two labels at our place. Varietals carry the Cooper-Garrod Estate Vineyards designation, and the Test Pilot series present our blends, each one unique and named for a specific aircraft that George Cooper flew as a Test Pilot.
California Certified Organic Farming (CCOF) practices began with George’s Vineyard in 2005; this portion of vineyard continued the three-year transition and achieved CCOF Certified Organic status in 2008. We also transitioned our other vineyards, and all 28 acres of vines were recognized as CCOF certified by 2011 – a designation we maintain.
In the early 2000s, Bill Cooper joined the Wine Institute/California Association of Winegrape Growers’ Joint Committee on Sustainability, tasked with developing the Code of Sustainable Winegrowing Practices. As part of the pilot program designed in part by Bill Cooper, in 2010 Cooper-Garrod was one of the first three wineries in the state of California to become California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA) Certified Sustainable. That designation has since expanded, and we are one of the few who are now Certified Sustainable in BOTH the winery AND the vineyards.
Garrod Farms continues to be a family agriculture operation today, 129+ years and five generations later. Alongside the equestrian operation, 28 acres of vineyards flourish on the property. Jan Garrod is our General Manager, overseeing the stables, vineyard, and winery operations. Bill Cooper is our winemaker, his wife Doris Cooper handles Winery Marketing. Jan’s son Trevor Garrod serves as Cellar Master and Ranch Yard Foreman; Vicky Garrod Bosworth manages the Boarding, Lesson, and Summer Day Camp programs; Emma Garrod Seely directs the Mt. Eden Vaulting program. Vicky’s daughter Cory Bosworth manages the Tasting Room and Wine Club. Tim Garrod and his son Luke Garrod produce our hay at Bird Flat Ranch.
The sixth-generation is growing up fast, too! We welcome all to come experience our home at Garrod Farms. It truly is “A Destination Worth Knowing!”™
22645 Garrod Rd, Saratoga, CA 95070 (408) 867-7116 winery@garrodfarms.com
Weekdays 12-5pm Weekends 11am-5pm