Picchetti Ranch Open Space Preserve

Picchetti Ranch Open Space Preserve in the hills above Cupertino combines 308 acres of shady forest with one of the oldest surviving wineries in California. Brothers Vincenzo and Secondo Picchetti, Italian immigrants, planted vineyards and orchards here in the 1800s; wine production began in 1877, and the main winery building went up in 1896. Four generations made their living from the land, surviving Prohibition on prunes, apricots, pears, and boarding horses, and the peacocks that still wander the grounds recall the old ranch. Midpen bought the property in 1976, when the buildings were in disrepair, and they have since been restored and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The winery is run by a private lessee and offers public tastings in the historic building and its picnic areas.

The preserve has 3.7 miles of trails through forested canyons of madrone, coast live oak, and California bay, with a view south through the trees to the Sierra Azul and Mount Umunhum on clear days. One trail leads to a small pond, a good picnic spot where spring brings frogs, newts, and ducks, and then climbs a knoll with wide views. The 1.9-mile Zinfandel Trail is an easy, fern-lined walk past seasonal creeks with views of Stevens Creek Reservoir, connecting to Stevens Creek County Park.

Dogs and bikes are not allowed; horses are allowed on designated trails. The 80-space lot is half a mile up Montebello Road from Stevens Canyon Road.