Testarossa Winery Information

Testarossa produces world-class Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the historic Novitiate Winery of Los Gatos where we blend centuries-old winemaking techniques with state-of-the-art technology. Testarossa’s location at the historic Novitiate Winery in the heart of Silicon Valley, California is a state of the art working winery. The old stone cellars and beautiful grounds of the state’s fourth oldest continuously operating winery house provide an amazing venue for private events. Situated 55 miles south of San Francisco in the town of Los Gatos, Testarossa produces today about 30,000 twelve-bottle cases each year and has consistently produced more than 1,000 different wines earning Outstanding scores of 90+ points. Rob and Diana Jensen’s passion for fine wine and food lead to the development of Testarossa Winery. They met while Electrical Engineering students at Santa Clara University. While both went on to pursue careers in high tech, a weekend winemaking hobby eventually turned into the dream of owning a winery in 1993. This was possible due to Rob’s twenty-year high tech career in sales and marketing. In 2018, they celebrated 25 years of living the dream. Since 2000, Rob and Diana Jensen have been working closely with Director of Winemaking Bill Brosseau. The old Novitiate Winery was originally built in 1888 by Jesuit Fathers and Brothers from Santa Clara College (now Santa Clara University); it was intended to help fund their new seminary college, built on the grounds the same year. The term Novitiate means ‘house of the novices’, the name used for seminary students. For nearly 100 years, the Jesuits made altar wines, as well as sweet, fortified wines at the Novitiate Winery. The original 19th Century, three-floor, gravity-flow winery is still in use today to make Testarossa wines. However, the original structure is now mostly hidden from view by the many expansions the winery went through during the first half of the 20th Century.