SARATOGA — Nestled within the South Bay hills, Savannah-Chanelle Vineyards was purchased by the Saratoga Cemetery District, which had beforehand bought a home within the space with a watch on enlargement.
Positioned off State Route 9 west of Saratoga, the 57.9-acre property at 23600 Congress Springs Rd. was purchased for $20 million, in response to paperwork filed on Aug. 1 with the Santa Clara County Recorder’s Workplace. At one level the property was listed at $27.5 million.
The vineyard web site will increase the cemetery district’s holdings. The district, which manages the 12.5-acre Madronia Cemetery that gives a burial floor for individuals who personal property in Saratoga and Monte Sereno, has been in search of websites for enlargement.
In April, the district paid $4.5 million for a home subsequent to the cemetery at 20604 Lomita Ave.
In 1901, brothers Pierre and Eloi Pourroy planted the primary vineyards on no less than a portion of the Savannah-Chanelle Vineyards property. In 1923, the brothers accomplished building of a giant household residence, a construction that’s nonetheless standing.
In 1971, the property was renamed Congress Springs Vineyard after the vineyard, household villa, and vineyards had been bought.
In 1996, Michael Ballard and his spouse Kellie Ballard purchased the vineyard 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 web site.
In 2022, the Ballards sued Santa Clara County in reference to the county’s demand that an RV parked on the property be eliminated.
The Ballards declare within the authorized motion that the winery’s supervisor, Marcelino Martinez, resides within the RV. The Ballards allowed Martinez and his household to dwell on-site within the RV. That lawsuit is ongoing.
Initially Revealed: August 4, 2025 at 4:42 PM PDT
