La Honda?  No, we are not referring to the Spanish/Japanese car manufacturer.  La Honda Winery derives its name from the mountain town of La Honda where the winery grows its world famous Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese, just east of the Red Barn on the north side of Highway 84, west of Skyline Road in Woodside.  Come and experience this inviting winery for yourself where old world craftsmanship is carefully combined with modern winemaking.  The result is a flawless, fully flavored wine.  The mild climate of Redwood City, the Santa Cruz Mountains, Woodside, Portola Valley, Atherton, Los Altos Hills and Saratoga, where La Honda grapes are grown on private vineyards, provides ideal growing conditions for year-round delicious wine.

This one of a kind winery is focused on sustainable farming.  No heavy farming equipment ever enters any of their more than 30 vineyards.  Every crop is harvested by hand with a method intended to respect nature and enrich the soil for future harvests.  This is one of the main reasons La Honda harvests clean fresh and healthy grapes that result in wines which are full of flavor.

If you are looking for the ideal place to host your next event such as a wedding reception or corporate event, then look no further than La Honda Winery.  Once you enter through their historic front door and look around their old world stone and timber winery, you will know you have arrived home.  Enjoy some fine wine at La Honda’s 1800’s Spanish wood and copper bar.  What makes this wine so good?  The locally grown and harvested , hand-crafted wine.  It doesn’t get any fresher than this.

Experience this convenient retreat from the hustle and bustle of Silicon Valley.  Satisfy your every sense – see and feel the old world décor while the aroma of sustainable farming excites you, just to end with the enjoyable flavors of La Honda’s wines.  Give The San Benito House a call now to satisfy your need for a good night’s rest with friendly staff to accommodate your needs.  With the combination of The San Benito House, one of the oldest Half Moon Bay Hotels and La Honda Winery you will be drinking your way to paradise in no time.

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Eric Trojak turns the crank on a wine press outside of a Princeton warehouse.

You can’t go wrong with two men who have wine flowing through their veins.  Jim Knier’s grandfather-in-law and Eric Trojak’s grandfather both, coincidentally, were wine makers during the 19^th century in Yugoslavia.  These men compliment each other and share in the common ideas on what makes amazing wine and proper winemaking tactics.  Their passion for winemaking is something that has been passed down from generation to generation.

They have a one-room winery in Princeton.  For the past 16 years Trojak and Knier have mostly kept their wine to themselves, only sharing small tasters with friends and family.  They also donate bottles to local charity fundraisers and enter their wine in contests at state and country fairs.  Last year, 2009, they decided to tap into the consumer market.  They were making so much wine that they weren’t able to donate it all and they couldn’t keep getting their friends drunk.

Even though there have been technological advances in the wine making industry, these two prefer to use hard work with their meticulous intimate process, the old-fashioned way.  Come and experience home-brewed wine that has been perfected over the years.  In the 1910’s Trojak’s father sold their vineyard to finance relocating the family to America, where he continued his craft in his home.  Trajak first tried making wine in 1987 when him and his wife became home winemakers, along with a group of married couples.  Knier and his wife tried to join the group, but they were too late.  Six years later the group disbanded and Knier and Trojak teamed up.  They haven’t looked back since.

Come and enjoy the Half Moon Bay Area’s newest winery.  Call 650-726-3425 right now to make your reservation at the San Benito House and enjoy some home-brewed Trojak Knier wine.

Check out one of the oldest Half Moon Bay Hotels: Call us at the San Benito House.

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This is the place to go for knowledgeable and friendly staff.  The Barterra Winery, just simply, is a great place to go wine tasting!  This classic winery was started by an Italian immigrant at the turn of the century, like so many immigrants at the time, Bartholomew Colucci was looking for the American Dream.  Now you can also share in his dream and come experience the result of a long history of crafting the perfect wines.

Barterra has many award winning fine wines for you to enjoy as you take a stroll through their art gallery or sit outside in their picturesque peaceful courtyard.  This is a family business that is passionate about the wine business.  They take their craft seriously and make sure their staff are available to answer any questions you might have about their wines.  It is likely that you will find the owner, Bart (as in Bartholomew Colucci, the grandson of the founder who shares his name), making you and other guests feel at home.

There is a wine club that people can sign up for, which you might consider for a regular supply of exquisite wines.  When you sign up you will receive one free bottle of olive oil.  This membership gives you many benefits including discounts off purchases, your choice of bottles of reds and whites (or a mixture) every month, and access to new releases before the general public, as well as exclusive members-only events.

Barterra Winery is located on Main Street, not far from the San Benito House.  Come and enjoy Half Moon Bay in classy style with a combination of wine tasting at Barterra Winery during the day and evenings spent at the San Benito House.  Make this a romantic getaway that you and your significant other will remember.  Check out one of the oldest Half Moon Bay Hotels.  Call us at the San Benito House. Make your online reservations now to ensure you have a comfortable bed to sleep in at night in the San Benito House.

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Wine lovers are sure to enjoy the white, red and sparkling wines that La Nebbia specializes in.  Sample a variety of wines in their tasting room for a small tasting fee of only $6 per person.  Make this a family event and pack a picnic lunch or play bocce ball on the spacious lawn.  There are very enjoyable events hosted at this winery including a free summer concert series, Botttle and Cork Days (when guests can bring their empty bottles to be refilled with La Nebbia wine), Garlic BBQ, and edible flower and wine pairings event (Tour des Fleurs).

Guests of La Nebbia Winery really enjoy their gourmet foods store where you can purchase delicious bbq sauces, oils and vinegars, dressings, olives, salsas, marinades, and other sauces and mustards.  Of course, their store also has a nice selection of award winning La Nebbia fine wines available for purchase.

Whether you’re heading to La Nebbia Winery for a wedding, corporate event, or just because you’re thirsty and need to quench your pallet, make sure to rest your head at the San Benito House, out one of the oldest Half Moon Bay Hotels.  It doesn’t matter if you’re a cabernet, merlot , or a sparkling wine person, the San Benito House is the perfect place to unwind after a long hard day of unwinding, so give us a call today to reserve your accommodations.

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There is more to do in Half Moon Bay than surf, fish, whale watch, and other activities in the ocean.  Don’t get me wrong.  These activities are amazing experiences that should not be missed, but do not forget to head to land and see the massive variety of beautiful birds that our historic city has to offer.  This is a bird watchers paradise with over 20% of all known bird species in North America located right in Pillars Point Marsh.  That’s right, this place is not only popular for the world-famous Maverick’s Surf Competition, but also attracts birds and those who love to watch them.  There’s no other place in the world that I’m aware of where it is possible to see literally hundreds of species of birds in a single day.

Pescadero Marsh and Pillar Point Marsh are the two reserves offering many different types of birds.  Pescadero Marsh Reserve, across from Pescadero State Beach, was voted one of the best bird watching spots by Lonely Planet readers.  This is located on the pacific flyway and every year thousands of birds from over 200 species nest and feed here.  You can see Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, and Northern Harriers to name a few.  As mentioned, Pillars Point Marsh is a bird watchers paradise with over 20% of all North American bird species located here including Great Blue Herons, Snowy Egrets and Red-winged Blackbirds.

Reserve your room with us now so you can fly into the one of the oldest Half Moon Bay Hotels to rest your feathers in our comfortable rooms and quench your beak in our bar.

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Dominick used to enter amateur competitions where people loved his wine and he won many awards.  Eventually he decided to share his wine with more people.  That is when he moved to Northern California to pursue his commercial winemaking endeavors.  The mild climate of Northern California has allowed him to carefully select only the finest grapes year round from the vineyards in Napa Valley, Amador County, the Lodi District, Santa Cruz and Russian River Valley.  He has won over 265 medals for his different wines.

The Dominico Winery’s tasting room has a charm and elegance that you would normally only find in the old world.  We recommend you sample a variety of wines from their 24 foot mahogany bar.  You may also reserve their tasting room for your own special events.  This has been a popular destination for wedding ceremonies, rehearsal dinners, bridal showers, receptions, as well as corporate events.  They are also known for hosting their own events, including their upcoming “Thriller” 2^nd Annual Halloween Party on Friday, October 29^th, 2010.

So, for some real Italian family hospitality and all around good wine, stop by the Domenico Winery to ensure that your Half Moon Bay trip is complete.  This is one of the few places you can find on the west coast that can match the ambience of the old world.  Give us a call today to reserve a room at the one of the historic Half Moon Bay Hotels. for you to retreat to after drinking Domenico’s wine.

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Come and witness these majestic creatures along their journey in beautiful Half Moon Bay, California.  They migrate up to 15,000 miles every year, from the icy cold waters of Alaska to the warm blue waters of Baja California.  This is the longest migration of any mamal and there are many tour operators in Half Moon Bay that can arrange trips to watch the Humpback whales.  Humpback whale-watching season lasts from April to December, but (depending on the year) July tends to be a very good month to watch these 79,000 pound mammals migrate.

Humpback whales are known for being friendly giants and curious.  This allows watchers to get an up close and personal experience with whales that they will cherish for the rest of their lives.   They will often approach whale-watching boats closely and come to the surface to breathe through their blow holes.  Since humpback whales are curious, easily approachable and easily identifiable, whale-watching is a top tourism attraction in Half Moon Bay.  It’s not even necessary to go out on a boat to enjoy the excitement.   It is also possible to watch them from the shore with a pair of binoculars.

So put down that remote and quit watching Discovery Channel and arrange your humpback whale watching session in Half Moon Bay.  Experience this for yourself, not through your flat screen.

Looking for great historic Half Moon Bay Hotels? Check out the San Benito House.

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Mavericks is a world famous surf location about a half mile north of Half Moon Bay.  After the strong winter storms waves may reach 25 to 80 feet high!  Many people know about Mavericks, but most them are not aware that these massive waves are due to unusual rock formations under the sea.

In 1961 three surfers Alex Matienzo, Jim Thompson, and Dick Knottmeyer decided to check out the waves off Pillar Point.   A German Sheppard that belonged to the roommate of Alex Matienzo was with them that day.  This loyal dog’s name was named Maverick.  Maverick would usually paddle out to the waves with the surfers.  That day, however, Alex paddled back to the shore with Maverick to tie him up since he decided the waves were too dangerous for the dog.  Later this surf spot became known as Maverick’s.

Jeff Clark is a surfer who grew up watching Maverick’s waves from the rugged coastline where his high school was located.  One day in 1975 he decided to try his luck with the waves that were topping out at 25 feet that particular day.  He was successful with many waves that day, while the first three surfers had limited success.  He surfed the waves solo for the next 15 years.  In 1990 a picture of Maverick’s appeared in Surfer Magazine, and this is what first gave this surf location it’s international popularity.

Since those early days many documentaries and films have been made about Maverick’s waves.  The first Maverick’s surf competition was held in 1999.  Now, each winter there is a waiting period from November to March.  Once the swells are big and the conditions are perfect 24 of the bravest and best surfers, and spectators from around the world, are assembled with less than 24 hours notice for the world famous Maverick’s Surf Competition.

Keep your eyes pealed for the surf news of when Mavericks will happen and give us a call to surf the big wave into the hospitality that you will only find at the San Benito House Hotel, a Half Moon Bay Hotel located on Main St, and enjoy the Maverick’s Surf Competition.

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Come and stay at the San Benito House while enjoying the annual Art and Pumpkin Festival on historic Main Street in Half Moon Bay.  This is a fun family event to celebrate autumn that is free of charge.  Whatever you fancy, you will find it here.  There is fine art, pumpkin pie eating contest, wine and microbrews.  Try something new like a pumpkin-flavored microbrew.

The kids (and adults who are young at heart) will enjoy the haunted house.  This isn’t any ordinary haunted house, however.  It features live, I mean undead, actors from The Coastside Young Actors Workshop along with audio-animatronic figures, projected and transparent ghosts, intense lighting, sound, and fog effects.  Each room in the haunted house is based around a theme and the actors interact while in character with spooked guests, providing a devilish good time.

This is the ideal festival for anyone who loves art.  Enjoy masterpieces from over 250 artists throughout the west.  Get there early to enjoy the pancake breakfast and then enjoy more food, art and wine in the afternoon.  There is literally something at the Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival for everyone.  This world-famous festival includes thousands of handcrafted items in booths covering quite a few city blocks. It will draw incredible crowds of Bay Area folks eager to fight the awful traffic just to see the giant pumpkins parade down Main Street.

Make sure to reserve your room early for this one.  Rooms at the San Benito House Hotel fill up in advance, as do rooms all over Half Moon Bay, since patrons look forward to this haunting event year round.  After all, the best way to enjoy the Pumpkin Festival is not to drive home after eating pumpkin pie, drinking pumpkin beer, and being spooked all day.  Give us a call to reserve a room and make a weekend out of it.

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