Fortino Winery and Event Center 4525 Hecker Pass Highway • Gilroy • California 95020


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Why You'll Love This Place

A Here Comes The Guide Wedding Venue Review
  • Surrounded by acres of vineyards, rolling hills, and giant redwoods, this family-owned and community-oriented establishment along the Santa Clara Wine Trail has been producing fine wine and equally fine celebrations for decades. The variety of spacious settings affords plenty of room for dining, games, dancing, and spending quality time—whether you're prepping in the thoughtfully appointed dressing room, enjoying a toast with a few special friends under the front patio arbor, or sampling a flight of Fortino's award-winning wines in the rusticly charming tasting room.
  • Gatherings unfold on the lovely Redwood Terrace directly behind the winery. A low stage backed by towering redwoods provides the perfect focal point for huge patios and vast sweep of lawn. Thanks to welcoming details, like a redwood fence, fragrant flowerbeds, and a little memorial apple tree where cherished family members are quietly remembered, the various al fresco event spaces retain an intimate backyard feel.
  • Alternately, pass through soaring, hand-crafted wood and wrought-iron doors and celebrate in the handsome Barrel Room. In keeping with the winery's Old World roots, food here is Italian style, made fresh and served up on the premises. In every way, you'll feel right at home here: it's as if the owners are personally inviting you to relax, while the winery's kind and attentive staff help them carry on the family tradition of hospitality.

Video

Video by The Affinity Productions.


DEALS: What discounts, special offers, or packages are available here?

Micro wedding and morning ceremony options are available! Contact the venue for available dates and more information.


Fortino Winery offers exclusive discounts to Wine Club members who book their special events here! Inquire for details, and let them know Here Comes The Guide sent you!

PRICES: What's this going to cost?

Rental Fee
  • $25–35/person
  • Rental fee varies depending on:
    • Space reserved
    • Guest count
  • The rental fee includes:

    • 6 hours of event time
    • 30-minute ceremony, plus a 1-hour rehearsal
    • Access to a dressing suite
    • Tables, chairs, linens, and napkins
    • Setup & breakdown
    • Wedding planning and day-of coordination

    Additional upgrades are available.

Meals (when priced separately)
  • $45/person and up
Service Charge or Gratuity
  • 20%

COUPLES ARE ASKING: We've got answers

What's included when we book Fortino Winery, and what will we still need to pay for separately?

Fortino Winery in Gilroy offers all-inclusive weddings: your rental covers six hours of event time, a 30-minute ceremony plus a one-hour rehearsal, a dressing suite, tables, chairs, linens and napkins, a dance floor, setup and breakdown, and wedding planning with day-of coordination. Your coordinator handles everything from the bridal suite setup, with a private champagne toast and appetizers for the two of you, to vendor arrivals, the grand entrance and your send-off. Food is priced per person from $45, with a full Italian menu and waitstaff, and a 20% service charge applies. Wedding cakes aren't provided, so you'll bring your own baker, and enhancements like a champagne wall, arbor draping and neon signs are optional extras.

Can we have both our ceremony and reception at Fortino Winery, or will guests need to travel between them?

Yes, and Fortino Winery books dates for a ceremony and reception together, or a reception only, rather than ceremony-only events. You'll say your vows on the grass at the Redwood Terrace, with Chardonnay vines and rolling hills behind you, then celebrate right there with a raised bandstand, a large dance area, a full wine and beer bar and bistro lighting under a covered canopy. Prefer to be indoors? The Barrel Room has central AC and heat, its own bar and dance area, and a covered outdoor space with vineyard views. Your rental includes a 30-minute ceremony plus a one-hour rehearsal.

If we already have vendors we love, can we bring them to Fortino Winery or do we have to use yours?

Food at Fortino Winery comes from its own executive chef, with Italian cuisine served buffet, family style or plated, plus custom menus like handcrafted pizzas or a taco bar, but outside caterers are allowed if they hold a license and liability insurance. Drinks are beer and wine only: wine comes exclusively from Fortino, no outside wine is permitted, and no hard liquor is allowed on the property. Wedding cakes aren't provided, so bring your favorite baker, and the team can recommend cake and dessert vendors. Two weeks before the wedding, your coordinator reaches out to all your vendors to schedule deliveries and review timelines with your DJ and photographer.

What should we realistically expect to spend on a wedding at Fortino Winery, and is there a minimum?

At Fortino Winery in Gilroy, pricing is built per person, so it scales with your guest list. The rental fee runs $25–$35 per person depending on the space you reserve and your guest count, and meals start at $45 per person, with a 20% service charge on top. The rental includes six hours of event time, a 30-minute ceremony and one-hour rehearsal, a dressing suite, tables, chairs, linens, setup and breakdown, and planning with day-of coordination. Bar service can be an unlimited package, a hosted bar or a cash bar, so your drinks budget is your call. Wine Club members may also get exclusive discounts when booking events.

How long do we get at Fortino Winery, and when does the music have to stop?

You get six hours of event time at Fortino Winery, plus a separate one-hour rehearsal held a day or two before the wedding. Amplified music is allowed both indoors and outdoors, within the city's restrictions, so your DJ or band can play from the Redwood Terrace's raised bandstand or in the Barrel Room. Map out those six hours with your coordinator and you'll fit in every moment you've been looking forward to.

What makes Fortino Winery different from the other venues near it?

Fortino Winery is a family winery in Gilroy, established in 1970 by Ernest and Marie Fortino on a vineyard that's been growing since the early 1930s, and your whole wedding happens there among redwoods and Chardonnay vines. It's all-inclusive, with a dedicated wedding specialist who plans with you from booking through your send-off, and its own chef cooking Italian food on site. Your pets can join the ceremony and celebration, and on-site parking for up to 200 cars means nobody needs a shuttle.

Can we tour Fortino Winery, and what should we ask while we're there?

Yes, Fortino Winery offers tours Thursday–Sunday, and you can book one by emailing the events team at events@fortinowinery.com. While you're there, walk both the Redwood Terrace and the Barrel Room, peek into the bridal room, and ask about micro-weddings or morning ceremonies if you're planning something smaller. Once you've booked, your coordinator walks the venue with you again about 30 days before the wedding and offers tours for your vendors, too.

GUEST COUNT: How many people can we have here? What’s the max capacity?

Indoors Outdoors
Ceremony Seated 0 350
Cocktails, etc. Standing 150 350
Reception Seated 120 350
Meetings Total meeting capacity for this venue is 120.

CEREMONY CAPACITY: The venue holds up to 350 seated outdoors.

EVENT/RECEPTION CAPACITY: The facility accommodates 120 seated or 150 standing indoors and 350 seated outdoors.

MEETING CAPACITY: Meeting spaces hold 120 seated guests.

Venue Info & FAQs

OPTIONS: What kinds of events can we have here?

  • All-Inclusive
  • Outdoor Ceremony
  • Ceremony
  • Wedding Receptions
  • Outdoor Reception
  • LGBTQ+ Friendly
  • Small Wedding
  • Rehearsal Dinner
  • Special Events / Parties
  • Business Functions / Meetings

POLICIES: What are the food, alcohol, music, and other rules here?

Price

$ • $$

Catering

In-house

Alcohol

In-house

Amplified Music

Indoors
Outdoors
Some restrictions

Wheelchair Access

Wheelchair accessible

Availability

Year-round, daily.

STYLE: What’s the style and overall vibe of this venue?

Buildings & other settings available:

  • Banquet Hall / Events Facility
  • Garden
  • Historic / Landmark Building
  • Patio / Deck / Terrace
  • Winery / Vineyard

VIEWS: What kind of views does this place have?

Peep the views you’ll enjoy from this venue!

  • Forest / Woods
  • Garden
  • Hills
  • Landscaped Grounds
  • Meadow / Fields
  • Mountains
  • Valley
  • Vineyard

AMENITIES: What services and amenities are available here?

Feel like a VIP with these services and amenities:

Catering: in-house
Kitchen Facilities: n/a
Tables & Chairs: provided
Linens, Silver, etc.: provided
Restrooms: wheelchair accessible
Dance Floor: provided
Dressing Area: yes
AV/Meeting Equipment: CBA
Parking: large lot
Accommodations: no guest rooms
Outdoor Night Lighting: yes
Outdoor Cooking Facilities: no
Cleanup: provided
View: garden courtyard, landscaped grounds, valley; surrounded by large redwoods, hills, and vineyards
Other: event coordination

RESTRICTIONS: What limitations or restrictions should we know about here?

Take note of the following limitations!

Alcohol: in-house
Smoking: designated areas only
Music: amplified OK with city restrictions
Wheelchair Access: yes
Insurance: provided at additional charge


Wondering what CBA or BYO means?
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Alternate Info: Fortino Vineyards