It’s easy to get caught up in the hectic and demanding schedules surrounding life, especially in Silicon Valley. But when life gets a little too overwhelming, Satori Cellars is there to center you.
When you talk with the owners of Satori—Tom and Sandy Moller—you soon realize they’ve found their own peaceful world of Zen, and thankfully, they share it with everyone who visits their winery.
Tom bought the land now home to Satori Cellars roughly 22 years ago. At that time, the property was a dying prune orchard. They decided to plant grapes on the land, really just because they would make for beautiful landscaping. During a birthday party for Tom in 2003, some of his friends suggested looking on the Internet to see how you make wine.
“With all these grapes growing, we decided we might as well try making some wine,” Tom said.
At this point, Sandy added, “And his dream was always to ride a tractor. He always had the biggest smile on his face when he was on the tractor. There’s just some magic that happens between a farmer and his land.”
After years of working in the tech industry, spending a large amount of his time on airplanes traveling from one international business meeting to the next, Tom mentioned the idea of opening up a winery to his wife.
“Well, only if it’s going to be fun,” Sandy replied to him after a moment of silence.
With a winery decorated in all the colors of the rainbow, it’s hard to be anything but fun. The tasting room is a brightly colored outdoor cabana and the area surrounding it is filled with picnic tables and chairs—all painted in varying bright, happy shades. (Tom actually built the picnic tables himself and Sandy
painted them.)
“We want it to be a playful, happy, fun, friendly experience for people. People will come here and say, ‘I feel like I’m on vacation when I’m here,’” Sandy said.
“We’re also kid-friendly and dog-friendly—as long as your kids and dogs are friendly,” Tom added.
The name Satori actually means “a moment of enlightenment.” Tom and Sandy even refer to times when you can settle in and enjoy life (hopefully with a glass of wine in hand) as “Satori moments.”
“We’ve all got to relax a little more,” Sandy said. “Let’s have as many Satori moments as we can.”
Sandy could put almost anyone at ease, not just with her calming demeanor and positive attitude, but also by using yoga to quiet the mind. She teaches restorative yoga at a local studio two to three times a week and along with welcoming wine lovers to their property, the Moller’s have invited yoga lovers as well. There have been four “Vino and Vinyasa” events held at Satori, where patrons enjoy a yoga session and then finish the day sampling wine.
“We didn’t have any preconceived notions so we made it what we would want if we were going to go tasting,” Sandy said. “We’re definitely not trying to be anything other than a place where you can have a good time.”
Their first vintage was bottled in 2006 and they held their first public tasting in 2008. Each bottle states, “hand-made, love-infused” and each bottle also includes a suggested ritual to practice while enjoying the wine.
“The biggest surprise to me has been how nice the people are. We’ve met so many friends,” Tom said.
Sandy added, “I’m really impressed with the quality of the people. Some times when I don’t feel good I’ll just come out here [to the tasting cabana] and their energy makes me feel so much better.”
The land that once held dying prune trees is now 15 acres of Petite Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel vines and Tom and Sandy are enjoying the winemaking journey and all they’ve learned while watching the vines and their business grow.
“Somehow this business has taught us so many life lessons about patience and timing,” Sandy said. Satori Cellars now produces roughly 2,000 cases annually and they feel like they’ve grown to just the right size.
“We just want to be a ‘mom and pop shop’ right now. We don’t have plans to expand,” Tom said.
Satori Cellars offers award-winning wines, a bright and welcoming ambiance and a great selection of red wines to sample. Couldn’t we all use a few Satori moments?
Chrissy Bryant is a writer, social media manager and former Morgan Hill native who loves staying active, enjoys California sunshine and a great glass of wine. This article is the second in a series to complete a master’s degree project at San Jose State University.
