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After 55 years under the ownership of Bob Mullen, Woodside Vineyards will be leaving its local roots and will be handed off to Silver Mountain Vineyards in Los Gatos. Owners say that the struggling wine industry is one of the reasons that led to the sale of the historic label.
Mullen told The Almanac that it was time to sell Woodside Vineyards. As younger generations turn to cider and beer and older generations fade, the wine industry continues to suffer. “There’s been no improvement,” he said.
Silver Mountain’s owner Jerold O’Brien will be taking over Woodside Vineyards label, equipment and inventory. As another historic vineyard facing the challenges of declining wine sales, O’Brien said he’s nervous about being able to sell all the wine.
With the purchase of Woodside Vineyards inventory, O’Brien now has 90 barrels of the 2024 and 2025 inventory. Each barrel makes 24 cases of wine, said Mullen.
Mullen will be celebrating his 100th birthday in February and “in the last of the life he has, I want him to be happy, free of any burden and at peace,” said O’Brien, explaining why he agreed to buying Woodside Vineyards.
O’Brien founded Silver Mountain Vineyards in 1979 in the Santa Cruz Mountains and has been a longtime friend of Mullen. Marsha Campbell, Mullen’s wife, said he was the only one who made acceptable offers to them.
“I still have most of my brain, but I’m not as sharp as I used to be,” said Mullen. “You’ve got to be on your toes to run your own business, which is why we decided to sell.”
Change in wine culture
O’Brien said the wine industry had been struggling tremendously for the past 10 to 20 years and the unexpected impacts of the pandemic pushed sales down even further.
He points toward several circumstances that have led to the current state of the industry: increased competition, increased production and declining sales, older people being unable to drink as much wine and younger generations buying more hard liquor, beer and canned cocktails.
Decades ago, drinking wine and visiting wineries was part of the culture. Campbell recalls taking trips to Napa Valley, learning, connecting and tasting wine for a very nominal fee. Now, most tastings in Napa can cost anywhere between $40 to $100.
“The whole atmosphere has changed. That introduction to wine, how to taste it, how to enjoy it and what it involves is just missing.” Campbell said.
She added that the lack of wine cellars is also another change in culture that has led to fewer people buying wine. Due to the high cost of living, younger people are living in smaller homes and apartments that don’t accommodate spaces like a wine cellar. In the past, people bought wine with the intention to store it and save it for special occasions, but now the trend is “to buy wine to drink now,” Campbell said.
O’Brien was honest about his apprehension over taking over another label as the industry declines, but he said, “Sometimes I appreciate challenges and in this situation, I did it for Bob.”
To survive the struggling industry, O’Brien said “now that Bob’s happiness is in my hands, I could use all the help I can get.”
Reflecting on the history of Woodside Vineyards
Mullen has owned Woodside Vineyards since 1970, but prior to his ownership the original grape vines that were planted in 1884 were known to produce wine under the La Questa Vineyards label. The wines were grown from a cutting brought in a suitcase from France, Mullen said.
In 1915, the wine made from the La Questa vines won gold at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. Mullen said its wine has always been award-winning in every competition it has entered.
“We’re proud of the quality and the fact that we’ve existed this long — and that I’ve existed this long,” said Mullen. “But at 99 years old, it’s time to move on.”
Although Woodside Vineyards will be moving to Los Gatos with Silver Mountain Vineyards, the quality and taste are guaranteed to be the same, said Campbell. Under O’Brien’s management, she is confident that his prioritization of making quality wine will ensure that Woodside Vineyards will continue to be a fine label, she added.
Celebrating the label
Guests sign in for Woodside Vineyards tasting event on July 24 at Neely Winery in Portola Valley. Photo by Jennifer Yoshikoshi. 
Woodside Vineyard’s Thursday event hosted at Neely Winery on July 24. Photo by Jennifer Yoshikoshi. 
A printed announcement on the increased price of La Questa wine in 1918. Photo by Jennifer Yoshikoshi 
Framed photo of medals won at the Pan-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco and the California Land Show. Photo by Jennifer Yoshikoshi
Throughout the summer, Woodside Vineyards had hosted tasting events on every fourth Thursday of each month. Campbell described these events as a finale.
On July 24, Neely Wine in Portola Valley hosted a tasting featuring bottles of La Questa wine from 1969, 2002, 2009, 2018 and a 2013 bottle of Woodside Vineyards.
Displayed on the center table were La Questa bottles from 1936, 1960s and 1970s. These bottles were donated to the San Mateo County Historical Association along with framed photos of the Pan-Pacific Expedition medals and a printed announcement from 1918 alerting patrons about a price increase to $8 per quart and $9 per pint.
The legacy of the vineyard and Mullen’s work will be preserved by the San Mateo County History Museum, which will be archiving the artifacts. According to curators, they hope to incorporate these items into the museum in the future.
As a final event for Woodside Vineyards, Silver Mountain will hold an open house for the wine label on Saturday, Sept. 6 from 1:30- 4:30 p.m. Guests will be able to enjoy live music and wine at its venue that overlooks the Monterey Bay.
Silver Mountain Vineyard’s winery in Los Gatos and its tasting room in Santa Cruz are also open every weekend. For more information visit silvermtn.com. Guests can also continue to buy Woodside Vineyard wine from Auto Vino, a food, wine and exotic cars venue in San Carlos.
