Conrado Cellars: Bringing a Vineyard House Back Full Circle

When it was built for its original owner in 1948, the adobe dwelling in Saratoga was situated in an 8-acre vineyard. Fifty years later, the 4,000-square-foot home proved too difficult for the owner to maintain and it was sold to a developer, who promised they would not tear the house down. They removed the vines and subdivided the land to ultimately construct five additional homes.

And the original house? The developer kept his word and didn’t touch it. Instead, he put it up for sale. Fortunately, the perfect buyers already lived in town.

In 1997, Libby and Paul Conrado, founders of Conrado Home Builders, purchased it—leaky roof and all—intent on restoring the house to its former glory. “I came here with a yellow pad and filled three pages with the problems the house had,” Paul recalls of his initial visit. But with their expertise as builders, they were up for the challenge.

Although there were inherent charms—including 16-inch-thick adobe walls, redwood-lined ceilings and brick flooring—it not only required TLC, but also needed to be updated for modern-day living. For example, there were no closets (the couple installed built-in armoires) nor any ceiling lights (in the kitchen, they vaulted the ceiling and added recessed lighting).

There was, however, a cave on the grounds that could hold 16 barrels of wine. Paul—who took a few classes at UC Davis but is essentially self-taught—had begun making wine in 1992, relying on grapes from various places in the Santa Cruz Mountains. As only the second owner to occupy the Saratoga house, which now sat on just over an acre, he envisioned bringing it back to its vineyard roots.

Two months after acquiring the property, he started planting vines. He had some experience doing so, as a client had previously requested a vineyard alongside their Conrado-built home. Paul has since completed dozens more throughout Silicon Valley. “In the ’90s, I had clients who had acreage and I needed grapes,” he says of the mutually beneficial situation. “In the early days, I planted them and I took care of them.” (He now recommends Ron Mosley’s Vinescape for vineyard management.)

Today, Libby and Paul’s 900-square-foot garage doubles as the Conrado Cellars winemaking facility. The only rule in here: There must always be enough room for Libby to park her car.

Paul produces multiple barrels annually, but none of the bottled wine is sold. They are gifted to clients and associates or donated to fundraising events and charities. Among his many community-oriented projects is the Sacred Heart Vineyard in Saratoga, which he planted and where he continues to serve as their original and only winemaker.

At home, with vines covering about one-tenth of the property, there is plenty of land for Paul’s other agricultural pursuits. Rather than a pool, the backyard boasts nine olive trees that can yield 600 pounds of olives a year, which translates into eight gallons of olive oil. There is a small greenhouse, where basil, padrón peppers and all vegetables are grown from seeds. An orchard includes lemon, peach, fig, avocado and pear trees.

Also impressive are the 4-by-10-foot raised beds behind the house; there are 22 in total, custom made of corten steel. For years, chef Peter Armellino came here for produce—fava beans, green garlic, tomatoes, nettles and more—to use on the menu at The Plumed Horse, the sole Michelin-starred restaurant in Saratoga.

With the garden, Libby and Paul have a clear division of duties: She takes care of everything ornamental, and he is responsible for anything food- and drink-related. As for the company that they founded together in 1988, Libby continues to work in the office two days a week, while Paul stepped down as President and CEO several years ago and retired in 2023, succeeded by his daughter, Colleen Conrado Ferguson.

After nearly 35 years of making wine, Paul says it is just a matter of time before he finally gives that up as well. “It’s hard work!” he exclaims, but he loves it. And through Conrado Cellars Paul remains connected to the business. The wine venture is linked to Conrado Home Builders, with labels stating: “Builders of fine homes, makers of fine wines.” Paul jokes that, conversely, “if you make bad wine, people may think you build bad houses.”

That doesn’t seem to be a problem, though. Over the past three decades, Conrado’s red wines have garnered more than 400 regional and national awards—a testament to its high quality and standards.