Pierce Rd, Saratoga

This may be one of the most expensive streets to live on in the Bay Area - as the hill gets higher, the houses get exponentially bigger. The castles, as they should probably be called, are nestled on lovely acres of property, tucked behind redwoods, douglas firs, and madrones. One can opt to either be completely secluded, or to have incredible, open views of Silicon Valley from their window.

Cell phone reception is hit-or-miss, but the biggest issue with this plot of real estate is the sheer number of switchbacks that one must drive on in order to get home; my first time here, a car actually drove off of a cliff about an hour after I had driven up. Drive carefully, don't even try to talk on your phone (you won't be able to, anyway), and enjoy marveling at how the other half (or rather, other .00000000001%) lives.

Mountain Winery is an absolutely stunning Saratoga venue, characteristic of why this area is so expensive. Most people are unaware that this secluded winery even exists, given how tucked away it is up the hill.

The wines are excellent and the catering is phenomenal - monumental cheese spreads and mountains of fresh fruit are accompanied by meats that I am told are delectable (I'm a vegetarian). The property is stunning, even by winery standards, with stone and wood buildings and expansive grounds. The best feature here is probably the view, where one can see Silicon Valley in its entirety from close to the summit of the Santa Cruz mountains.

Aside from being extremely expensive (a given), the other drawback to this venue is that the parking is relatively far away from the main events hall (maybe 1/8 of a mile). There is a dropoff area, but I could see this being an inconvenience for some.