Villa Toscano Winery in Plymouth is beautiful at all seasons. Sculpted hedges encircle ponds full of fluffy white pampas grass; stone retaining walls hold up soft hills of vineyards; and housed in a smaller, Tuscan-gold building just steps from the expansive, chandeliered tasting room is the Bistro. Dining is patio only—but being among the grapes is why you came, right? Judging by the long list of options, I figured gourmet pizza was the specialty and so ignored the sandwich and burger part of the menu. My mother, daughter and I chose the simply monikered Chicken Pizza, a divinely creamy and herby thing so piled with chicken, bell peppers, artichokes, mushrooms and tomatoes that it was just barely fork-and-knife optional. Peering at other diners’ plates, I could tell that everything was well priced, but considering the pizza fed all two-and-a-half of us for $16, it was kind of a bargain. If you drive down Shenandoah Road, you’ll see lots of gorgeous vineyards under a big sky, but Villa Toscano has a bright yellow sign at its entrance that reads “Great Food.” I’m convinced that my daughter’s uneaten crust was great enough to be called breadsticks—just saying. 

Bistro at Villa Toscano Winery, 10600 Shenandoah Road, Plymouth. 209-245-3800.
— Dayana Stockdale