Video: Nearly 300 Enjoy Saratoga's Savannah-Chanelle Vineyards' Easter Egg Hunt

Nearly 300 children and parents came out to Savannah-Chanelle Vineyards for its third annual Easter egg hunt Sunday afternoon in the gorgeous Saratoga Hills.

Located at 23600 Big Basin Way, there was hardly a place to park on the busy highway for parents who climbed up to the mountain top winery to help their children participate in the free egg hunt near the vineyards' Villa.

"It's the most we've had in the past number of years," said Luke Piro, a spokesman for the vineyards, adding that only about 75 were expected.

After the hunt, families who had reserved tables for $25 enjoyed wine tasting and picnic meals. The wine was picked up in the tasting room, which was built in 1923.

The first 25 families that arrived Sunday morning received a golden egg with different discounts for wine purchases.

Piro said when the economy went sour a couple of years ago, local wineries in Saratoga curtailed their wine production and many were hit hard by the Great Recession.

However, he explained, during the past six months to the last year, sales have started picking up and attendance has steadily increased.

"We thought it would taper off after the holidays, but every weekend we're slammed in the tasting room," Piro said. "We have four or five bartenders on weekends and sometimes that's not enough. It's really taken off."

Piro, who's worked at the vineyards for nine years, helps out at the cellar, tasting room and maintains the vineyards' grounds doing cleanup, recycling and waste removal.

He said the business is owned by Saratoga natives Kellie and Mike Ballard, who now live in Potomac, MD. He said the vineyards are named after their daughters Savannah and Chanelle.