Redwoods and wineries are two of the elements that stand out in people’s minds when they think of the Los Gatos foothills. And now, in establishing Lexington Hills Estate and Winery, Alexa Ingram-Cauchi will get to help shape that sense of charm.
Located in Lexington Hills, this 7.5-acre property—complete with buildings made by upcycling materials, an infinity pool, grape vines and space to accommodate weddings and other ceremonies—overlooks the peaceful waters of the Lexington Reservoir.
Ingram-Cauchi initially acquired it for its beauty, but soon came to discover this site has a very rich history.
A labor of love
Ingram-Cauchi grew up right here in Lexington Hills, attending Los Gatos High School. She moved away to Seattle, Wash., where she attended university and lived for three decades.
Eventually, she migrated back to Los Gatos with her two children who attend Los Gatos High, just as she did.
By acquiring this acreage, she’s come full-circle.
Ingram-Cauchi previously lived at the historic Cats estate, which was owned by the Ogilvie family.
She hopes her new home will take cues from that legacy.
“I want this place to live on way past my time on this planet, and hopefully be around for generations to come,” she said.
Ingram-Cauchi built her current home, as well as two other structures meant for events, though most of the gatherings take place outdoors—taking advantage of the sweeping mountain views.
The materials came from all over: old barnwood flooring imported from Pennsylvania, where Ingram-Cauchi’s mother is from; driveway out of San Francisco cobbles; interior beams from a Lewis and Clark depot in Oregon.
It was an exercise in demonstrating how modern convenience can align with historical aesthetic values.
“My whole thought when developing this property is that I wanted to give a nod to the past and to our amazing history and architecture,” Ingram-Cauchi said. “I wanted to build something that would stand the test of time. I’m a firm believer in discovering wonderful architectural salvaged items and giving them new life and new purpose.”
When Ingram bought the land, she went on a research journey, visiting the Bancroft Library at UC Berkeley, contacting a midwestern Jesuit library and popping into New Museum Los Gatos, in the hopes of better understanding the story behind the land once owned by Harry Tevis.
Ingram-Cauchi first stumbled upon the land—with her father—when they were passing by together and a real estate sign caught her eye.
When she initially visited the site in 2015, it was relatively bare.
It took a decade before she was ready to open the doors to the public.
The initial plan to purchase this land was a joint effort with Ingram-Cauchi and her mother, since the two had originally owned a edutech business, dating to before the dot-com crash, called iD Tech.
“The TechEd business was started with the support of several Los Gatos educators, classmates and local businesses that believed in our vision that kids could learn technology—a crazy notion at the time,” Ingram-Cauchi said.
Her mother, Kathryn McClure Ingram, died recently, but Ingram-Cauchi believes her spirit is still present.
Ingram-Cauchi sold her shares of her previous company, in 2013, which led her to this most recent venture: building Lexington Hills Estate and Winery.
Her mother’s influence is undeniable.
“When I was growing up, my mom would always have cutouts of Vanity Fair and Architectural Digest up on storyboards,” Ingram-Cauchi said. “That’s how I grew up brainstorming ideas.”
Roughly one-third of an acre is dedicated to bringing back native plants covered by an ancient landslide.
“We don’t do anything half-way here,” Ingram-Cauchi said.
That included bringing in experts to advise on native plants.
Cabernet grapes have been draped over two acres on the hillside; the original intent was to help stabilize the hillside, in lieu of putting up cement retaining walls.
Fall of 2024 was Ingram’s first harvest, featuring events like grape picking and even olive picking, too.
The wine isn’t currently for sale, however, they’re offering tastings of both.
“The purpose is to bring the community together and allow us to reconnect over a breaking of bread,” she said. “For us, it’s picking the olives, harvesting them, and then everybody gets to come home with a bottle of their harvested olive oil.”
Ingram-Cauchi sees her estate as a “gateway” to the Santa Cruz Mountains Wine Region.
As she was hitting the books, Ingram-Cauchi learned all about the agricultural history of the area.
“The unique terroir is defined by diverse geologically-complex soil, steep mountain terrain,” she said. “Many vineyards—including ours—sit about the fog line, giving the wines a distinct regional identity. This year, in my mom’s honor, we will be introducing an estate rosé into our tasting lineup.”
In addition to the vines being used to produce grapes, they also act as terrain-stabilizers, as well as natural fire breaks.
Standing the test of time
Ingram-Cauchi wants to create something that will last a lifetime—and beyond.
“Everything has been designed with intent,” she said.
When Ingram-Cauchi’s dad was going through her late-mother’s storyboard, they uncovered an image where one of the buildings had resembled one of the new structures they’d erected.
Ingram-Cauchi sees it as standing in her mother’s honor—that she will forever be part of everything they do here.
“There’s just something magical about this property, Ingram-Cauchi said. “Coming out, driving out to this vista, and looking out at the water and listening to the few trees that were on the property, it was immediate, and it was calling to us. We knew that if somebody could bring this back to a state of natural wonder, it was going to be us. And it was going to be a labor of love. And it has been.”
