Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Gallegos.
Hi Heather, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My business partner Christina and I have been friends for over thirty years, and we both call Morgan Hill home. As San Jose natives who moved to Morgan Hill and fell in love with South Santa Clara County wine country, we kept trying to plan wine tours for special occasions and hitting the same wall: it was really hard to plan a group wine-tasting tour in South County.
So we built what was missing. We launched Morgan Hill Wine Trolley in 2024 to give Bay Area residents and visitors an easy, hosted way to experience the wineries, farms, and charm of our own backyard. El Toro Tours is our parent company behind it and the foundation for the local tourism experiences we’re continuing to build out.
It really did start that simply: two friends, a problem we could help solve, and a hidden gem in the Bay Area that we wanted to share with more people.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Starting a transportation and hospitality business from scratch comes with a learning curve that no one fully prepares you for. Licensing, safety compliance, vehicle operations, event logistics: we built our knowledge base in real time while also building the brand.
We also launched into a region that wasn’t yet on most people’s radar as a local wine destination. A big part of our early work was simply helping people discover that this charming wine country exists right here in South County, less than an hour from San Jose.
What kept us moving was the community. The wineries, local businesses, and Morgan Hill showed up for us early, and our guests kept coming back. That kind of validation makes the hard parts worth it.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about El Toro Tours?
El Toro Tours is the only hosted wine trolley experience in the Santa Clara Valley AVA. We operate two unique trolleys: a 30-passenger open-air red cable car trolley replica, the Morgan Hill Wine Trolley, and a 20-passenger enclosed white trolley, El Toro Trolley, and we design every tour to feel like a day out with friends, not just a shuttle between tasting rooms.
Our signature weekend wine tours are the heart of what we do, but we’ve grown into a full calendar of experiences that reflect what we love about this region. South County Farm Tours give guests a genuine hands-on look at local agriculture. Friday Night Theme Events bring a little extra fun to the weekend. Karaoke Trolley Night Tours have become a favorite for groups who want something memorable and lighthearted. And our Holiday Lights Tours sell out every season.
We’re also proud to serve corporate groups, wedding parties, and private charters. Whether it’s a team offsite or a bachelorette weekend, we bring the same warmth and intention to every booking.
What we’re most proud of is how the trolley has become part of the fabric of this community. We didn’t just build a business. We built something Morgan Hill can point to and say, that’s ours.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
South Santa Clara County wine country is genuinely special, and it still feels like a well-kept secret to a lot of Bay Area residents. We built Morgan Hill Wine Trolley because we wanted to share it with more people. If you’ve never explored the wineries and farms of South County, we’d love to be your introduction. Come ride with us.
Pricing:
- Signature Weekend Wine Tasting Tours: $149 per person
- South County Farm Tours: $49 per person
- Friday Night Theme Events: $69 per person
- Karaoke Trolley Night Tours: $35 per person
- Corporate, wedding, and private charters available; contact us for custom pricing
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mhwinetrolley.com and www.eltorotours.com
- Instagram: @mhwinetrolley and @eltorotours
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mhwinetrolley
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/eltorotours/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MorganHillWineTrolley
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@mhwinetrolley
