Introduction

There were only a couple of wineries in the Santa Cruz Mountains when I was a kid there in the 50's and 60's. Now there is a growing collection of mountain wineries and Santa Cruz has a very nice winery collection in a renovated industrial park.

Exploring this region isn't easy. The mountains are steep and the roads are narrow; some are very narrow. However, the rewards of great wine, friendly little tasting rooms, and terrific views can't be missed. Some wineries have a view of the South Bay Area far below them and others view the Monterey Bay. Many are in redwoods.

Traveler services are in the South Bay Area, now usually called Silicon Valley, and more quaint Santa Cruz. There is limited lodging in Los Gatos and Saratoga but those villages are more romantic than say downtown San Jose.

- Jim Preston

Must See Santa Cruz Mountains Wineries - an introduction to the region.

• Testarossa
  • Architecture and interior - taste in a large cave.
  • Setting - an old Catholic seminary in the mountains.
• Savannah-Chanelle
  • Architecture and interior - the tasting room is in a charming and rustic old barn.
  • Setting - in a redwood forest surrounded by steep mountains. Nice view of Silicon Valley down the canyon.
  • Picnic sites - there are multiple sites but the best is on the hill on the grounds of the old house.
• Cooper-Garrod
  • Setting - a large horse stable complex in the mountains. Old ranch ambiance.
  • Interior - quaint with old photos and memorabilia in the tasting room.
• Picchetti
  • Architecture and interior - wonderful old barn.
  • Setting and picnic site - beautiful mountain setting and picnicking under large oaks.
• Ridge - View of Silicon Valley far below!
• Burrell School - View of Monterey Bay!
• Bonny Doon
  • Interior - unusual and beautiful.
  • Restaurant - gourmet restaurant with an open kitchen and interesting wine vat booths. We love dining at the bar with a view of the kitchen.
  • A half dozen tiny wineries to explore nearby. Make a day of it.

Off-The-Beaten-Track Santa Cruz Mountains Wineries

Other than La Nebbia and the wineries in the towns the whole region is off-the-beaten-track. This area along the famous San Andreas Fault is the most rugged wine region in California. No gentle valley or rolling hills here. The terrain keeps out the riff raff and you meet serious tasters in the tasting rooms. It is not a region where stretch limos and buses do well. Here are a few suggestions for really getting away from the crowds. All involve significant driving on narrow mountain roads.

• Ahlgren - this winery is in a home with hand-milled wood. A real mountain winery experience in the little barrel room. Call before going there to see if he is really open.
• Beauregard - this is the old Bonny Doon Vineyards tasting room. Wonderful redwood retreat.
• Vine Hill - the tasting room is in an oak forest but the picnic area above it has one of the best views in California.
• Poetic - high on a ridge but not much of a view. Nice mountain experience though.
• Roudon-Smith - homey little tasting room with event tasting outdoors and a real mountain home feeling.
• Loma Prieta - stunning views of the mountains and Monterey Bay. Beautiful location, tasting room, and patio for a picnic.

Romantic Santa Cruz Mountains Wineries

A special ambiance for long quiet conversations and enjoying love. Usually we have a secluded outdoor scene in mind. The problem in this region is that most of the wineries meet our criteria for romantic. Pick any rural winery but here are a few to get started.

• Ridge - if you can't find romance at the top of the hill behind the picnic area then give it up.
• Savannah Chanelle - nice ambiance next to the old house on top of the hill with a fine view.
• Burrell School - secluded tasting room with an incredible view from the deck.
• Byington - great view and romantic tasting room high in the mountains. Popular place for couples.
• Bonny Doon - yes it is urban in an industrial park but the restaurant booth seating is very romantic - and you get fed gourmet meals.

Notes

Your tastes change frequently. Do wine ratings, gold medals, etc. really matter?

We have hundreds of winery interview videos in winery profiles. We shoot these at winery events because that is the cheapest way to gather content. It would be nice to go to each tasting room but this gets very expensive quickly. See our Compare Winery Features search engine for which wineries have videos in your target region.

We are adding our Discover California Wine Regions videos to the Recommended Wineries by Region pages.

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