Page 34 - Demo

34 SUMMER | 2016
reathtaking vistas. Ocean and valley views. Lush forests. Majestic rst-growth redwoods. Misty fog. Ocean breezes. Surf and sand. And mountain vineyards. This is Santa Cruz Mountains Wine Country. This mountain terroir produces acclaimed world-class wines.
The Santa Cruz Mountains is a special wine tasting destination. Intimate, artisan wineries and small vineyards
are tucked in among the trees along beautiful mountain roads; perched atop the ridges with sweeping views into the valleys or along the coast; and located in trendy urban tasting rooms. You can meet and talk with the winemakers, and enjoy exploring the mountain
and coastal ambience. Wine tasting here is as much a discovery of
the natural beauty of the mountains and coast as it is a delightful discovery of our world-class wines and restaurants. You can taste at several nearby wineries in a day, and drive from the mountaintops (where it snows in winter!) to the coast and enjoy a sunset walk on the beach!
Depending on how much time you have and what you want to see, you can choose a group of wineries in close proximity, or make a tour of several areas that can take you from downtown Santa Cruz to the mountain peaks to foothill wineries to coastal Corralitos.
Wine COuntry
OF Santa Cruz COunty
By Mary Lindsay
The Urban Santa Cruz Winery Experience: The Surf City Vintners Group: MJA Vineyards; Rexford Winery; Sones Cellars; Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard / Quinta Cruz; Odonata; Equinox Champagne Cellar / Bartolo Winery; Storrs Winery; Silver Mountain; Stockwell Cellars. .
A good place to start your downtown winery tour is at Storrs Winery in the Old Sash Mill, right off the Highways 1 and 17 interchange. The extensive wine list includes award-winners from the Santa Cruz Mountains and nearby Central Coast vineyards, including Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, and more. Just a couple of miles away, the intersection of Swift and Ingalls Streets, off of Hwy. 1 (Mission Street) on the Westside near the UC Santa Cruz campus is home to the rest of the Surf City Vintners collective of micro-boutique wineries. The tasting rooms are open on the weekends; some are open weekdays. Check the website at www.surfcityvintners.com for locations and hours. An urban renewal project has turned former warehouse space into a hip, trendy destination that also includes Kelly’s French Bakery, where you can soak in the sunshine on the patio with coffee and a pastry or sandwich; a charcuterie, El Salchichero, with fresh, handmade sausages and pates, cured and smoked meats from local, sustainably farmed animals; a New Leaf grocery; and some darling little shops. The wineries here offer a wide variety to taste: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Zinfandel, Cabernet – and some of the unusual, including Spanish and Portuguese varieties at Santa Cruz Mountains Vineyard / Quinta Cruz. A huge bonus is the
summersantacruz.com