Santa Cruz Mountains
Santa Cruz Mountains Wine Country is one of the most beautiful in the state. Located in the western part of its parent AVA, the Santa Cruz Wineries produce everything from light Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to robust Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. A host of other grapes also thrive in the hillside vineyards.
Santa Cruz Mountains Wine Country
There are several legendary Santa Cruz Mountains wineries including Ridge Vineyards and Thomas Fogarty Winery. Ridge’s Paul Draper has done wonders for the Zinfandel grape’s reputation over his long and distinguished career. Overall, there are about 50 Santa Cruz wineries and 1,500 acres of vineyards.
Wines from the Santa Cruz Wine Country are produced with grapes grown in many different climates. The nuanced and varying weather patterns of the Santa Cruz Mountains are most affected by elevation and the direction that hillside vineyards face. Slopes facing east are typically more sheltered and warmer than slopes facing west towards the Pacific Ocean.
Santa Cruz Mountains Wineries have diverse terrain, even by California’s standards. Because several faults run through the Santa Cruz Mountains, two adjacent vineyards can have very different soil profiles. But the one constant is that soils are exceptionally thin and unfertile. Local Santa Cruz Wineries and vineyards share the landscape with conifer forests.
The Santa Cruz Mountains has a history of wine production that predates many of the states regions. A number of French immigrants made wine production a lucrative business between the 1880s and the enactment of Prohibition in 1919.
Popular Santa Cruz Mountains Wineries
-->Latest News – Santa Cruz Mountains
- Feb 21, 2007
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Soquel Vineyards announces Futures Program Releases
Santa Cruz Mountains’ Soquel vineyards announced the wine to be released to their Futures Program members. - Feb 09, 2007
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New Release from Fogarty Winery
Thomas Fogarty Winery is set to release their 2004 Rapley Trail Pinot Noir. - Jan 15, 2007
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Thomas Fogarty Winery Featured at Wine Tasting Event
January 31st, 2007 – Santa Cruz Mountain’s Thomas Fogarty Winery to be featured at Mantra Restaurant’s “Wine Hour” tasting event in Palo Alto, Ca. - Dec 20, 2006
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Thomas Fogarty Winery Releases First Vineyard-Designated Chardonnays
2006 marks the first year that Santa Cruz Mountains’ Thomas Fogarty Winery will release the first vintage of a series of vineyard designate Chardonnays. - Dec 20, 2006
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Santa Cruz Mountains’ Clos LaChance Winery is set to hold a series of eight Fireside Fridays starting January 12th.
Santa Cruz Mountains’ Clos LaChance Winery is set to hold a series of eight Fireside Fridays starting January 12th.
ryan said:
Thanks Farley, we'll get them up asap.
Posted 546 days ago.
farley said:
Hey, guys. You should look into adding Testarossa. It's in Los Gatos and makes some damn good Pinot Noirs.
Posted 552 days ago.