Santa Cruz SURF AND SIP IN
A drive to the beach in Santa
Cruz delivers more than sand
and boardwalk cotton candy,
thanks to a popular destination
space where a slew of wineries
operate adjacent tasting
rooms. An urban renewal project
has transformed former
Brussels sprouts packaging
plants into the Swift Street
Courtyard and neighboring Ingalls
Street Courtyard, where
more than a dozen wineries
from the Santa Cruz Mountains
offer tastes amidst boutiques,
restaurants, housewares
stores, a brewery, yoga studio,
top-notch bakery, heralded
butcher and more. With its
vibe of laid-back hipness, these
complexes justify a long interlude
not involving sunscreen.
SONES CELLARS (L) AND
SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS
VINEYARD (R) AT SURF
CITY VINTNERS
98 South Bay Accent
These appealing centers
of sipping and shopping have
spawned a few more tasting
operations nearby, creating
a vortex of wine tasting near
the ocean. This arrangement
makes life easy for wineries
that are often located in hardto
find corners in the adjacent
mountains but is particularly
convenient for wine lovers
who can now get a taste of
this outstanding wine region
in one place.
Steadfast, determined visitors
could conceivably hit all
of the winery tasting rooms in
one trip, but these courtyards/
centers are so appealing that
several visits are in order.
Don’t miss Silver Mountain
Vineyards, a small, sustainable
operation whose mountain
grown pinot noirs should
be sampled. MJA Vineyards
was launched by a former Hawaiian
coffee grower and delivers
aloha spirit in some assertive
cabernets and various
humorously named varietals.
Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard
was launched by a pinot
noir fanatic in 1975 and in its
latest incarnation, the winery
still produces elegant pinot
noirs from mountain-grown
fruit. It has also expanded to
a second label called Quinta
Cruz that focuses on some of
the lovely grapes like albariño,
verdelho, tempranillo and
souzão, originating in Spain
and Portugal but now cultivated
in California.
Storrs Winery has long
been making elegant European
varietals from mountain fruit,
and among ample available
varietals, the pinot noirs and
some intriguing red blends are
well worth sampling. Taste and
affordability are the marching
orders of family-owned
Sones Cellars, best known for
delicious white blends and big
zinfandels. Rexford Winery
makes wines from various
California regions, but its
mountain-grown merlot and
pinot noir offer a sense of the
area’s capabilities.
An urban winery that’s also
part art gallery has been producing
fans of tiny Stockwell
Cellars, whose claim to fame is
some bold reds like syrah and
zinfandel. While friendly Equinox
is a longtime producer of
nice sparkling wine—try the
brut reserve—it offers some
hearty red wines, too, under
the Bartolo label. Odonata is a
small family operation that focuses
on organic, sustainably
grown fruit and makes appealing
pinot noir and chardonnay
along with Rhone varietals and
even a sparkling riesling with
floral fizz.
Finally, Ser Winery has a
second tasting room here, joining
its spot in Saratoga, where
lovely mountain pinots and
chardonnay can be sipped.
Contact info, hours and
other facts can be found at
surfcityvintners.com.
