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 Santa Cruzin’... West of the Hill From the Summit to the Sea Day the First In Which I Barely Escape the Swirling Vortex that is Santa Cruz |
 Santa Cruzin’… West of the Hill From the Summit to the Sea Day the Second In Which I am Overwhelmed by Euphemistic Cartography |
 Santa Cruzin’… East of the Hill From the Summit to the Bay Day the Third In Which I am Transported Back Fifty Years by Loudon Wainwright |
 Santa Cruzin’… East of the Hill From the Summit to the Bay Day the Fourth In Which the Yin and Yang of All Things Gently Asserts Itself |
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The Santa Cruz Mountains may be the most poorly recognized and underappreciated AVA in California. There’s just no buzz. Now, sure - everybody knows about Ridge Vineyards – and Monte Bello is clearly one of California’s finest and most enduring red wines. We’ve spent a lot of time saying so right here on this site. But aside from Ridge, and occasionally Mount Eden, and to a lesser extent, David Bruce and Kathryn Kennedy, the Santa Cruz Mountains just don’t get much love. Truth be told, some of it is their own fault. Too many small, family owned wineries, only open on weekends, or even worse, hardly ever open at all. Too many idiosyncratic wines. Not enough gobs. Too little oak. I mean, you hardly know you’re in California. Long forgotten are the pivotal contributions of Martin Ray and Paul Masson. Martin Ray is now merely a brand name with no connection whatsoever to his great legacy – Paul Masson’s winery is better known as a concert venue than as a source for fine wines. What’s a wine journalist to do? I’m glad you asked. And I’m glad the Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association provided access to all four days of their Vintner’s Festival, a two weekend “open house” of sorts, designed to allow folks to get to know what makes this wine region so special. So I went, and I saw, and I tasted. Grab some popcorn and I’ll tell you all about it. califusa |
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