Santa Cruz Mountain Wineries
On Saturday, my colleagues brought me visiting some of the lesser known wineries in the California. Right at the doorstep of Silicon Valley lie the Santa Cruz mountains. Until this weekend, I was unaware of the numerous wineries that dot these hills. Find out more at the Santa Cruz Mountain Winegrowers Association
At first, I was skeptical that we could spend 5 hours (started at 12.30pm) sipping wine. I was mistaken. Our first destination was Ahlgren’s, a small winery along Highway 9 near Boulder Creek. They had a small vineyard, but they bottle thousands of cases every year with grapes from Livermore and other vineyards. Dexter the owner was warm and gracious and we spent about 30-45 minutes sipping and chatting.
The second winery was Byington Vineyard. It was a beautiful stone house set on top of hills of grapevines, with breathtaking views of Monterrey Bay. It was a perfect place for a picnic. There was even a garden with a gazebo, perfect for an outdoor wedding.
Our last stop was Burrell School Vineyards, set in a restored schoolhouse. My oenological colleagues assured me that Burrell offered the best choice of wines (and even bought 16 bottles between them). Of course, my palate wasn’t refined enough to tell the difference.
This was quite an outing. The skies were perfectly blue and clear, and the crisp autumn air felt fresh and invigorating. Add to this some fine wine and good conversation, it was quite enjoyable.