Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz

Alfaro Family Vineyards

Alfaro Family Vineyards is everything a local Santa Cruz Mountains winery needs to be. The owner is incredibly passionate about his work and drove us over his lovingly cared for property in his pick-up truck. It was an adventure to remember! Fun fact: he is so passionate about the local environment that he re-fenced his property so that the deer can go through it, without being able to access his vineyards. I had a great time touring the vineyard and an even better time tasting the wine. There was a wide variety of wines available for the tasting, and all of them were both tasty and very reasonably priced. Everyone we met here was a great conversationalist and really made me feel comfortable and relaxed. I wish I lived closer so that I could come to taste wines every Saturday for their open tastings! Open Saturdays from noon to 5:00 pm year-round; Sundays June 16 - September 1. Enjoy a flight of 7 or more wines; tasting fee $10

Armanino Family Cellars

A family-owned winery that released its first Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon with the 2006 vintage. The Pinot Noir grapes are sourced from Amber Ridge Vineyard in the Russian River Valley, Doctor's Vineyard in the Santa Luia Highlands and La Encantada Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills.

Poetic Cellars

Poetic Cellars was established in 2005 with one thought in mind; that of combining the passionate excellence of their winesand with exquisite and original poetry on each varietal. This interesting Santa Cruz Mountains winery is located in the Santa Cruz Mountains on 33 Redwood studded acres. Just minutes from Highway 17, it is only about 40 minutes from San Jose and 15 minutes from Santa Cruz. Bring a picnic Lunch to enjoy the views along with a bottle of Poetic Cellars wine.

Bargetto Winery

Soquel Bargetto has th prettiest tasting room and patio overlooking a creek and wilderness. Getting to th wines, the Sauv Blanc and Pinot Grigio are pretty good and well balanced, the Chard not my preference.

The reserve reds are quite delicious and the sweet wines are good if you are into the sweeter wines.

Ruthe Roberts Wine Collective

At California Corks we love to meet the winemakers and become acquainted with the wines of those special little boutique wineries. We have been trying to find a way for those that join the California Corks Winery Experience can enjoy this same experience, to meet the winemaker or have access to some of these harder to find wines. We are glad to say that we have found a way to do so that allows for plenty of opportunity to do both. We are glad to introduce Ruthe Roberts Wine Collective is the first of its kind in downtown Saratoga. A multi-winery tasting room that is home to some of the best and most talented winemakers in California. The wines are offered in pre-arranged flights to allow guests to compare different wines and discover new favorites. The Ruthe Roberts Wine Collective provides a warm, casual elegance in the beautiful courtyard or grab a table in the tasting room. This is a place where wine lovers will find new wines to love, and where smaller wineries can showcase their wines and introduce them to consumers. We a pleased to have Ruthe Roberts Wine Collective as a participant of the California Corks Winery Experience. 

Hours:

Mon-Thur     Closed
Fri       12:00am to 6:00pm
Sat      12:00am to 6:00pm
Sun       1:00am to 5:00pm

Barterra Wines

We found the Barterra winery, located in Half Moon Bay, to be a delightful place. A husband and wife team run this winery. The staff is friendly and they know their stuff when it comes to wine.

Barterra offers premium wines from the finest vineyards in Napa Valley, Sonoma, Carneros, Lodi, Amador, Alexander Valley, Mendocino, Lodi, Paso Robles, Russian River Valley and Madera.  All of Barterra Wines is sold directly to the public.

Their quaint tasting room is located on the main street and the pours are generous.  Their standard wine tasting allows you to sample three wines, but the owner let me try an additional port (and it was excellent!).  We enjoyed tasty white wines and their Ruby Cabernet and chocolatey dessert wine were very good. ~

Hours:

Tues-Weds   Closed
Thur     12:00pm to 6:00pm
Fri        12:00pm to 6:00pm
Sat       12:00pm to 6:00pm
Sun      12:00pm to 6:00pm
Mon     12:00pm to 6:00pm

Thomas Fogarty Winery

Thomas Fogarty Winery was founded in 1978 by inventor Dr. Thomas Fogarty and winemaker Michael Martella. Dr Fogarty’s penchant for innovative thought and Martella’s viticulture instincts allowed them to lead the development of the cool Skyline Ridge area; true pioneers in one of California’s premiere Pinot Noir and Chardonnay regions.

Beuregards Vineyards

In 1945 retired Sheriff Deputy Amos Beauregard purchased 157 acres of which 13 acres have been planted with winegrapes. Cabernet Saugivgon, Chardonnay, Zinfandel and an old grape know as Charabono were originally planted in 1880. Over the years Jim Beuregard has planted hundreds of acres of vines throughout the Santa Cruz Mountains and still maintains his 68 acres of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon. Jim and his family live on the estate and Ryan Beauregard is the Winemaker.

Osocalis Winery and Distillery

Founded in the early 1990's, Oscocalis represents the second generation of small American distillers to use combination of Old World techniques with New World fruit. California brandy makers have the advantage (and the challenge!) of being abe to blend a large number of grape varieties together for a more complex and nteresting brandy, where as French law strictly limits this practice.

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