Pelican Ranch Winery is a small, family owned and operated winery specializing in Rhone and Burgundy style wines from the best vineyards in California. Established in 1997, the winery is located a short distance from Monterey Bay which provides the constant, cool, coastal influence that allows for controlled, slow fermentation. The result is rich, full-flavored, complex wines.
Andersen Vineyards is a small quality vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains organically growing Cabernet Sauvignon. and Merlot grapes. Andersen Vineyards makes a fine wine blend they call Romantic Red. Approx 75% Cab and 25% merlot. Our 2001 will be available in July. Wines are made only from Anderson estate grown grapes. There is still some cases of 2000 available 60% / 40% ( 40 left ). Anderson is currently wholesale only at this time. Andersen Vineyards sells from one case and up to license holders for their stores or restaurants.
Rexford Winery handcrafts wines in small lots using grapes from select local vineyards. Their focus on single-vineyard Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Merlot, and other premium varieties. Rexford wines accurately reflect the varietal characteristics of the grapes and the unique microclimates and soils of the vineyards from which they come. Visitors are welcome at the winery located on the west side of Santa Cruz. The winery is open for tasting and sales Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and by appointment.
NOTE: Rexford Winery is the new name for Hillcrest Terrace Winery.
Rexford is a very small-scale operation that offers high quality wines. Sauvignon Blanc ($19), a Pinot Noir from Monterey ($29) and a Cab Sauv from Carmel Valley ($32). All were delicious and well made. We chatted with the winemaker. He teaches astro-physics at UCSC and decided to break into the commercial wine business after making some good homemade batches. He was knowledgeable and friendly.
Larry Olivo is a third-generation winemaker with thirty years of experience making wine with his Grandfather and Father. In the last eight years, he has been an apprentice winemaker working with John Marion of The Big White House Winery in Livermore, CA. Larry state that their mission is for Kissed By An Angel WInes to make fine premium wines at affordable prices, using Estate and sourced grapes primarily from the Santa Cruz Mountains. Larry is very passionate about the making of wine. Quality, not quantity, is what Larry and Lisa strive for. Their goal is to honor their daughter Amanda who passed away at the age of twenty-two in January of 2007. Kissed By An Angel Wines has agreed to participate in the California Corks Winery Experience program. Just present your membership to receive your 2 for 1 wine tasting.~
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
Burrell School's origins date back to 1854 when Lyman J. Burrell settled the rough wilderness that is now home to Burrell Winery & Vineyard. Carrying on the more than 130 year old tradition at the School, David and Anne Moulton began development of the Estate Vineyard in 1973. At 1,600 foot elevation, the site faces the southwest. Soils are a complex mixture or loam and shale due to the close proximity of the San Andreas Fault. Nearby Monterey Bay brings warm days and cool nights The result is a unique microclimate, perfect for long, slow ripening of the grapes in the vineyard.
Stephen Storrs and Pamela Bianchini-Storrs begn Storrs winery with their first harvest n 1988. Both are trained winemakers at UC Davis, they have wrked at a number of wineries which include Domaine Chandon, Felton-Empire and Almaden before starting their own venture. Stephen and Pamela appreciate the cool Burgundian climate of the Santa Cruz Mountains. This winery grew to a comfortable 10,000 cases per year and in 2001 realized a dream with the purchase of land in Pleasant Valley district of Corralitos.
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
This is a great place to bring a friend and enjoy the local wines of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Meet the local wine makers, taste the wines, visit with locals and impress your friends that you knew where Villa Del Monte Winery was and how to find it. It's not hard because it is right off of Summit Road. Villa Del Monte Winery is a participant of California Corks Winery Experience and winemakers John Overstreet and Neil Perrelli welcome you. Be sure to check out their Cabernet Sauvignon, in fact, last I checked there were still a few 2012 & 2013 available at pretty reasonable prices. Simply present you Membership to receive complimentary tasting for Two + and additional 10% discount on purchases.
Hours:
Check their website for tasting days and times
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.
