About Santa Cruz Mountains Wine Country
The Santa Cruz Mountains AVA spans three California counties — Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and San Mateo — rising to nearly 4,000 feet in the Diablo Range. The mountains divide the cool Pacific coast from the warm Santa Clara Valley (Silicon Valley), and vineyards on each side show dramatically different characters.
Ridge Vineyards' Monte Bello site is perhaps the most famous address in the appellation — a limestone-rich ridge at 2,600 feet that produces Cabernet Sauvignon capable of aging for 30+ years. It's the wine that finished first among California reds in the 1976 Paris Tasting and has continued to draw international recognition for decades.
The Santa Cruz Mountains also produce some of California's finest Pinot Noir, particularly from coastal sites near Felton, Boulder Creek, and the Ben Lomond Mountain sub-AVA. These are typically small-production, appointment-only wines made by winemakers who have chosen craft over commerce, with vineyards that are difficult to reach but deeply rewarding.
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