Santa Cruz Mountains
The Santa Cruz Mountains AVA rises above Silicon Valley to produce Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon of extraordinary intensity — mountain viticulture at its most dramatic, where elevation, fog, and geology combine for wines of real distinction.
About Santa Cruz Mountains
The Santa Cruz Mountains AVA requires minimum vine elevation of 400 feet — one of the first California appellations to establish altitude as a defining quality factor. Vineyards range from 400 to 2,800 feet, with the highest sites producing wines of startling concentration and longevity.
Ridge Monte Bello, produced from Cabernet Sauvignon grown at 2,600 feet above Santa Cruz, placed second at both the 1976 and 2006 Judgment of Paris tastings — an unmatched record for any California wine in international blind tasting history.
The Santa Cruz Mountains fog pattern is the inverse of coastal California — marine air fills the valleys while vineyards above 1,000 feet bask in sunshine, creating an unusual combination of cool nights and warm days.