Spring / Summer 2014
Exploring South Bay Wine Trails: Santa Cruz Mountains Santa Clara Corralitos Saratoga Bargetto Vintners Story Silver Mountain • Birra Wargin Wines • Shadowbrook Sante Adairius Rustic Ales
Spring / Summer 2014
Publisher John Bartlett Editor Brian Williams Editorial Todd Guild, Tarmo Hannula, Erik Chalhoub Laura Ness, Mary Lindsay Photography - Tarmo Hannula Advertising Sales Tina Chavez, Susie Ronzano, Jillian Hogan Allison Stenberg, Sadie Wittkins Art & Design - Mike Lyon
In This Issue Featured Wine Trails
Corralitos................................................12 Santa Clara.....................................................16 Summit Wineries............................................20
CONTENTS
Spring/Summer 2014
Saratoga...................................................28 FEATURE: Bargetto Winery .............................6 FEATURE: The Land of Silver Mountain.............8 FEATURE: Wargin Wines.................................10 FOOD & WINE: Chef Sal Calisi.......................18 FOOD & WINE: Shadowbrook.......................19 Birra: San Adairius Rustic Ales........................40 FEATURE: Surf City Vintners...........................42
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18 Hangar Way, Ste C, Watsonville, CA 95076
Saturday & Sunday 12pm – 5pm, First Fridays 4pm – 8pm
Feature
John Bargetto, recently released this book, “Vintage Bargetto, Celebrating a Century of California Winemaking.” It was co-written by Geoffrey Dunn with an afterward by Sandy Lydon. Photo by Tarmo Hannula/Vino Magazine
Bargetto Winery
Winery Celebrates Eight Decades Fete Also Highlights Historical Book By TODD GUILD of VINO
Eight decades ago, members of the Bargetto family stayed up all night bottling wine to be consumed the next day. Their nocturnal labors were borne from a lifetime love of the beverage, but were also in preparation of an historical, nationwide celebration. 6 Spring/Summer 2014
That was Dec. 5, 1933, the day Prohibition was repealed. The day also marked the beginning of Bargetto Winery, which is still operating in the Soquel hills and run by the same family. Dozens of people gathered at the winery on Dec. 5, 2013 to mark the 80th anniversary, braving the bitter cold with glasses of Bargetto’s famous wine.
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John Bargetto, who runs the winery, was also there to sign “Vintage Bargetto: Celebrating a Century of California Winemaking,” which he wrote along with winemaker Geoffrey Dunn. The book, which was released in July, outlines the history of the family and of the winery. “It’s a labor of love,” he said of the book.
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Bargetto Winery “It’s a year of my life.” “It’s about the Bargetto wine history in the context of a beautiful cultural perspective,” he added later. Bargetto said he wrote the book in part to honor his mother, who he described as the family historian. She died earlier this year, but lived to see the winery’s milestone anniversary. “I wanted to get the history down — I was afraid it would be lost,” he said. “I tell my kids that if they want to be men and women of the world they have to have some sense of history, otherwise it’s all gone.” That history dates back to 1909, when John and Phillip Bargetto, newly immigrated from Italy, opened the South Montebello Vineyard and Wine Company in San Francisco. With Prohibition on the horizon, the winery closed in 1917. The family purchased the current property in Soquel and began producing wine in secret for friends and family out of a barn. The book includes numerous photographs and historical background that paint a picture of how the winery came to be the well-respected institution it is today. “What’s fun is that everyone will find something different in the book,” he said. “You never know what people will be interested in.” At the time the winery opened in Soquel, whiskey and beer were largely the drinks of choice for Americans. Now, the country consumes more wine than any other nation, he said. “Wine has become part of the fabric of our lives,” he said. Bargetto said he has found that there are approximately 4,000 wineries scattered throughout California, but few that carry the historical weight of the winery. He estimates that Bargetto Winery is the fifth most historical in the state. “It’s a milestone,” Bargetto said of the 80th anniversary. “It’s a testament to our family’s love of wine, it’s about a lot of hard work and perseverance. Also, I think we’ve been blessed with eight decades of hardworking employees.”
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Photos by Tarmo Hannula/Vino Magazine
John Bargetto, whose family has run the Bargetto Winery in Soquel for the past 80 years, shows a collection of Bargetto wines dating back to 1933 on Dec. 5 during an 80-year celebration.
Debby Luhrman, who said she worked at Bargetto Winery in 1971, looks at the newly released book, “Vintage Bargetto.”
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Spring/Summer 2014
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Feature
The Land of Silver Mountain
A Sustainable Jewel O’Brien Has Been Steward For Past 35 Years By MARY LINDSAY For VINO
The red-tailed hawk soars above, keeping watch over the vineyard. What a dramatic view it has over the mountains and redwood forests — all the way to Monterey Bay and Santa Cruz. Perhaps this is why Jerold O’Brien, a retired military pilot, was drawn to this land. You can enjoy this aerial view, too, when you come to Silver Mountain at 2,100 feet high on the mountain top. Silver Mountain is a special place, where O’Brien has served as a steward of the land since he started the winery and vineyard 35 years ago. This is the place to come 8 Spring/Summer 2014
if you want to appreciate what sustainability is all about — while enjoying some of the most recognized wines produced in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Silver Mountain’s 10-acre vineyard, growing chardonnay, pinot noir and merlot, is certified organic by the CCOF, the first certified vineyard in the region — and has been since 1991, shortly after the CCOF program started. “They came and looked and realized I had been practicing organically for years already,” said O’Brien proudly. His philosophy extends from the organic vineyard to sustainable practices in other ways. In 2008 he built a 6,000-square-foot
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roof structure that also supports a 264-panel solar array that produces 46 kilowatts. “This is the largest solar array that I know of in the area,” said O’Brien. The array generates all of the energy needs of the winery, office and residence on the property. The ‘Triple Green Canopy’ also shades the winery operations and thereby reduces energy requirements; and serves as a rainwater collection system that feeds a water farm of six 5,000 gallon tanks. “One inch of rain collects 4,000 gallons off the roof,” said O’Brien. “In one good storm, we can fill all those tanks.” You can learn about and see the organic and sustainable practices at Silver Mountain
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SILVER MOUNTAIN vinyards
Contributed photos
Silver Mountain’s 10-acre vineyard, growing chardonnay, pinot noir and merlot, is certified organic by the CCOF, the first certified vineyard in the region — and has been since 1991, shortly after the CCOF program started.
Silver Mountain is a special place, where Jerold O’Brien has served as a steward of the land since he started the winery and vineyard 35 years ago.
during complimentary eco-tours of the vineyard and winery conducted by O’Brien. Although O’Brien has dry-farmed all these years, he recently installed an irrigation system that is connected to the water farm. “We used to get plenty of rain in the winter to get the vines through the summer,” he said. In recent years, though, we have had some dry winters. And this last winter we had a fraction of our normal rainfall. The vines need water. And as long as I can provide it sustainably this will help grow even better grapes.” Silver Mountain is known especially for its estate Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and a Bordeaux-blend that O’Brien calls ‘Alloy.’ “I travelled the world as a pilot and that is how I discovered wine,” O’Brien said. “My winemaking style is in the ‘Burgundian’ tradition. I enjoy wines with complex flavors that develop over time, balanced wines with good acidity so you can enjoy them with food, and those are the wines I make. I bottle age before releasing so the fruit is luscious and people can enjoy it right then. As they say, ‘no wine before its time.” Silver Mountain is currently pouring 2008 and 2009 Pinot Noirs; and the Alloy is from the 2007 vintage. And according to O’Brien, these wines will continue to age beautifully. In his estate vineyard, O’Brien prefers some of the heritage vines. The chardonnay is the Mount Eden clone, originally brought to the Santa Cruz Mountains from a vineyard in
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Silver Mountain is known especially for its estate Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and a Bordeaux-blend that Jerold O’Brien calls ‘Alloy’
France by Martin Ray in the 1920s. O’Brien explains that it produces very small berries that are rich in flavor and is known for its crisp acidity, and its ability to age well. The pinot noir grown at Silver Mountain is the Swan clone, originally planted by Joseph Swan years ago, marked by its rich fruit flavor. In addition to the estate vineyard, O’Brien brings in grapes from other vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains (especially pinot noir) and Bordeaux varieties from vineyards nearby in Santa Clara County. He also produces a chardonnay and pinot noir from the Tondre vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands. Aging in Eastern European oak barrels lends a distinctive spicy character of cinnamon and nutmeg to Silver Mountain wines. These tight-grained barrels provide tannins and structure, and let the fruit flavors shine without overpowering oak flavors. It also produces a silky, sensuous mouthfeel that is a hallmark of Silver Mountain’s wines. O’Brien is a part of the history and heritage of Santa Cruz Mountains winemaking in the recent era from the 1970s on, with such legends as David Bruce, Martin Ray, David Bennion of Ridge, and continuing with the growth of wineries in the mountains expanding now to more than 70. His wines are elegant and handcrafted with care. Winery operations are gravity-fed to gently handle the fruit. Yet with these time-proven methods there is also some interesting new technology
at Silver Mountain, with 10 1,200-gallon fermentation tanks that use an air-induced Pulse-Air system to break the cap. The winery and vineyard is near Summit Road just off the Old San Jose-Soquel Road, an easy 20-minute drive from either Soquel or Los Gatos, and in close proximity to half a dozen other wineries that along with Silver Mountain comprise the Summit Wineries. Enjoy an afternoon soaking in the views at Silver Mountain, picnic in the amphitheater surrounded by the vineyard, and enjoy the award-winning wines from this venerable, well-known winery. As the sun sets over the Santa Cruz Mountains and dusk approaches, you can see the silver mountains on the horizon and understand how the winery got its name. In addition, visit Silver Mountain’s tasting room in Santa Cruz on the Westside just off of Highway 1 (Mission Street), home to 10 boutique urban wineries in converted warehouse space, called Surf City Vintners. Visit Silver Mountain: April 12 on the Pinot Pathway, a Pinot Paradise event April 13 at the Pinot Paradise Grand Cruz tasting at Mountain Winery April 19 for Passport Day, also recognizing Earth Day (see www.organicwinetrail.org) June 21-22 for Silver Mountain’s Art & Wine Festival, an event with The Summit Wineries, “Summer Solstice on the Summit” 9
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Spring/Summer 2014
Feature Mikael Wargin co-owner and winemaker of Wargin Wines preps for an afternoon of tasting at the Winemakers Studio at 18 Hangar Way. Wargin moved into the studio in late 2012. It is open for tasting from 12-5 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.
Photos by Brian Williams/Vino Magazine
Winemakers Studio
Wargin Wines is the total package Big & Beautiful Blend Earns Accolades for Wine and Label By BRIAN WILLIAMS VINO
There is a lot more to Wargin Wines than the curvy full-figured Fairy Wine Mother dancing on the label of its Big & Beautiful. “That’s the one that started it all,” says co-owner and winemaker Mikael Wargin of the everyday red blend of mostly Montepulciano. The current vintage includes zinfandel for spice and mourvedre and Alicante Bouschet for balance. The 2010 Big & Beautiful earned a slew of medals in 2013, including Best in Class Italian Varietal Blends under $25 at 10 Spring/Summer 2014
the San Francisco Chronicle wine competition. He could just as well have been speaking of the trademarked label that is drawing even more attention to the boutique Watsonville winery that moved into the Winemakers Studio at 18 Hangar Way in 2012. It was an exciting time for the Wargin family — Mikael and his wife Denise and their young daughter Zena, barely a year-old at the time. Myka Cellars and Roudon-Smith Wineries are also part of the Winemakers Studios. Starting with the 2013 vintage, Mikael also will be doing the winemaking for Roudon-Smith. The Wargin label was Best in Class Wine
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Label - Whimsical Category at the SF Chronicle competition and the entire Wargin lineup of labels earned silver at SF International. “We are doing pretty well with both our label and the wine,” Mikael says. Last year, Wargin Wines was a sponsor of the Full Figured Fashion Week in New York City. “We went to New York and did a pouring at their tradeshow,” Mikael says. “That was a really good time. It has been fun. It has taken us in a lot of different directions. It looks pretty. It’s a positive image. And it is a fairly nice wine.” Wargin specializes in Italian varietals and
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Wargin Wines purchases grapes from throughout Northern California, mainly the Central Coast. Mikael uses the Italian grapes because he simply likes the imports. It’s what he enjoyed when this wine adventure began about a decade ago for the Soquel native. “I was already an avid wine taster in the area,” he says. “Bargetto’s was down the road from my house and Soquel Vineyards and Hunter Hill was up the road from my house. I got to learn a lot about what people were making with grapes from outside of the area.” Mikael graduated with a degree in biochemistry from UC Santa Cruz, but floated around for the next couple of years in landscaping. “I didn’t want to go get a lab job because I didn’t want to be inside, that just wasn’t my thing,” Mikael says. Mikael had enough of the back-breaking landscaping work and began pouring in the Capitola tasting room of Armida Winery. After about two months on the job, the tasting room manager left and opened the first of many doors for Mikael en route to Wargin Wines. “I ended up inheriting, so to speak, the tasting room manager’s job after only about two months of working there,” he says. The owner had a lot of faith in Mikael and after about three years asked if he wanted to come up to Healdsburg and be an intern during crush. Crush is a term that loosely describes the entire harvesting season. It begins when the grapes are picked and continues through processing and fermentation until the last of the wine is safely in barrel. Armida produced about 20,000 cases that year with fruit from its vineyard with a full-winemaking team led by winemaker Jessica Boone Bilbro. “It was really, really cool to see it from that angle,” Mikael says. It was a busy schedule that included traveling to Healdsburg to work Monday through Friday and returning to Capitola to run the tasting room. “Seven days a week for five weeks in a row. After awhile I was like a walking zombie, but still had a good time.” From there he moved on to become cellar manager/assistant winemaker to Dave Moulton at Burrell School for the 2007 and 2008 crush, and then as winemaker for Vino Tabi in 2009 and MJA Vineyards when it moved from Napa to Santa Cruz in 2010 to
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Wargin Wines of Watsonville has garnered national acclaim for both its wine and its labeling.
ciano, a Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and their 2012. In 2009, he made his first vintage of the newest blend — Sangiovese/Freisa. “The wine club continues to grow. Sales Big & Beautiful, an 80-case lot. “I got connected with this guy that I was always get better,” Mikael says. “The wine is told had these weird Italian varieties,” Mikael getting better and people are taking notice. We says. “So I called and asked him what do you are doing all right. The traffic here is getting mean by weird. It was Montepulciano, agli- better all of the time.” Wargin Wines has wines available for anico and sangiovese. I ended up blending all of those together and making the first Mon- tasting each Saturday and Sunday from 12-5 tepulciano Big & Beautiful blend in 2009. p.m. or by appointment. For more information, visit www.warginwines.com or call 831That was cool. That was lot of fun.” The following year he did a 600-case 531-8108. lot of mostly Big & Beautiful, Petite Sirah, Alicante Bouschet, Mourvedre, Montepuluciano and Late The Watsonville Winemakers Studio Harvest Zinfandel. “That was all kinds of fun. That The facility at 18 Hangar Way is home to was sort of our first big vintage,” Wargin Wines, Myka Cellars and RoudonMikael says. Smith Winery. Each Saturday from 12-5 Wargin Wines opened to the p.m. the doors swing open for wine tasting. public for tasting in August of 2012 just before crush and moved to the Winemakers Studio at the end of The venue is also a host of the Santa Cruz the year. Wargin Wines produces County First Friday - Art and Wine, 4-8 1,500 cases a year, including the p.m., as well as other wine-related events signature blend Big & Beautiful, as over the course of the year. well as Petite Sirahs from El Dorado County, the Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey, a straight Montepul-
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FEATURED WINE TRAIL N
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Corralitos Wine Trail
Little Pockets of Paradise Family Owned Wineries Showcase Central Coast Terroir By LAURA NESS For VINO
The sun shines more kindly on Corralitos, that little belt of sunshine at the southern, coastal end of the Santa Cruz Mountains appellation, 20 minutes south of Santa Cruz and a century away from the pace of Silicon Valley. Settlers here have long appreciated the secret sauce of the climate here: it’s ideal for growing apples, and it’s magnifique for growing grapes, too. Vineyards are nestled into hills and dales and four of the winegrowing families here who also make wine, 12 Spring/Summer 2014
have formed a collective to showcase their liquid sunshine. Welcome to the Corralitos Wine Trail. All are family owned and operated, and each offers a unique slice of life as distinct and delicious as one kind of apple pie versus another. Each one has a gorgeous setting in a growing region bounded by splendid redwood trees and resplendent with vineyards, apple orchards, olive groves and flower farms. It’s like a Garden of Eden without the tropical fruits. All four wineries are open most Saturdays throughout the year, from noon until 5 p.m.,
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and Alfaro, Nicholson and Windy Oaks are open most Sundays as well. Be sure to check the websites for special events and closures. Alfaro Vineyards wines stand out on local store shelves with their distinctive scarlet letter “A” labels (which also appear in bright blue and yellow), but their lineup includes many other fun labels, too. The Lester Family pinot label bears a beautiful buck, in deference to the vineyard’s former name of “Deer Park,” while the Schultze Family pinot sports a Whistler-esque rendition of Jim and Judy Schultze, the proprietors of Windy Oaks.
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corralitos
Patty Hinz Imagery
Courtesy of Pleasant Valley Vineyards
Mary Kay and Richard Alfaro (pictured) enjoy sharing their beautiful Pleasant Valley Vineyards is an ideal and charming spot to spend a lazy vineyard views, as well as their rather broad selection of wines from hour or two, sipping rich Dylan David pinot noir or estate Brittany Morgan Alfaro Vineyards. chardonnay.
Alfaro Vineyards
Nicholson Vineyards
Pleasant Valley Vineyards
There’s lots of love between neighbors out here in this piece of pinot-growing paradise. Mary Kay and Richard Alfaro enjoy sharing their beautiful vineyard views, as well as their rather broad selection of wines. Sip through a flight of chardonnays and pinots from the estate vineyards or neighboring Corrallitos ones, or you can branch out to merlot and syrah. There’s old vine zinfandel from the Gimelli Vineyard in San Benito, which also supplies them with viognier and pinot noir. Richard and Mary Kay will be pouring the 2012 Alfaro “Trout Gulch Vineyard” pinot, as well as the 2012 Alfaro “Lindsay Paige Vineyard” pinot, at the Grand Cruz tasting at Pinot Paradise on April 13. For more information, call 831-728-5172 or visit www.alfarowine. com.
Marguerite and Brian Nicholson, the latter a ninth-generation Californian, farm four acres of chardonnay and pinot noir, along with four acres of five varieties of Tuscan olive trees. In addition to estate chardonnay and pinot, they also make viognier with grapes sourced from San Benito County, zinfandel from Santa Clara and Amador, syrah from Monterey and a super Tuscan blend called Terra Cotta Red. The beautiful venue is available for wedding and event rental, except during harvest. For more information, call 831-724-7071 or visit www.nicholsonvineyards.com.
The bowl-shaped property at Craig and Cathy Handley’s has chardonnay and pinot vines terraced up the sides and a hammock strung between shady redwoods in the middle. It’s an ideal and charming spot to spend a lazy hour or two, sipping rich Dylan David pinot noir or estate Brittany Morgan chardonnay, just two of the wines named for the couple’s grandkids. Chardonnay is made in the sur lie style and pinot noir is crushed whole berry. The wines are aged exclusively in French oak barrels with medium and medium plus toast. Other wine varietals from select regions, including the Santa Cruz Mountains, Amador County, Sonoma Coast and Paso Robles, are also offered. For more information, call 831-2880074 or visit www.pvvines.com. 13
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Spring/Summer 2014
CORRALITOS WINE TRAIL Windy Oaks Estate Vineyards & Winery
Spencer Schultze
Jim and Judy Schultze have a setting that is at the same time tranquil and dramatic for visitors to Windy Oaks Estate Vineyards and Winery.
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They have a setting that is at the same time tranquil and dramatic. As you arrive at the treelined property with its quaint old farmhouse, you can feel the breeze off the Pacific Ocean. The estate chardonnay and pinot vinerows run from a redwood grove to the edge of oaks that overlook the Monterey Bay. Sit at picnic benches beneath them to enjoy Jim and Judy Schultze’s Burgundy style pinot noirs and chardonnays that are made with half native yeast, always without fining or filtering and without the use of pumps, the better to preserve their naturally delicate character. The couple has recently added pinot gris and sauvignon blanc from Monterey, and an unoaked chardonnay from the Santa Cruz Mountains to their portfolio of distinctive, nuanced pinots. Windy Oaks will be pouring the 2010 Estate Whole Cluster and the 2010 Estate Proprietor’s Reserve pinots at the Grand Cruz tasting at Pinot Paradise. For more information, call 831-786-9463 or visit www.windyoaksestate.com.
Visitors can sit at picnic tables and enjoy Jim and Judy Schultze’s Burgundy style pinot noirs and chardonnays at Windy Oaks Estate Vineyards and Winery. Spring/Summer 2014
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Silicon Valley Wine Country
‘Heart’s Delight,’ Indeed Area Is Home To More Than Two Dozen Wineries By LAURA NESS For VINO
Long a vibrant growing region for premium wine grapes, the Santa Clara Valley is now home to over two dozen wineries. Author and educator, Charles Sullivan, who penned the book “Like Modern Edens,” which chronicles the history of the region from the days of the Spanish missions through 1981, claims that this area, referred to by Native Americans as “The Valley of Heart’s Delight,” was actually the first source of premium winegrapes in California. Here, in the golden hills, are wineries of every size and shape, from long established family operations to rela16 Spring/Summer 2014
tively small newcomers working out of their garages, turning their homes into fermentation stations and their backyards into vineyards. You literally have everything from castles on hills (Castillo’s Hillside Shire – open weekends) to humble backyard patios (Lightheart Cellars – open the first and third weekends), with everything from spacious cricket lawns (Kirigin Cellars – open daily) to bocce courts and a pizza oven neighboring a nursery, with spectacular views and brilliant Rhone blends, both white and red (Sarah’s Vineyard – open daily). You can groove to the psychedelic vibe of another era at the rainbow-colored Satori Cellars (open weekends), where all the wines are fancifully named, and the labels are as
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striking as the setting. Bring a picnic and delight in lunching on a fuchsia or aqua blue bench. Or, go more traditional and sit under old oaks in the vineyard at Solis (open weekends) and enjoy a bottle of Seducent, their signature red blend. This area was heavily settled by Italian immigrants in the 19th century, and, as one would imagine, they brought with them cuttings from the Old World and planted mostly field blends. Guglielmo Winery (open daily), established in 1925 and still family owned and operated in Morgan Hill, still has vineyards planted to field blends that go into their Emile’s line of wines. They even have some old Mission vines, head trained and spectacular in their ancientness. Guglielmo’s estate
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santa clara valley
Photo courtesy of Guglielmo Winery
Guglielmo Winery was established in 1925 and is still family owned and operated in Morgan Hill. The estate even has some old head-trained Mission vines.
Zinfandel and Petite Sirah are aged in enormous old redwood tanks that seem to defy gravity. They tower above you in the cellar like the very giants from which they were constructed. Also in Morgan Hill you will find Morgan Hill Cellars, open daily, featuring a nicely stocked gift shop and friendly customer service. Ross Vineyards, also in Morgan Hill, is home to a plethora of well-priced reds (open first and third weekends). At the northern end of the Valley, you’ll find J. Lohr on the outskirts of downtown San Jose, where they are open daily. It is hard to match their selection of award-winning wines from across the Central Coast. Out near Hecker Pass and close to Sarah’s Vineyard and Solis, Fortino’s lovely setting features views of old head-trained vines. Although quite well-known for their almond champagne, their Charbono is amazing. This is a popular site for weddings and events and is open Tuesday through Sunday. Thomas Kruse (open Tuesday through Sunday) is an institution that continues to offer wines crafted the old-fashioned way, as do Casa de Fruta, Hecker Pass Winery and Rapazzini, all open daily. Fancy yourself in a Mediterranean resort when you arrive at Aver Family Vineyards (open first and third weekends) where winegrower John Aver will amaze you with his stellar Rhones and luscious chardonnay, along with cheerful hospitality and tranquil views. Not far away is Clos la Chance (open daily), with its fanciful hummingbird labels. It’s right next door to CordeValle Golf Club.
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Satori Cellars offers wines that are fancifully named and the labels are as striking as the setting. Visitors are invited to bring a picnic and delight in lunching on a fuchsia or aqua blue bench.
Husband and wife team Dan and Therese Martin each craft wines for their own labels within the Martin Ranch (Open third weekend of the month) umbrella. He makes JD Hurley, she makes Therese Vineyards, and they both make consistently outstanding wines that always rake in the medals. Nearby is Fernwood Cellars, where you’ll find some outstanding chardonnay, savory-incensy cabernet franc and an intriguing blend of zinfandel and syrah called “Sidecut.”
Sycamore Creek Vineyards (open Thursday through Monday) on Uvas Road offers a lovely vineyard setting as well, and their malbec and petit verdot are particularly compelling. Not far away is Jason-Stephens (open daily) where chardonnays are well-executed and the merlots and cabernets are extremely well constructed. In Gilroy, Sunlit Oaks (open first and third weekends) sits upon terrain reminiscent CONTINUED next page> 17
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Spring/Summer 2014
Sal Calisi
Featured Chef
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of the Tuscan hillsides, offering 180-degree views from San Martin to San Juan Bautista, and sunny warm wines to go along with it. Newcomer Miramar Vineyards is open by appointment in San Martin. DINING SCENE Downtown Morgan Hill is a-bustle with activity and if you head there for lunch or dinner, you’ll have many great places to choose from. Iconic Maurizio’s is an authentic trip back to old Italy, while the Good Fork, also owned by the gregarious Maurizio Cutrignelli, serves a more modern take on Califorina cuisine, using fresh, local ingredients. Similarly, Odeum, helmed by Sal Calisi (who was founding executive chef at Dio Deka in Los Gatos), offers excellent and abundant Mediterranean-style fare with a decidedly Greek accent. Ladera Grill is another local favorite, featuring classic American cuisine designed by executive chef Tony Garcia. In Gilroy, the Milia’s is part history lesson, part cowboy-themed horseshoe cocktail lounge and all service, with great food in a sleek atmosphere. Want a tour guide? Engage the services of Ana Lelescu of California Passport who holds guided Passport Tours on the first Saturday of every month. She’ll take you on a guided hiking/nature walk, finishing up with lunch and wine tasting at Satori Cellars. Details online at www.eventbrite.com/e/guided-nature-walks-and-wine-tasting-tickets-9960336635 or call 408-659-0050. LODGING Holiday Inn Express on Condit Road is highly recommended. For more resources, visit www.morganhill.org, www.gilroywelcomecenter.org and www.santaclarawines.com. Photos courtesy of Odeum
Odeum in Morgan Hill, helmed by Sal Calisi (who was founding executive chef at Dio Deka in Los Gatos), offers excellent and abundant Mediterranean-style fare with a decidedly Greek accent.
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food & Wine
Shadowbrook
Winemaker Wednesday
A Perfect Pairing Shadowbrook Showcases Local Cuisine And Wines By TODD GUILD Of VINO
In the evening twilight streaming through a giant window that looks into Shadowbrook Restaurant’s lush garden, dozens of people were sipping glasses of wine and nibbling on hors d’oeuvres on a Wednesday in early April. The scene was nothing new for the famous Capitola restaurant, which has variously earned accolades as one of the best restaurants in the state and one of the most romantic places to eat in the U.S. But this was Shadowbrook’s Winemaker Wednesday, during which diners can order a flight of wine, with each glass paired with complimentary hors d’oeuvres. The event is a boon for both restaurant and winery. It draws a crowd of potential diners, while at the same time allowing wineries to showcase their products. According to Shadowbrook co-owner Ted Burke, several producers vie to get on the restaurant’s sizable wine list, but with space at a premium, that’s a difficult task.
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The event was created approximately 12 years ago to give local winemakers a chance to expose their brand to a wider audience. That’s no small thing for the saturated market of the Santa Cruz Mountain appellation, which boasts some 70 different wineries. In addition to local customers, some 30 percent of Shadowbrook’s customers come from outside the county, Burke said. Perhaps most importantly, the event highlights the restaurant’s local feel and international draw, Burke said. “We like it because it’s fun,” he said. “For our customers it matches food and wine, which is what a good restaurant is about.” Participating wineries frequently sell several cases as oenophiles who like what they’ve tasted snap up bottles for as much as 50 percent off. “Our friend and neighbors get to enjoy the wines in a social setting, and at the same time we’re showcasing something positive and noteworthy about our county,” Burke said. Katherine Starkey, co-owner of Zayante Winery said she normally sells up to seven
cases during the evening. Zayante Vineyard, a family run business established three decades ago in the Santa Cruz Mountains, is entirely an estate winery. A flight of Zayante wine, coupled with appetizers, was $9.50. “We’ve been part of this event for years,” said co-owner Kathleen Starkey. “It’s one of our favorites.” With the exception of Storrs Winery, which opens and closes the event, Winemaker Wednesdays feature a different winery every week. The event runs 5 to 8 p.m., October through May, for a total of approximately 30 distinct wineries. Jamie Slaughter of Aptos came with her daughter and husband, which she said has become a ritual for the family. While many restaurants offer tasting events, few expertly pair appetizers with them, she said. “It’s a fun way to introduce people to wine,” she said. “It’s just a fun thing to do on Wednesday, and we love the service.”
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19 Spring/Summer 2014
FEATURED WINE TRAIL
The Summit Wineries
The Wine With Attitude A ‘Top of the World’ Experience By MARY LINDSAY For VINO
Mountains! Forests. Rugged terrain. Dramatic vistas. This is what mountains are all about. You get all this and more at the wineries along Summit Road, with their mountain vineyards, lovely gardens, and award-winning mountain wines. Within just a few miles there are eight wineries, making it an enjoyable wine tasting destination. This is high elevation country, but it is easy to get to — just a 20 minute scenic drive along Highway 17 from Santa Cruz or Los Gatos in Silicon Valley. As you drive you enter another world, surrounded by the natural beauty of the mountains as you climb about 2,000 feet to Summit Road. Several of these wineries have formed 20 Spring/Summer 2014
a wine trail called The Summit Wineries, including Silver Mountain, Villa del Monte Winery, MJA Vineyards, and Burrell School; soon to be joined by a new winery, Wright’s Station, opening in the next few months. In addition, Regale Vineyards & Winery is nearby; and just up the road is Loma Prieta Winery. And although not open to the public, Muns Vineyard participates in local wine tasting events. First stop coming off of Highway 17 is Villa del Monte Winery, a small boutique winery tucked away in the woods. The driveway is not marked, so call first to get directions. The two winemaking families, the Perrellis and the Overstreets, will give you a warm and friendly welcome to their intimate, woodsy winery setting. Here you can taste a wide
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variety of wines made by Neil and John, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Zinfandel and more. “We make single varietal, single vineyard wines in small lots. This allows us to nurture the wines every step of the way,” explained Joyce Perrelli, co-owner. Villa del Monte works with some small local growers in the mountains, and brings in grapes from other regions as well, and their wines have been winning awards. Villa del Monte is open select weekends and by appointment, so call in advance. Continuing down the road only a couple of miles you will come to Burrell School. You can’t miss it — just look for the little red schoolhouse (circa 1800s) on the hill. The views here are stunning. Dave and Anne Moulton are at home here. They planted the
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THE SUMMIT WINERIES
Courtesy of Testarossa Vineyards
Testarossa Vineyards, in the historic Novitiate in Los Gatos, where they are open daily serving an amazing selection of single vineyard Chardonnays and Pinots.
vineyard and Dave makes the wine. Sip the handcrafted results on the balcony overlooking the vineyard, with the mountains spread out before you. The schoolhouse theme extends to the names of the wines that are ‘at the head of their class’, such as ‘Teacher’s Pet’ Chardonnay; ‘Principal’s Choice’ Pinot Noir; and ‘Spring Break’ Syrah. Burrell School is open for tasting Thursday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Back on the road and make a right on the Old San Jose Soquel Road to find Silver Mountain, only five minutes away. “It is a special experience for visitors to come to where we are in the Santa Cruz Mountains,” said Jerold O’Brien, winemaker and proprietor at Silver Mountain. Visitors can picnic in the amphitheater right next to the organic vineyard and enjoy spectacular views. O’Brien stands in the vineyard and points, “Just look, you can see Santa Cruz and Monterey Bay from here.” Silver Mountain is known especially for its
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award-winning Pinot Noirs, Chardonnay, and a Bordeaux blend called ‘Alloy’. Silver Mountain is open Saturdays 12-5 p.m., and by appointment. A little further and Summit Road becomes Highland Way, and just a mile up is a rustic cabin in the woods, MJA Vineyards’ tasting room. Visitors enjoy the ‘aloha’ spirit here, as Marin Artukovich moved here from Hawaii, where he grew coffee beans. Come on a Tuesday and you’ll find him roasting Kona, which is available to take home. Saturday afternoons feature live music. Sip by the fire when it’s cold, or under the trees and picnic when it’s warm. In the glass, enjoy Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc from Napa. MJA is open every afternoon. Both MJA and Silver Mountain also have tasting rooms in Santa Cruz on the Westside, in an enclave with another group of wineries, the Surf City Vintners.
The wineries on the summit are all intimate, family-owned artisan wineries where you can often taste wine with the owner/ winemaker. Only a few minutes apart you can visit them all in a single afternoon — but why rush? Come back again another day, make a weekend of it. Bring a picnic and spend some time. You can also stop by the Summit Store to pick up a picnic lunch. You’ll find gourmet sandwiches, including tri-tip or chicken off the grill; fresh sushi, a wide selection of cheeses, a salad bar, and more. This is a place to relax, and soak in the mountain ambience. Discover the natural beauty of the mountains; and savor the vistas and forest scenery — and excellent mountain wines. Then explore the fine restaurants back down the hill, on either side, in Los Gatos or the coastal towns around Santa Cruz. Visiting and wine tasting with the wineries along Summit Road really is a memorable ‘top of the world’ experience. CONTINUED next page> 21
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Spring/Summer 2014
Villa del Monte Winery: 23076 Summit Road www.villadelmontewinery.com • 408-353-0995 info@villadelmontewinery.com Open for tastings on selected weekends & by appointment. Check web site for details.
Accessible from San Jose Soquel Road or from the Vine Hill exit of Highway 17, one can soothe the soul at the romantic and tranquil Poetic Cellars, where the late Katy Lovell, one of three women winemakers in the Santa Cruz Mountains, put poetry in each handcrafted bottle.
Silver Mountain Vineyards: Silver Mountain Dr. off of Miller-Cutoff www.silvermtn.com • 408-353-2278 info@silvermtn.com Open for tasting Saturdays 12-5 p.m. Burrell School: • 24060 Summit Road www.burrellschool.com • 408-353-6290 info@burellschool.com Open for tasting Thursday through Sunday 11-5 p.m. MJA Vineyards: 24900 Highland Way www.mjavineyards.com • 408-353-6000 Open Monday through Thursday 12-5 p.m. & Friday through Sunday 12-6 p.m. Live music most Saturdays — Coffee roasting on Tuesdays.
Regale Vineyards and Winery: 24040
Up Highway 17 to Summit Road, head to Burrell School Vineyards, where you’ll be instantly captivated by the beautiful red Burrell The Summit Store offers the widest selection of local Santa Cruz Mountain wines anywhere. Schoolhouse, built in 1890.
Summit Road www.regalewine.com • 408-353-2500 inquire@regalewine.com Open for tasting Saturday & Sunday 12-5 p.m.
The Summit Store: 24197 Summit Road www.summitgrocerystore.com • 408-353-2186 summitstore353@gmail.com.
EAT & SHOP
STAY
Up on Summit Road, between Burrell School and Loma Prieta Winery, you will find the Summit Store, where the selection of gourmet groceries, cheeses, fresh sushi and deli items will have you cheering. Order some of their “World’s Best Sandwiches,” and take a picnic with you to Burrell School, Loma Prieta or Poetic Cellars. Here, you will find the widest selection of local Santa Cruz Mountains wines anywhere. Open daily.
The Toll House in Los Gatos: Offers on premise dining at Three Degrees. Hotel Los Gatos: Spa on site; adjacent to Dio Dekka restaurant. Los Gatos Lodge: Attractively affordable. Scotts Valley Hilton: Close to Poetic Cellars, Dancing Creek, Hallcrest and all the wineries of Santa Cruz. On premise dining.
DINE In Los Gatos
Pinot Paradise, April 11–13: www.scmwa.com Spring Passport, April 19: www.scmwa.com
The Wine Cellar: Wine country cuisine with flair. I Gatti: Classic Italian cucina Nick’s On Main: Some of the best food you will ever eat. California Café: Always a classic in Old Town shopping center 22 Spring/Summer 2014
EVENTS
— Compiled by Laura Ness for VINO
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Sante Adairius Rustic Ales meets Aptos St. BBQ
Beer Feature
Photos by Tarmo Hannula of Vino Magazine
Tim Clifford (right), co-owner of Sante Adairius Rustic Ales in Capitola brews a batch of double-IPA as Larry Ingram, owner of Aptos Street BBQ (left) looks on.
Brewing Up A Celebration
Delectable Meat Meets World-Class Beer Anniversary Double-IPA On The Way By TODD GUILD of VINO
What happens when a barbecue restaurant collaborates with a brewery to celebrate a dual anniversary? The answer is approximately 180 gallons of custom beer, but it’s an answer that won’t last long. Once it’s ready sometime in May, and once it’s been sold and otherwise consumed, it will be gone forever. This story begins nearly five years 24 Spring/Summer 2014
ago, when Aptos St. BBQ opened in the heart of Aptos Village. The business has since made a name for itself with some of the most delectable ribs, tri-tip, chicken and other barbecue mainstays in the county. But the restaurant has also become known for its selection of craft beers, with more than 30 varieties at hand. Owner Larry Ingram says he wanted to create a neighborhood place where customers can enjoy beer, barbecue and blues.”
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“I’m excited to think about what we’ve done over the past five years,” Ingram said. “I even surprise myself.” It was precisely in that spirit that Ingram, along with resident “beverage manager” and beer expert Mike Kohl wanted to celebrate the restaurant’s fifth anniversary. A home brew class taken solely for fun solidified their mission: they would make their own beer. On April 2, Aptos Street BBQ employees were at Sante Adairius Rustic Ales in Capitola with a singular mission in mind: brew
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Sante Adairius Rustic Ales
Tim Clifford checks on a batch of double-IPA.
a batch of beer that captures the spirit of the restaurant. With that in mind, the brewers and barbecuers have incorporated into the mix Aptos Street’s unique brown sugar meat rub. “This will be special,” Kohl said. “We’re stoked. We wouldn’t want to do this with anyone else.” Their efforts will yield 180 gallons of beer, described only as a “very hoppy” double-IPA, which will be sold only at the restaurant and the brewery. Once the unnamed brew is ready sometime in May, however, anyone who wants to sample it is advised to hurry: once it’s gone it will be the end of it. The collaboration began when Sante Adairius co-owner and brewer Tim Clifford started frequenting Aptos St. BBQ, the restaurant staff discovered the brewery and friendships ensued. “It’s going to be a celebration of two local
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businesses that choose to work together,” Clifford said. Proudly a small-scale, independent business, Sante Adairius began its life two years ago with just one tank, making beer in the Lambic tradition, making barrel-aged Belgian beer. “And we’ve amassed all this,” Clifford said, pointing to a giant room filled with dozens of oaken fermenting casks. “Our main problem since day one has been not being able to meet demand.” The brewery, which soon celebrates its two-year anniversary, made the March issue of Beer Advocate magazine, which also gave it a “world-class” ranking. In addition, the brewery was named one of the top 100 brewers for 2014 by ratebeer. com, chosen from more than 16,000 around the world. Clifford started off in life intending to be a history professor at UC Santa Cruz.
His current career began with home brewing, and was bolstered when he became a member of Seven Bridges Cooperative, a Santa Cruz-based home-brew supply store. “Helping other people make good beer was a big boost,” he said. “I’m happy to be doing something for a living that I would have done anyway.” ••• Aptos St. Barbeque is located at 8059 Aptos Street in Aptos. It is open from 11:30 a.m. until 9 p.m., “or until we sell out.” For information, call 831-662-1721, or visit aptosstbbq.com or look for TheAptosStreetBbq on Facebook. Sante Adairius Rustic Ales is located at 103 Kennedy Drive in Capitola. The tasting room is open Tuesday-Friday from 3 until 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 12 until 8 p.m. For information, visit rusticales.com or call 462-1227.
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25 Spring/Summer 2014
Feature
Photos by Tarmo Hannula of Vino Magazine
Heart Of Santa Cruz’s West Side
Surf City Vintners A Collective Cluster Of Boutique Wineries By TODD GUILD Of VINO
John and Megan Hunter got married in December, and for a late honeymoon in February they came to Santa Cruz. After debating about where to go, one thing was clear to the Albany, N.Y. residents, who had just endured several bouts of severe winter weather. “We wanted to see the sun again,” Megan Winters said. “We wanted to walk barefoot in the sand.” And they did just that during their weeklong trip, making sure they watched the sun set along the coast most evenings. But they spent some of their days sampling the fare at many of the county’s wineries. “We go a little overboard with the wine,” John Winters said, adding that they have amassed “dozens” of bottles since meeting five years ago. “And I’ll tell you, Santa Cruz is the perfect place to come.” 26 Spring/Summer 2014
Perhaps their favorite find on the trip was Surf City Vintners, a collective cluster of boutique wineries nestled in the heart of Santa Cruz’s West Side. The sheer volume was overwhelming to the veteran wine tasters. “We just weren’t able to do it all,” John Winters said. Santa Cruz’s West Side is a bustling haven for oenophiles and foodies that includes 14 tasting rooms, bakeries, restaurants and a brewery, all within walking distance. Better still, the nature of visiting the smaller-scale businesses gives visitors a chance to meet the winemakers and hear their stories. Among these is that of Jeff Emery and Denis Hoey. Theirs is a narrative of an apprentice turned master, who in turn takes on a new apprentice. Emery started working at Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard nearly 40 years ago. In the intervening years he became proprietor, and eventually took Hoey under his wing.
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He is now production manager for Emery, in addition to running his own Odonata Wines. According to Hoey, the most impressive thing about Surf City Vintners is that it was largely spontaneous. “We didn’t plan it,” he said. But slowly the group began to coalesce, with such notable names as Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard, Sones Cellars, Vino Tabi, MJA Vineyards and Equinox joining the mix. “We said, ‘we have a real marketing opportunity,’” Hoey said. “It’s a great community to be a part of — there’s good food, good wine, the whole West Side is just going.” Odonata Wines It was 2004, and Hoey had just earned a degree in business management and was studying to be a firefighter and a masseuse. His plans to return to his native Sacramento to pursue a career, however, were waylaid by two chance encounters: he met his future wife and his future mentor Jeff Emery
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Surf City Vintners
Part of the lineup at Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard include a Quinta Cruz 2012 Albariño (from left), Santa Cruz Mountain Vinyard 2010 Pinot Noir, Quinta Cruz 2011 Tempranillo, Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard 2006 Winemaker Jeff Emery, owner of Santa Cruz MounOld Vine Red, Quinta Cruz 2010 Gra- Denis Hoey, owner of Odonata Wines, talks about the tain Vineyard, talks about the learning curve of ciano, and a Santa Cruz Mountain chronology of his local wine business. making wines recently at his tasting room which is Vineyard 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon. part of the Surf City Vintners.
within a week, and his fate was sealed. But that fate — which has since led him to running his own winery and working as production manager for Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard — really began when he was born to oenophile parents. “I’ve been in tasting rooms since I was a young boy,” he said. And so when he had a chance to work for Emery, he jumped at it. “When I met Jeff it just kind of clicked,” he said. “I just grabbed ahold of it and never let go.” Odonata’s tasting room is small and comfortable, with a collection of art by local artists that changes monthly and a collection of antique furniture. Hoey has since toured the world seeking out different wines and production methods. He described his products as “clean, wellfocused wines that everyone wants to drink.” Hoey eventually decided to try to make his own, and was just 21 when he made his first batch of 65 cases in 2005. At the time he swore that was the limit. He now makes 12 different wines, and around 1,000 cases per year. “I did it all on blood, sweat and tears,” he said. “I feel so fortunate to be in the position I’m in — every day I get to wake up and be passionate about what I do.”
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Odonata Wines is open Friday through Sunday from 12 until 5 p.m. It also holds a pizza night on Tuesdays from 4:30 until 8 p.m., and an every first Friday art tour from 4:30 until 8 p.m. It is located at 2343 Mission Street in Santa Cruz. For information, visit www.odonatawines. com or call 831-566-5147. Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard Despite the dense winery population of Surf City Vintners, Emery said the spirit among his peers is anything but competitive. Rather than dilute a potential customer base, being part of the collective is a chance to emphasize the style of each winemaker, acting as a draw for potential customers, he said. “Wine is so subjective,” Emery said. “We have our own styles, our own approach.” Emery started as a bottler just four years after the winery opened in 1975 by founder Ken Burnap. “I got here, and I never left,” he said. “What ensued was a 25-year collaboration.” Emery has never worn a necktie or written a resume, a fact he lists as a significant life achievement. “Wine making is all I’ve ever done,” he said. What he has done is held steady the mast
of a winery that now produces nearly a dozen wines under the original name, and eight under sister label Quinta Cruz, which was inspired by his trip to Portugal. Originally designed as a limited edition, it has become so popular that it is slowly overtaking its predecessor. Graciano Rioja, for example, can be found in restaurants in Manhattan and San Francisco. In fact, Emery said he designs his wines specifically to be enjoyed at the table. “We feel wine’s duty is to dance with food,” Emery said. “It has its best connections over a good meal.” Perhaps most important to Emery is to “demystify” the ancient beverage for new and increasing generations of 30-somethings, which has helped the U.S. surpass France in per-capita wine consumption. “Ken made it accessible,” Emery said. “I feel that’s my legacy to pass down.” Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard is at 334-A Ingalls Street in Santa Cruz. It is open Wednesday through Sunday from 12 until 5 p.m. and other times by appointment. For information visit www. santacruzmountainvineyard.com or call 831426-6209.
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27 Spring/Summer 2014
FEATURED WINE TRAIL
SARATOGA
Big Basin Vineyards tasting room is a virtual photo gallery ablaze with artwork and shots of the mountaintop estate vineyards, just a couple of miles from Big Basin State Park.
Destination Saratoga
Romance In Wine Country A Gem Of An Area Boasting Beautiful Wines And More By LAURA NESS For VINO
Romantic Saratoga is imbued with an elegant tranquility that belies its proximity to the bustle of Silicon Valley. It’s not just a place, it’s a state of mind. This former logging town turned bedroom community and tourist destination is named for the Saratoga Springs of upstate New York, because they both have something in common: hot springs. Only here in Saratoga, they are called Congress Springs, and you’ll pass them as you head out into the mountains from downtown to do some winetasting. But first, you need to explore this lovely little gem of a town, famous for its beautiful views, gourmet restaurants, unusual shops and now, its growing wine tasting options. Park the car and get out to enjoy the fresh air. Browse boutiques on the tree-lined streets, get a Thai message, sample Saratoga Chocolates, buy gifts at the eclectic and well-stocked Vine Life, or indulge in comprehensive beauty treatments at Preston Wynne Spa. There is a
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lot to choose from here. SIP Visit Ruthe Roberts Tasting Collective for a warm greeting by Ruthe herself, and a flight from local wineries without tasting rooms, like Comanche Cellars, Naumann and Perrucci. Ruthe offers a nice selection of bubbles, too. For more information, visit www.rrvcwines.com. Across the street from Ruthe’s place is Stiletto’s, a wine bar and shoe shop with some really amazing heels for the well-heeled. Meander up the street to M4 tasting room, where you’ll find wines from legendary winemaker Michael Martella, the force behind Thomas Fogarty wines for nearly 30 years. Hang out on the M4 patio and enjoy a snack from the nearby Basin restaurant along with a glass of Martella GTA, a lively blend of grenache and tempranillo. Explore the world of Chalone, a famous vineyard area near the Pinnacles on the eastern side of the Salinas River Valley, in the wines of Michael Michaud, which are
also poured here. M4 is a nod to the shared initials of the two winemakers. The older chardonnays are rare beauties and the pinots speak of the limestone soil in which they have their roots. For more information, visit www. m4tastingroom.com. Literally right next door is the Big Basin Vineyards tasting room and patio, where you’ll find some of the best pinots and syrah’s crafted in the Santa Cruz Mountains by winemaker Bradley Brown. The place is a virtual photo gallery ablaze with shots of the mountaintop estate vineyards, just a couple of miles from Big Basin State Park. Big Basin Vineyards highly acclaimed Rattlesnake Rock Syrah is a must-try, along with the elegant Coastview Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, brimming with minerality. For more information, visit www. bigbasinvineyards.com. Stop in at neighboring Cinnabar for a taste of Santa Cruz Mountains chardonnay, look for the Wright’s Station Vineyard Chardonnay, and pinot, plus live music every Friday and Saturday, and foodtrucks on weekends. CONTINUED next page> 29
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Spring/Summer 2014
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Hang out on the M4 tasting room patio and enjoy a snack from the nearby Basin restaurant along with a glass of Martella GTA, a lively blend of grenache and tempranillo.
Big Basin Vineyards offers some of the best pinots and syrah’s crafted in the Santa Cruz Mountains by winemaker Bradley Brown.
For more information, visit www. cinnabarwine.com. Just a short drive out of Saratoga on Big Basin Way to Pierce Road takes you to the Mountain Winery, home of the famous summer concert series that brings top-name acts to Saratoga each year. Open Thursday through Sunday from noon to 5 p.m., you can view historic Ansel Adams pictures taken of the property and Saratoga Village in the early 1900s when Paul Masson made this place famous for its wines. For more information, visit www. mountainwinery.com. Continue on Pierce to Mount Eden Road (left), then turn right on Garrod Drive until you come to Cooper Garrod Vineyards, where you can enjoy a horseback tour of organically farmed vineyards, or simply walk them on foot, enjoying a view of Silicon Valley with a kindler, gentler eye. Enjoy a perfumey viognier, cabernet franc and red blends called “Test Pilot,” named for the winery’s founder, George Cooper, a NASA pilot. For more information, visit www.cgv.com. Just down Pierce Road from Mount Eden Road is spectacular House Family Vineyards (take a left on Old Oak Road), high atop the Saratoga hills, with a dizzying perspective of the entire Silicon Valley. Amidst Old Oak Vineyard, planted by high-tech pioneer Dave House, is the splendidly situated tasting deck, where you can enjoy handcrafted estate Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet and Merlot, all made by
STAY Saratoga Oaks: Next to the Cinnabar tasting room, and a stone’s throw from many dining destinations.
The Inn at Saratoga: Large rooms, near Bella Saratoga, many shops
and Big Basin Coffee (delicious Peruvian coffee).
EAT The Basin: Creative Mediterranean-inspired cuisine; great bar, wonderful ambience.
Bella Saratoga: California cuisine, delightful outdoor dining and amiable service in a beautiful old Victorian. The Plumed Horse: Michelin-starred, the bar is romance personified and the wine selection, magnificent and impressive. Ristorante Da Mario: Authentic Cucina Italiana, with homemade everything. The silky pasta and velvety tiramisu are delightful. Sent Sovi: Seasonal and stylish French-Med inspired cuisine in a homey, lovely space, with wine bar area. Wildwood Market: Handcrafted sandwiches, gourmet items, smoothie bar, snacks.
30 Spring/Summer 2014
legendary winemaker Jeffrey Patterson of Mount Eden. For more information, visit www.housefamilywinery.com. If you continue on Big Basin Way past Pierce Road out of Saratoga, you can visit Savannah-Chanelle, where winemaker Tony Craig crafts some outstanding chardonnays and pinots from local vineyards, and a stunning zinfandel from the estate vineyard. It doesn’t always work out every vintage, but when it does, it’s hard to match the velvety decadence. Vineyard tours are available the second Saturday of each month. For more information, visit www.savannahchanelle.com. Just past Savannah-Chanelle on Big Basin Way is Charles Usher Winery, open every day for tasting with a 48-hour advance reservation. Taste an impressive array of handcrafted wines with gourmet cheeses, nuts and breads, beginning at $20 per person. For more information, visit www.usherwines. com. Keep chugging up Big Basin Way until you reach Skyline Boulevard/ Highway 35, take a right and keep going until you come to Thomas Fogarty winery. Blessed with one of the most stunning settings in the mountains, you can see the Bay Bridge and San Francisco skyline from the outdoor decks. Here, you will enjoy some wellmade chardonnays, pinots (Rapley Trail Vineyard is one to taste) and a distinctive cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon from Gist Vineyard. Open daily. For more information, visit www. fogartywinery.com.
SHOP Barn Owl: Everything for the home, from light-up doormats to interior
décor. Gifts, cards and food items, too. Echo Shop: A resale boutique filled with the gems from Saratoga’s finest closets. Saratoga Eyes: Oh so fashionable eyewear and personal, knowledgeable service. Skin Prophecy: Filled with accessories and charming women’s clothing that will fit any budget. Saratoga Chocolates: Handmade deliciousness with unique flavors. Vine Life: Wine-themed gifts, cards, hostess items, personal accessories, cigars and wine, too.
Upcoming Events in The Saratoga Area Pinot Paradise in the Santa Cruz Mountains, April 11–13
A three-day celebration of the region’s greatest grape: at The Mountain Winery. Tickets at www.scmwa.com. Big Basin Vineyards Spring Open House, April 26: At the winery in Boulder Creek. $25 per person. Saratoga Springtime Wine Stroll, May 10, 2–5 p.m. Tickets at www.saratogachamber.org.
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We feature many great Monterey County wines with the addition of Paso Robles and Napa. Come see us for your wine needs. If we don’t have what you need we’ll be glad to order it for you.
• J. Lohr • Mondavi • Morgan • Silver Oak • Pessagno • Chalone
• Paraiso • Scheid • Justin • Smith & Hook • Hahn
• Ventana • Talbott • Herman Story • Rombauer
Great Selection of Monterey County & California Wines!
“May your glass never empty, your heart overflow and your bottle always be good” – Fairy Wine Mother inf warog@ inwi
nes.com
1137 Broadway, King City • 386-0562
18 Hangar Way, Ste C, phone Watsonville, CA 95076 831.531.8108 Just off of Airport Blvd.
Saturday & Sunday 12pm – 5pm, First Fridays 4pm – 8pm and by appointment