NEW NAMES IN OLD SANTA CRUZ
A mix of blue-collar surfers, aging hippies, college kids and high-tech escapees, Santa Cruz doesn’t fit the stereotype of sunny, seaside California. Even the surrounding wine country, officially known as the Santa Cruz Mountains, refuses convenient definition.
It stretches through three counties, nearly all the way from San Francisco south to Salinas, straddling a wild, redwood-pocked ridgeline that includes both warm, inland slopes and cool, coastal faces.
When grown and crafted with proper care, wines from the Santa Cruz Mountains can compete with the best bottles in the world. The region can be broken up into roughly three districts, each with its own character and beautiful natural surroundings. Get to know these areas—and the people who define them—without leaving home.
