Santa Cruz Mountains AVA is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) centered on the

Santa Cruz Mountains The Santa Cruz Mountains ( Mutsun Ohlone: Mak-sah-re-jah, "Sharp Ridged Mountain of the Eagle" or "People of the Eagle Mountain") are a mountain range in central and Northern California, United States, constituting a part of the Pacific Coast R ...

. Its territory spans three

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

counties, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and San Mateo and was established January 4, 1982 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF),

Treasury A treasury is either *A government department related to finance and taxation, a finance ministry; in a business context, corporate treasury. *A place or location where treasure, such as currency or precious items are kept. These can be ...

. Santa Cruz Mountains AVA was among the first AVA to be defined by its mountainous topography. Based on elevation, it largely follows the

fog Fog is a visible aerosol consisting of tiny water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. Reprint from Fog can be considered a type of low-lying cloud usually resembling stratus and is heavily influenc ...

line along the coast, extending down to on the eastern slope toward

San Francisco Bay San Francisco Bay (Chochenyo language, Chochenyo: 'ommu) is a large tidal estuary in the United States, U.S. state of California, and gives its name to the San Francisco Bay Area. It is dominated by the cities of San Francisco, California, San ...

, on the western slope to the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

and extending along the ridge crest line at elevation plus. The mountainous terrain, the

, and the

have wide-ranging effects on the

appellation An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication used to identify where the ingredients of a food or beverage originated, most often used for the origin of wine grapes. Restrictions other than geographical boundaries, s ...

, creating myriad

microclimate A microclimate (or micro-climate) is a local set of atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric conditions that differ from those in the surrounding areas, often slightly but sometimes substantially. The term may refer to areas as small as a few square m ...

s in the region depending on the elevation of the land, location of the sloped mountainside vineyards, and the other terroir elements of fog, sun exposure, soil type and erosion.

History

"Santa Cruz Mountains", was used to designate an area having a long history as a grape-growing region in California. The area has been recorded as the "Santa Cruz Mountains" since 1838. As early as 1867, when the first government surveyor laid section lines in the area, the vineyards of the region were noted. Moreover, numerous books and articles dealing with wine refer to the "Santa Cruz Mountains" as a specific grape-growing area. Testimony was also received which indicated that although the proposed area encompassed parts of three counties, the "Santa Cruz Mountains" constitutes a well-defined area forming a distinct geographical and phytogeographical unit.

Terroir

Topography

The region is bounded by the Santa Cruz Mountain Range, from the northern boundary of

Half Moon Bay Half Moon Bay is a coastal city in San Mateo County, California, San Mateo County, California, United States, approximately south of San Francisco. Its population was 11,795 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Immediately north of Half Mo ...

and Woodside to its southern side of

Mount Madonna Mount Madonna is a prominent peak located near the southern end of the Santa Cruz Mountains in southwest Santa Clara County, California. The iconic landmark is surrounded by a county park, and is viewable along U.S. Route 101 in South Santa Cl ...

and

Watsonville Watsonville is a city in Santa Cruz County, California, in the Monterey Bay Area of the Central Coast of California. The population was 52,590 at the 2020 census. Predominantly Latino and Democratic, Watsonville is a self-designated sanctua ...

. The appellation encompasses some extending through Santa Cruz, Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. The boundaries of the "Santa Cruz Mountains" viticultural area are based, in general, on contour lines and man-made features. Evidence was presented at the hearing that the contour lines varied to different levels to include an area exhibiting the same general geophysical characteristics, e.g. climate, soil, and topographic features. Portions of the boundaries of the viticultural area are marked by man-made features, e.g. Highways 280 and 84, and Cañada Road to the east. These roads were chosen because they delimit the particular geographical and climatic features of the area.

Climate

"Santa Cruz Mountains" is characterized by a climate which is greatly influenced in the western portion by the Pacific Ocean breezes and fog movements, and in the eastern portion by the moderating influences of the San Francisco Bay. These two influences tend to produce weather which is generally cool during the growing season. Temperatures in the slopes of the hillsides where most of the vineyards are located appear to vary from that at the lower elevations. This is caused by the marine influence coming off the Pacific Ocean which cools the mountains at night much more than the valley floor. The area is characterized by a growing season in excess of 300 days. This is air drainage due to cool air coming down the mountains forcing the warmer air upward, thereby lengthening the season in which the necessary conditions for grape-growing are present. Moreover, while the climate, in terms of temperature can be characterized as mild, the "Santa Cruz Mountains" has an average rainfall much greater than the surrounding areas.

Soil

The soils in the area were identified as Franciscan shale which is unique to this particular area south of San Francisco. The soil is basically residual material from the decomposition of bedrock and the soil types in the area differ depending on the type of underlying bedrock. Generally, these residual soils tend to be thin and stony, and somewhat excessively drained. They were characterized as impoverished. making it extremely difficult to grow grapes. This contrasts greatly with the soil of the surrounding area which is primarily alluvium and is more fertile.

Wine regions

Santa Cruz Mountains is locally sub-divided, by the Viticulture Association of the Santa Cruz Mountains, into Skyline, Saratoga/Los Gatos, Summit, The Coastal Foothills, Ben Lomond Mountain, and Corralitos/Pleasant Valley. Only Ben Lomond Mountain is recognized as a established AVA.

Vineyards and grape varieties

There are over 200 small vineyards cultivating about of wine

grape varieties This list of grape varieties includes cultivated grapes, whether used for wine, or eating as a table grape, fresh or dried (raisin, currant, sultana). For a complete list of all grape species, including those unimportant to agriculture, see ''V ...

, divided evenly 25% among

Pinot noir Pinot noir (), also known as Pinot nero, is a red-wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. The name also refers to wines created predominantly from Pinot noir grapes. The name is derived from the French language, French words fo ...

Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Sauvignon () is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Australia and British Columbia, Canada to Lebano ...

Chardonnay Chardonnay (, ; ) is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand. For new a ...

, and other varieties (most notably

Merlot Merlot ( ) is a dark-blue-colored wine grape variety that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name ''Merlot'' is thought to be a diminutive of , the French name for the blackbird, probably a reference to the color ...

and

Zinfandel Zinfandel (also known as Primitivo) is a variety of black-skinned wine grape. The variety is grown in over 10 percent of California vineyards. DNA analysis has revealed that it is genetically equivalent to the Croatian grapes Crljenak Kašt ...

). The region's vineyards and wineries actively support sustainable practices, including

cover crops In agriculture, cover crops are plants that are planted to cover the soil rather than for the purpose of being harvested. Cover crops manage soil erosion, soil fertility, soil quality, water, weeds, pests, diseases, biodiversity and wildlife in ...

erosion Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as Surface runoff, water flow or wind) that removes soil, Rock (geology), rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust#Crust, Earth's crust and then sediment transport, tran ...

control,

canopy management In viticulture, the canopy of a grapevine includes the parts of the vine visible aboveground - the trunk, cordon, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruit. The canopy plays a key role in light energy capture via photosynthesis, water use as regulated ...

, solar,

biodiesel Biodiesel is a renewable biofuel, a form of diesel fuel, derived from biological sources like vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled greases, and consisting of long-chain fatty acid esters. It is typically made from fats. The roots of bi ...

. Several vineyards grow organically; presently four are certified organic by the CCOF and more are in the process of certification.

Wines and wineries

Some of the oldest wineries in California are in this region. Two wineries from the Santa Cruz Mountain locale participated in the 1976

Judgment of Paris The Judgement of Paris is a story from Greek mythology, which was one of the events that led up to the Trojan War, and in later versions to the foundation of Rome. Eris (mythology), Eris, the goddess of discord, was not invited to the wedding ...

wine tasting Wine tasting is the sensory examination and evaluation of wine. While the practice of wine tasting is as ancient as its production, a more formalized methodology has slowly become established from the 14th century onward. Modern, professional w ...

with David Bruce Winery's 1973 Chardonnay placing 10th in the white category and the

Ridge Vineyards Ridge Vineyards is a California winery specializing in Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, and Chardonnay wines. Ridge produces wine at two winery locations in northern California. The original winery facilities are located at an elevation of on Mo ...

' 1971 Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon placing 5th in the red wines. Other notable wineries in the appellation are Big Basin Vineyards, Sante Arcangeli, Silver Mountain Vineyards, Eden Estates, Alfaro Family Vineyards, Armitage Wines,Armitage Wines
/ref> Mount Eden vineyards, Hallcrest Vineyards,

Byington Vineyard Byington Vineyard & Winery is a vineyard and winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA above Silicon Valley in California. History In 1958, Bill and Mary Byington, purchased surrounded by redwood forests as a family retreat. In the early 1970s, a ...

, Bargetto Winery
Thomas Fogarty Winery
Kathryn Kennedy Winery,

Mountain Winery The Mountain Winery, formerly the Paul Masson Mountain Winery, is a winery in Saratoga, California, United States, North America. It was founded by Paul Masson, a pioneer of the California wine industry. The winery became famous for its slogan, vo ...

and Savannah-Chanelle Vineyards.

References

External links

Viticulture Association of the Santa Cruz Mountains (VASCM)
* ttp://scmwa.com Wines of the Santa Cruz Mountains {{Authority control American Viticultural Areas of Santa Cruz County, California Geography of San Mateo County, California American Viticultural Areas of Santa Clara County, California Santa Cruz Mountains 1981 establishments in California