A Post from the Road: Santa Cruz Mountains

Just south of San Francisco and west of San Jose lies the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA, home to known spots like Ridge, Kathryn Kennedy, Bonny Doon and David Bruce, plus a number of small boutique wineries. The unique mountain soils and proximity to both the San Francisco Bay and Pacific Ocean combine to create a superb microclimate for both Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir grapes.

Earlier today, I visited three different wineries that make a visit to the Santa Cruz Mountains worthwhile:


Cinnabar Vineyards & Winery

While the name might bring to mind the infamous cinnamon buns of Cinnabon found in airports, Cinnabar is actually a derivitive of the metal Mercury which during the fourteenth century was believed to transform ordinary metals into gold and silver. The name seems fitting as Cinnabar turns out wines worthy of gold and silver medals.


2005 Mercury Rising Blanc, North Coast—blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier. Notes of orange peel, citrus fruits with a hint of grass, medium/full bodied.

2006 Marsanne, Paso Robles—very head aromas of honey and almond, touch of orange blossom, smooth, creamy palate, medium/full bodied. Only 50 cases produced.

2005 Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains—aromas of baked apple and toasted vanilla, buttery mouthfeel with slight mineral notes, hint of lemon citrus zing on the finish, medium bodied.

2005 Pinot Noir, Santa Cruz Mountains—notes of sweet cranberry, cherry and cola followed by vanilla spice and toasted oak, silky and elegant, medium bodied.

2005 Merlot, Paso Robles—smoky plum and black currant notes, hint of cocoa and tobacco, smooth and rich texture, medium/full bodied.

2005 Mercury Rising Red, Central Coast—blend of Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot. Notes of blueberry and black currant with an undertone of cocoa and black coffee. Smooth and rich, medium/full bodied.

2006 Late Harvest Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains—made in an icewine style with aromas of apricot, mango and banana, rich and viscous mouthfeel, orange blossoms on the finish, medium/full bodied.

Cinnabar's tasting room is located in the quaint village of Saratoga, a stone's throw off Route 17.

14612 Big Basin Way
Saratoga, CA 95070


David Bruce Winery

Situated above the fog line at roughly 2,000 feet above sea level lies the David Bruce Winery. Known for producing internationally acclaimed Pinot Noir, David Bruce also dabbles with Petite Sirah, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Grapes are sourced from both the 25-acre mountain estate vineyards and from over 20 of the best growers in Northern and Central California.

2006 Pinot Noir Saignée, Sonoma Coast—a beautiful rosé with ripe strawberry and raspberry aromas, melon and apricot notes with a whiff of spice, refreshing finish.

2005 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast—bursting with cherry and cranberry aromas followed by black cherry and cinnamon spice, silky tannins, long finish, medium bodied.

2002 Pinot Noir, Bien Nacido Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley—enticing aromas of black cherry, rose petal and clove spice followed by notes of cinnamon and leather, smooth and silky tannins, medium bodied.

2004 Sangiovese, Paso Robles—ripe cherry and floral aromas followed by cranberry and spice, supple tannins, lingering finish, medium bodied.


2005 Petite Sirah, Central Coast—big and juicy with ripe plum and blueberry aromas plus cassis and clove notes, dense and fleshy texture, firm tannins, full bodied.

David Bruce Winery is located off Route 17 near Los Gatos off Bear Creek Road. The journey up the mountain is a bit precarious, so proceed with caution and make sure to SPIT, not SWALLOW when tasting.

21439 Bear Creek Road
Los Gatos, CA 95033

Byington Vineyard & Winery
Just down from David Bruce lies the Byington Estate with breathtaking views and an impressive portfolio of small production wines.



2006 Liage, Central Coast—blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier with grassy and floral aromas followed by luscious honeysuckle and citrus fruit flavors, lingering citrus fruit finish, medium bodied.

2005 Chardonnay, Redwood Hill Vineyard, Santa Cruz Mountains—baked apple and pear notes followed by pineapple and lemon citrus, hint of toasted oak, creamy mouthfeel, medium bodied.

2004 Pinot Noir, Van der Kamp Vineyard, Sonoma Mountain—heady floral/violet aromas followed by wet leaves and cherries, touch of spice, soft tannins, medium bodied. Only 170 cases produced.

2005 Pinot Noir, Byington Estate Vineyard, Santa Cruz Mountains—a real show-stopper with Burgundian aromas of wet leaves, mushrooms plus a floral component, red cherry fruit and a touch of spice, soft tannins, medium bodied. Only 347 cases produced.

2004 Alliage, Paso Robles—blend of Cab Sauv and Merlot with plum and cassis notes, slight hint of pencil shavings, smooth and silky, firm tannins, medium bodied.

2004 Merlot, Messina Vineyard, Paso Robles—jammy plum aromas followed by hints of cocoa and tobacco, fleshy and complex, velvety tannins, full bodied.

2003 Cabernet Sauvignon, Bates Ranch Vineyard, Santa Cruz Mountains—cassis and black pepper aromas followed by sweet plum and toasted oak, rich and velvety, firm tannins, full bodied.

1993 Cabernet Sauvignon, Smith-Reichel Vineyard, Alexander Valley—a very special library release that blew my socks off—intense notes of leather and tobacco followed by violets, dried cranberries and cassis, smooth and silky, soft tannins, medium bodied.

Byington Vineyard & Winery is located off Route 17 in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Again, remember to SPIT or have a designated driver.

21850 Bear Creek Road
Los Gatos, CA 95033

SF--Just Do It!

Going to SF (as in San Francisco)? You gotta check out the following spots:

Bocadillos--a newly opened spot near North Beach for Spanish and Basque tapas.

Must haves: fried calamari with romesco sauce, catalan sausage bocadillo with arugula and shaved manchego, and a glass of Txakoli, a fresh, white Basque wine.

Supperclub SF--sister to spots in Rome and Amsterdam, this is one of the most unique dining experiences I have seen. Kick-off your shoes and have dinner 'in bed' with a few of your closest friends. Ever-changing five-course 'surprise' menu.

Must haves: a sense of humor and a bottle of Champagne.

VinoVenue--a newish wine tasting-retail spot in the SOMA district. Customers purchase 'tasting cards' of varying denominations and place into tasting tasting to receive one ounce pours which range from $1 to $28.

Must haves: a taste of one of the reserve wines, like the Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon.

Beard Papa's--brand new Japanese sweets cafe for amazing cream puffs and eclairs. Choose from vanilla bean, chocolate or the flavor of the week (strawberry, green tea, caramel).

Must haves: A cup 'o Joe and time to walk off those spare calories, preferably up SF's magnificent hills.

Rosenblum Cellars--just a short ferry ride across the bay to Alameda to this warehouse-cum-tasting room for award-winning wines.

Must haves: Zinfandel 2004, San Francisco Bay--ripe plum, candied cherries with hints of earth and chocolate. Soft tannins.

'Rominger Vineyards' Syrah 2003, Yolo County--big, fat and delicious. Chewy cherry and ripe plum aromas with spice and chocolate notes. Round mouthfeel and velvety tannins.

'Rockpile Road' Petite Sirah 2004, Napa Valley--intense blackberry, smokey and cedar aromas, thick and fat on the palate, silky tannins.


Plan your future escape online at www.wheresf.com

Bocadillos photo copyright Andrew Stover, other photos courtesy of their respective websites.

Customize Your Wine

How many times has the thought of making wine crossed your mind? A wine that is personalized to your unique palate? Well, now you can with a little help from the guys at Crushpad.

During my recent jaunt to San Francisco, I had the pleasure of touring Crushpad's state-of-the-art winemaking facility located in the Potrero Hill 'hood of SF. Opened in 2004, Crushpad offer small lot, custom wine making services to professional winemakers all the way down to the novice wine enthusiast who want to create ultra premium, luxury class wines.

Customers control the entire winemaking process from choosing the type of fruit used, how the fruit is processed, the fermentation, the press, cellaring, and bottling. Customers can be involved as much or as little as desired in the process. For those outside the Bay area, their Crushnet virtual winery system allows live webcam access while your custom wine is being made.

Each wine is made in one barrel lots, which is roughly 25 cases. Grape choices range from Viognier, Rousanne, Marsanne, Chardonnay, Syrah, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon from top wine growers in Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, and Santa Barbara counties. In a given year, the facilities produces about 12,000 cases of wine--definitely a boutique operation.

During the visit, I was able to sample a few of the wines being made by other customers: the Pinot Noirs were simply stunning--silky and smooth new world style with ripe red strawberry and cherry notes followed by toasted vanilla, almond and spice. I only wish I had room for 25 cases of wine! Anyone up to share in making a barrel with me?






Crushpad
1890 Bryant Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
415-864-4232

San Francisco--Drinking My Way Through Town

Just back from America's favorite wine and food playground, San Francisco, with some tips on spots for all you winos.


Friday Morning, 11:35 am. Market and 4th. We round the corner on Mission in search of the prize: VinoVenue. One of SF's newest tasting spots, VinoVenue, combines a tasting room, wine shop and wine lounge in a neat, convenient package. 100 wines by the glass for tasting, from California and around the world.

We arrive at our destination: ugh, no wine tasting til 12 noon. Ahh..but, Starbucks is across the street to kill 25 min.

After an ice coffee, I am ready for the task at hand: sample as many wines as possible at VinoVenue's various cuvinet-cum-tasting stations.

We enter. I look around. My mouth salivates. Round, tasting stations equipped with pressurized taps to keep the wines from oxidizing fill the room. We greet Jennifer, our host for the next 2 HOURS--and it was the longest 2 HOURS my friend AJ had to endure watching myself, Shaun and Shan, dance around the store like kids in a candy shop.

Jennifer explains we need to purchase a tasting card, which come in various monetary denominations. Place the card in the slot at each station, push the button above the wine you wish to taste, and presto! A 1 ounce taste shoots into the glass and a tasting fee is deducted from the tasting card. Don't have enough left on the card for a full taste? No problem! The machine calibrates tastes for less than 1 ounce samples. Prices range from $1 to a whopping $28 for premium samples. Shaun was especially entranced with the Caymus Reserve, which boasts a nice little price of $14.40 per ounce.

2 HOURS, $60 in tastings and $200 in wine purchases later, it was time to bid farewell to VinoVenue.

Add this spot to your list for your next visit to SF.

686 Mission Street, San Francisco, 415.341.1930

Top two photos copyright San Francisco Chronicle