How to Spend a Sublime 72 Hours in the Santa Cruz Mountains

Indeed, these mountains have a long history to draw upon—one that long predates the appellation’s 1981 creation. A physician named Osea Perrone planted the Cupertino property that would become Ridge Monte Bello all the way back in 1885; not long after, Paul Masson brought pinot noir and chardonnay cuttings from his native Burgundy, believing that this was the place to make the finest sparkling wine in America. Masson founded the La Cresta estate, establishing the mountains as prime territory for cool-climate winegrowing, a legacy that a former stockbroker named Martin Ray would carry on at what would become Mount Eden Vineyards. The iconoclastic nature of the area, where the hippies ruled (Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters held their acid tests in the mountain town of La Honda) and the information age was born (back when tech pioneers worked in garages, not billion-dollar compounds), drew experimental, do-it-yourself types like Randall Grahm, who came to fame producing Rhône-style wines at Bonny Doon Vineyard.

A down-to-earth, go-your-own-way ethos still pervades the place, with the tasting rooms at even the most acclaimed wineries laid-back and uncrowded. This is surely in part because of the isolated nature of the mountain properties. Ridge and Mount Eden are maybe two miles from each other as the crow flies, but navigating the winding mountain roads from one to the other takes a good 45 minutes. (And, after you’ve maneuvered through a couple of switchbacks, using those spit buckets will feel even more sensible.) Some tasting rooms are only open during the week, others only on the weekend, so plan ahead.

The good news: While the Santa Cruz Mountains feel worlds away, they’re actually quite close to civilization. Los Gatos, a restaurant-filled San Jose suburb in the eastern foothills, is only about an hour’s drive from San Francisco or Oakland, and downtown Santa Cruz is just half an hour further (if you avoid weekend beach traffic). You can hit a couple of wineries on a day trip from the city, or book yourself a beachside stay and enjoy the best of California: relaxed decks and patios, paroramic views and idyllic forests, modest tasting fees and chill vibes, and, of course, exceptional wines.