The wine lover: Estate wines the pick of Santa Cruz region

Some of the best wines the Santa Cruz region has to offer are estate wines.
Estate wines are made from grapes grown on the same property where the wine is made. That means they are under the control of the producer from the time they first bud to the time they are crushed and made into wine. This kind of extra authority over quality control in the vineyard will often lead to a higher-quality wine.
There are many local wineries that make one or two estate wines but source the majority of their grapes from other places. Santa Cruz wineries that are making the majority of their wine from estate grapes are rare. Two notable wineries near the Scotts Valley area are Heart O’ The Mountain and Vine Hill Winery.
Heart O’ The Mountain, operated by Bob Brassfield and son Brandon, makes estate pinot noir exclusively. They are relatively small producers, which allows them to make wines only from the vineyards that sit right outside their front door. By concentrating on one varietal from one place, Heart O’ The Mountain is truly taking a Burgundian approach to its pinot noir. As the winery’s vineyards continue to mature and the pinot noir gains more identity, the wine will portray a sense of place in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Vine Hill Winery, only a few miles away as the crow flies, is owned by Nick Guerrero, and the wine is made by Sal Godinez. The historical vineyards at Vine Hill are beautiful and date back to the turn of the century — the 20th century, of course. They produce a few different labels, but the one to watch for is their Cumbre Label. The Cumbre Pinot Noir is made from estate and Santa Cruz AVA grapes and is certainly one of their best wines.
The other notable subregion that is producing quite a lot of estate wine is Corralitos. Windy Oaks, Pleasant Valley Vineyards, Nicholson Vineyards and Alfaro Winery are all making estate wines (including pinot noir) that are becoming more and more prominent. The latter three wineries are all within a five-minute drive of each other. The fact that all four wineries are making estate pinot noir shows that this is the prime varietal to look for in this region.
Alfaro, Nicholson and Pleasant Valley are among a number of local wineries that will all be participating in the “Pathway to Pinot Paradise” event held March 31. The event would be an excellent chance to taste these estate pinots and see which producer is your favorite. Cheers!
– Austin Twohig is a certified sommelier and partner in The Santa Cruz Experience, which conducts winery tours in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Email him at au****@th********************.com.