Wine Lover: Skov to take over at Roudon-Smith

Roudon-Smith, a local Scotts Valley winery on Bean Creek Road, has recently changed hands. Annette Hunt sold her half of the Roudon-Smith label to her partner, Al Drewke, and has started anew with the winery under a fresh label, “Skov.”
Skov, meaning “forest” in Danish, was named with the winery’s encompassing trees and Annette’s Danish heritage in mind. With the stylish new label, Hunt hopes to revitalize the Bean Creek winery and use the boutique tasting room with moderately priced and approachable wines.
While it is sad to see the Roudon-Smith name go, it is also exciting to see yet another new winery in the Santa Cruz region.
Roudon-Smith wines will still be available at the tasting room for a limited time, and Skov will make many of the same wines that Roudon-Smith did, including chardonnay, pinot noir, merlot, zinfandel and cabernet sauvignon.
I got a chance to taste some of those wines March 5 and was most excited about Skov’s fruit-driven merlot. It is a well-balanced wine with a medium to full body and hints of dark fruit and blackberry jam.
Annette and David Hunt are overjoyed to own the winery and the property outright. Annette’s drive and ingenuity, coupled with the established location on Bean Creek, look like the makings of a successful venture.
Skov’s official grand opening is set for Saturday, March 19. The winery owners will offer an assortment of different wines under their new label, as well as an Irish cheese tasting. They will also host their annual “wines and wet noses” event May 14, which, as I’m a dog lover, is one of my favorites.
If you’re not doing anything this Saturday, try and make it to Skov to support their reopening of the tasting room.
For more information on Skov, 2364 Bean Creek Road, visit www.skovwinery.com.
Austin Twohig is a certified sommelier and partner in The Santa Cruz Experience, which conducts winery tours in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Contact him at au****@th********************.com.