Winemakers from 45 wineries in the Santa Cruz Mountains will be pouring on March 24 at the Grand Tasting at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga. A limited number of Library VIP All Access passes are available for $160 for those who want to sample rare library wines and discover the aging potential of this AVA’s producers, including Big Basin Vineyards, House Family Vineyards, Kathryn Kennedy Winery, Kings Mountain Vineyards, Mount Eden Vineyards, Muns Vineyard, Ridge Vineyards, Silver Mountain Vineyards and Thomas Fogarty Winery. https://winesofthesantacruzmountains.com
Did you know that Almaden Winery outside Hollister was once the largest commercial winery in the US? Its underground (literally) operation sated thirsty wine drinkers during Prohibition. More importantly, the constant demand for grapes ensured that vineyards planted in San Benito County in the middle of the 19th century were kept healthy and productive.
As a result, some of those stalwart old vines are still producing to this day in storied vineyards like Enz, Calleri, Siletto and Wirz. Varieties like Cabernet Pfeffer (also called Trousseau), Negrette, Riesling and Mourvedre (also called Mataro) are still being grown and produced by wineries like DeRose, and made into wine by labels including Ser (the personal label of Nicole Walsh, who also makes all the Bonny Doon Vineyard wines), Ian Brand, Stirm, Precedent (Fogarty winemaker Nate Kandler’s personal brand) and Blade & Talon. Such is the demand for these oddball varietals among young winemakers that there is a waiting list for this coveted fruit.
Blade & Talon is the domain of Nat Wong, a fourth-generation Chinese American winegrower, and a rare bird among his peers. He’s also a falconer and an ornithologist by trade; hence the handsome raptor on the labels. The Tres Pinos resident not only manages Siletto Vineyard, a vast series of plantings owned by the Siletto family throughout San Benito County, but he also makes wines at ASF in Gilroy, a custom crush facility where many Santa Clara wineries have their wines processed.
Wong’s Blade & Talon wines include a fragrant, spicy Ruché, a variety that originated in Piedmont; a Negrette; and “Lucky Tiger,” a blend of Cabernet Pfeffer and Mourvèdre. Symbols from his Chinese grandmother’s dinnerware grace the red and gold label, making it perfect for celebrating the Lunar New Year. https://www.bladeandtalon.com
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Crave Wine Company at 616 San Benito St. in Hollister carries all the above-mentioned wines. Owners Mike Kohne and Maura Cooper have curated an amazing collection of local wines from Santa Clara, San Benito, Monterey and Santa Cruz counties, making Hollister a destination for wine lovers. https://www.cravewineco.com
A bit further north is Lightpost Winery in Morgan Hill, off the Cochrane exit of Highway 101. The tasting room is open Wednesday-Sunday, and the seating inside and out is as plentiful as the wine selection. Tasting room manager Vivian Emberley guides tasters through single-vineyard chardonnays and pinot noirs, as well as cabernet sauvignon from famed Bates Ranch in the Santa Cruz Mountains, plus a supple cabernet franc from Paso Robles.
Current standouts are the 2019 Spanish Springs (SLO) pinot noir, 2019 Ferrari Ranch (Santa Cruz Mountains), 2019 Santa Rita Hills pinot noir and 2018 Sevastian, a blend of Cabernet sauvignon from Bates Ranch and merlot from Zayante Vineyard, both in the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA. https://www.lightpostwinery.com
