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    Birichino

    4.6 (43 reviews)
    ModerateWineries
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    Pinot Noir Horizontal tasting at Birichino
    Rachel H.

    Exceptional, relaxed tasting experience at Birichino, specializing in local wines (Central Coast and unique Bay Area locals) including unique whites (Malvasia), pinots and Old-vine versions of carignan and other French varietals. The winery originally launched in in the early 2000s to make Malvasia, a group of wine grape varieties of ancient origin, most likely originating in Greece. Malvesia Bianca is the most well known and widely grown of the Malvasia family of grapes grown throughout the world, including locally in the San Joaquin Valley, and in Italy, Greece and Rioja in Spain. The Birichino Malvasia Biancha is grown on a rocky site in Monterey County. They can offer a side by side tasting with three expressions of this wine, including traditional, an orange version and a sparkling sour expression. Wonderful! We loved the tasting room here, both from a hospitality and an education perspective. It was homey, relaxed, fun and they played great music. The flights are a first-rate experience, and a two bottle purchase will wave $15 tasting fees. The wine labels are artistic and eclectic. Don't miss a tasting at Birichino if you are in town.

    Bianca R.

    My bookclub was having its first meeting and after reading reviews and looking at the pictures this seemed like the coziest spot to delve into literature. I called a week earlier to reserve a table for 8 and was quickly accommodated. Not to mention whoever answered and took my reservation was kind, friendly and had great phone etiquette. When I walked in our reservation was clearly marked and the woman pouring wine and acting as hostess was amazing. She was quick to get our tastings together and made sure to ask if we needed anything and was just so pleasant all around. We all mentioned how we wished we new about this soot sooner. Wine was nice and I ended up buying 2 bottles. Looking forward to my next visit.

    a group of people sitting at a bar
    Andy N.

    Thank you to my friend Chris F. for bringing me here these past few times. I believe I'm now really a fan of Birichino as one of the best local wineries that Santa Cruz has to offer. This location is their main tasting room and it feels almost like an exclusive club lounge when you enter. The staff here are very friendly and really connected with my friend and made him feel like a valued member of their wine club. Not all places do this and it's great to see them take high value in their patrons. A tasting sets you back just $10 and I have to say that the wine is fantastic. We got to try six different kinds in two different glasses so they intentionally make sure you distinguish your reds from your whites. Bottles go for around $20 - $40 which I would not consider to be expensive at all for high quality wine. Food offerings are also available whenever they host events. My first time, we were given complimentary grilled cheeses which went fantastically with their wines. Most recently, they partnered with Kickin' Chicken nearby to deliver some bomb wings for the crowd. Thanks Birichino! Looking forward to visiting again in the future.

    Bubble Bath
    Rose G.

    So I absolutely love the service here and the attention you get from the waiters. Also the customers that visit here are mostly super nice and awesome. It'll be a nice day at this tasting room just because you met some kind people on your day out. The outside seating is also very lovely. Enough space between tables and good sun to shade ratio. Also SUPER dog friendly! Love that the waiter brought out a blankie for my little pupper to sleep on, a bowl of water (I had left mine at home and wouldn't have stayed as long if they hadn't offered me one), and brought out some yummy dog treats. Super awesome service and super dog-friendly place. They only thing that I didn't absolutely love was the wine, it was good, but not amazing. I'm a sparkling wine fan, and I ordered the Bubble Bath flight. It was good, but not great. Probably my favorite overall was the Jurassic Park Chenin Blanc. I'd order a glass or two of that next time I visit. I think a lot of people love the reds there, but unfortunately, I'm not a red wine type of person! So if you are, please make your own decisions on whether this place is for you! I do wish they had food though. I bought a bottle of the Jurassic Park Chenin Blanc, but only because I thought I could just drink it there (and it would be more cost-effective to buy a bottle if I was staying). Since they don't sell food, you can't drink the bottle there, you can only take it home. Wish I had known that before I paid for the bottle. Overall, will be back for a glass or two of sparkling wine with my pupper though! Great service will always make me come back!

    JURASSIC PARK VINEYARD SPARKLING CHENIN BLANC
    Michelle D.

    I wish Yelp allowed me to give Birichino 10 stars because everything about this thoughtful company deserves it. I discovered their amazing wine when I was planning my wedding. I needed wines that would appeal to many palates, have a reasonable price point, and have gorgeous wine labels to fit the table settings. The Birichino Portfolio worked perfectly and is exceptional. I love wine and live close enough for afternoon trips to Napa and Sonoma, so please take my advice and go to Santa Cruz and try their wine. I'm still a wine club member 3 years later and often find myself driving from Sausalito to Santa Cruz to taste my favorites (all the sparkling bottles) and discover new ones at their charming downtown tasting room.

    two glasses of wine on a bar
    Stephanie G.

    Amazing wines, cozy atmosphere and attentive staff. Staff is extremely knowledgeable and friendly. Perfect wine tasting for date night or girl's night. Tonight they were offering three different tasting flights. We tried all three! Highly recommend if you are looking for a local wine tasting experience!

    Steven W.

    This is the tiny yet mighty wine tasting thingy just off the main downtown drag of pacific ave. Parking is street only which means there is no parking. There is that public library lot right next door which I hate, and a parking garage kinda sorta cat a corner which I like. So overall parking right close by is no big deal. This is a small spot. Most of the seating is at the counter, with a few small table spots for the antisocial, and a super comfy loungy couch for the decadent (coughs in decadent manner). Overall the space is rife with natural lighting and subtle old world wine cues. While small it is most certainly cozy and friendly. The owners are present when it's open-so when you drop on by, you are speaking with the experts-and they are experts. They know everything-and I mean everything- about the product. They know the source, the varieties, the aging, the blending, the origin (and generation) of the vines used, the legacy underpinnings of the wine they make and the world market-historical,general and specific. Chose your questions carefully as they will be answered in rich detail. No food on site, but you can bring in your own snackables. Aha you say but what about the wine? Glad you asked. It's unique, quality, complex, impressive and flippen awesome. I could waste space trying to describe it, but that would not do it justice. Suffice to say that this is one of the best small wineries I've ever tried. The pinot noirs and zinfadels are solid, and they've made a specialty of not so common finds such as vermentino. If terroir is your thing, this is a must do. Pricing is around twenty bucks a bottle more or less depending on choices made, and is entirely worth every penny. I extremely very much enjoyed this place.

    Tasting menu
    Kaley B.

    The ladies working here today were phenomenal! So much fun to stop in for a tasting en route back to oakland. They had folks doing crossword puzzles and everyone seemed to know one another. The wines were delicious and the tasting was $10. Well worth it!

    I could live here. Seriously luxurious!

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    6 months ago

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    Alex K.

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    2 years ago

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    Alex K.

    Thanks so much Bianca! Cheers!

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    2 years ago

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    Alex K.

    Thanks so much for the kind words and your visit. We are grateful!

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    2 years ago

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    Alex K.

    Thank you so much for the visit and kind words !

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    Alex K.

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    Alex K.

    Thank you so much - so glad you enjoyed ! Cheers !

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    Alex K.

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    Alex K.

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    Alex K.

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    2 years ago

    cute and cozy spot, I enjoyed the wine and the service was amazing. definitely will be going back

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    Alex K.

    Thank you! Very kind

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    8 years ago

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    Alex K.

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    Alex K.

    Thanks so much Alicia! :)

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    Alex K.

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    6 years ago

    My new favorite... love the wine, love the space and love the people gathered there. Must visit if you are in Santa Cruz!

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    Ask the Community - Birichino

    Review Highlights - Birichino

    Alex and John have an obvious passion to what they do and it translates to fantastic wines.

    Mentioned in 7 reviews

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    Soquel Vineyards - Wine menu

    Soquel Vineyards

    4.5(79 reviews)
    6.4 mi
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    It's our first time wine tasting in Soquel. Never knew there's a city that has wineries and tasting…read morerooms. I made reservations a week ago to make sure we had a spot in case it was a busy weekend. I made reservations for a group of 4 on Saturday at 1pm, but we actually had 5 due to last min decision. It was not busy when we arrived Saturday around 1:10pm. Later, more people came by. I don't think you really needed a reservation. The winery doesn't allow outside food or picnic, but we saw people brought snacks and food. The tasting fee is only $10 for 5 wines. There was no price on the tasting menu, but we should've asked. It's two bottles to waive a tasting fee. We got to try an extra Pinot noir and the 2017 Atlas Peak Cab. The cab was the best one. It had more body, flavor, and was smooth. We bought a bottle after we joked and asked if we could waive our tasting fees. All the wines on the tasting menu were just ok. More Italian style of light flavors, but smelled really good to the nose. The best view and nice winery in Soquel so far. Cute garden with foundations. It is located in the mountains with winding roads. Stephanie was also amazing. She's very friendly and knowledgeable.

    Had a great celebration with my friends and family for my birthday! Great wine lovely people and…read morethe owner was very friendly! I will be back soon.

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    Storrs Winery & Vineyards - Wine production notes

    Storrs Winery & Vineyards

    4.1(74 reviews)
    0.5 mi
    $$

    Storrs Winery produces some of my favorite wines. I love the Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc! And…read moreon my recent Santa Cruz getaway, I spontaneously dropped in to the downtown SC winery location. What a great experience! It was meant to be and I love when serendipity happens. Cute, small, intimate tasting room. Beautiful art work visible as you enter. Classy! And a sweet welcoming smile from Charmaine who was front and center behind the counter as we entered. Feeling good vibes already. I explained my long time enjoyment of the Storrs wines... being introduced to them when I began my love of Santa Cruz and my many trips there. The area restaurants, of course, carry the Storrs wines. Which is where I first encountered these great tasting wines. We selected a table in the front of the tasting room. A lovely, peaceful setting under trees with autumn red and gold leaves. Perfect! It was a weekday and no one else was tasting. Late September... such a perfect time to visit. Leisurely tasting. Awesome! Charmaine was well informed of everything about the wines and owners. Husband and wife met at UC Davis in the Oenology Department. The rest is history. I tasted the flagship, so- to-speak, Chardonnay and a fabulous Sauvignon Blanc which were so gooood. But also two, soon-to-be-released, reds which were beyond lovely. Tasting note descriptions included of the wines I tasted (photo). Storrs has also opened a much larger venue for tasting a few miles south of Santa Cruz. Outdoorsy! Next trip I will be checking that out for sure! In the meantime, I will be enjoying my wine purchases from this great visit! Thank you, Charmaine, for an unforgettable afternoon. And yes, a couple of bottles of wine left with me!:) Cheers!

    We came to Storrs tasting room on a Thursday afternoon about 4:00 p.m. The hostess was alone in the…read moretasting room and was super friendly. She seated us out in the back and it was really cute. She told us about the birds and all the little nature things around that we should enjoy while we were there. This made it a nicer experience, as it was sort of industrial... Not in a bad way... in a old fashioned Urban redevelopment kind of way. It was interesting. She was very knowledgeable about the wine and the owners and how they had built their business and we enjoyed learning all of that. It was a very nice experience and story. We enjoyed the wines that we tasted, and when we left, the tasting room was full. It seems like many people know about this winery and frequent it often. I recommend a stop at Storrs. It's unique!

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    Storrs Winery & Vineyards
    Storrs Winery & Vineyards - Barrels

    Barrels

    Storrs Winery & Vineyards - Cheers to learning about how the vineyard is so ecologically friendly

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    Cheers to learning about how the vineyard is so ecologically friendly

    Bottle Jack Wines - Outside view

    Bottle Jack Wines

    4.3(20 reviews)
    2.3 mi
    $$

    Lovely little spot that's finally open on more regular hours. Stop by on a Friday or Saturday…read moreafternoon for pleasant wine and ocean views. I think reservations are required these days, but they're very easy to do online. The seating is in a nice outdoor area in the redwoods overlooking the ocean. A great setting and all of the wines we tried were good as well. Grapes aren't grown on site but are mostly sourced locally which is cool. We enjoyed everything so we were happy to purchase a few bottles. To sweeten the pot they apply your tasting fee to bottle purchase. It's really a no brainier to leave with a wine or two. They're priced pretty reasonably and it's nice supporting a local wine maker.

    The scenery is stellar and the lady helping us was nice. Just got a weird feeling when the the…read moresupposed "guy that makes the wines" visits with every party there except for ours. Made us feel a little unwelcome. Then towards then end I'm not sure if we've been spoiled by every other vineyard but she didn't ask if we wanted to re visit any of the wines we tried. Was only asked if we would like to purchase any bottles. We asked if we could try a wine that wasn't on the flight and unfortunately they didn't have an open one. No worries but still wasn't offered anything else. Was a very relaxing experience would maybe come back it's just minor details. Overall had a fine time. To sum it up quickly the wine overall was I'd say a 7.5 out of 10. Some good, others were a bit mute but not bad.

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    Bottle Jack Wines - Menu

    Menu

    Bottle Jack Wines - Menu

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    Rose and ocean views!

    Silver Mountain Vineyards - Silver mountain!

    Silver Mountain Vineyards

    4.4(68 reviews)
    1.5 mi
    $$

    Such an amazing first experience place! We came to do the wine tasting for $20 per person and met…read moreMichelle who was helping us. Amazing choice selection, great explanation of all wines and homey ambiance. Would Take for a date or special night. Small and comforting vibes. Bring some snacks!!

    2013: it was a different time in America. Barack Obama was barely into his second term after…read morewinning re-election the previous November, and Hills and Bills were picking out drapes for their planned triumphal return to residency at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW (rumor had it that "Slick Willy" was also thinking about adding a convex mirror to the ceiling of the Lincoln bedroom, but maybe this was just "fake news"). How much things can change in six years. Except not atop Silver Mountain, that is. 2013 was just another year, one that blessedly was spared major earthquakes, wildfires, droughts, or damaging weather at harvest time. So, the grapes picked were good, and the winemaker was confident in his technique, and the results - while unknown at the time - would prove to be wonderful, indeed. Flash forward to November 2019. No Clintons in the White House, but there are great 2013 vintage wines available for tasting at the Silver Mountain Vineyards Westside tasting room. Estate Chardonnay from organic vines planted decades earlier using a highly prized Mount Eden clone; and a reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from a Grand Cru Classe vineyard, the fabled Bates Ranch, located on the Santa Clara County side of the Santa Cruz Mountains, close enough to Gilroy you'd swear there would be touches of garlic on the nose, but there isn't. Just rich, dark, brooding black fruit brimming over with brambles and flower scents and a minty touch of eucalyptus - not unlike Heitz Cellars' famous Martha's Vineyard Napa Valley Cabs, except at a mere fraction of the price (1/5th, more or less). Silver Mountain has a backstory like you wouldn't believe. Even I can't make this up. A WWII pilot who returns from combat saving America and much of the known world from fascism and Japanese imperial aggression who then makes a mint in the commodity futures trading business (which sounds scarier than flying an airplane in combat, if you ask me), and then promptly dumps a good amount of his personal fortune into rehabilitating an old apple orchard 2100 feet above the Pacific Ocean overlooking majestic Monterey Bay, high above the sleepy but quickly growing university/beach town of Santa Cruz. Years later, after rebuilding his home and winery following a major earthquake (1989's Loma Prieta), said vigneron eventually transfers some of the winemaking operations to an assistant, who was a Shakespearean actor from England who makes his own wines under the "Sonnet" label and who can quote from the Bard just as easily as he can craft a great bottle of single vineyard Pinot. At some point, this vigneron (let's call him "Jerold") decides to open a satellite tasting room on the Westside of Santa Cruz, as part of the so-called "Surf City Vintner's Collective," driven in part by the success of Randall Graham at Bonny Doon. That's where we end up, at the Westside tasting room, sipping 2013 vintages of organic estate Chardonnay and Bates Ranch Cabernet while Mark Knopfler songs echo from the stereo and a young toddler with his proud parents are quaffing Bottle Jack wines (the parents, not the toddler, you understand. We aren't all savages out here, you know!) across from the wine barrel table you're using to steady yourself as you finish off your 5th or 6th pour of Silver Mountain wine, and as someone in Washington, D.C. prepares to leak something to someone in the media about what some Ukrainian official promised to do for some sort of American shadow diplomatic fixer and go-between. Will a visit to Silver Mountain Vineyard's Westside tasting room solve all the world's problems? Will having a 2013 Bates Ranch Cabernet in your cellar for Thanksgiving help to drain the D.C. swamp? Or tear down walls? Or save American democracy? Maybe that's asking a lot of a single bottle of wine. Better buy a second bottle, then, just in case.

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    Entryway for BottleJack and Silver Mountain

    Silver Mountain Vineyards - Firenze

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    Birichino - wineries - Updated May 2026

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