MJA Vineyards Wine and Tasting Room....I love you! I always…read morehave a wonderful time when I stop by, and I am always treated like family; Marin's energy and generous Aloha spirit make customers feel welcome. There are all kinds of varietals--seriously, there are so many to try! Plus, it is easy to leave having made new friendships. I also love being part of the wine club and the perks, and I have been a member for about ten years. The wine club member parties and movie nights are a great time. There is a wine for everyone. The Cabernets age very well. I just opened a 2013 Cab this week ("Still Horny" ????) that was awesome.

Ambience is convivial. I sipped by way through a wine tasting. Here are my rankings on a 5 point…read morescale. The 2019 Cab from MJA vineyards (Suave) had the best value: 4.7: 2018 Cab "Penetration". Serene Cellars. Vermouth note. $135. 4.7: 2018 Cab "Too risque". Serene Cellars. Deep and smoky. $135. 4.6: 2019 Cab "Suave". MJA vineyards. $80. 4.6: 2019 Cab "Lei'd". Serene Cellars: $135. 4.5: 2011 Cab "Distraction". Serene Cellars. Almost gone. 4.5: 2017 Cab "Foreplay". Serene Cellars. $135. 4.5: 2020 Pinot Noir "Wink". Davine Cellars. Nice layer of smoke. $48. 4.4: 2020 Cab "Debonair". MJA Vineyards. Concentrated and peppery $85. 4.3: 2018 Malbec "Sneaky". Davine Cellars. $58. 3.0: 2017 Merlot "Elegant". Davine Cellars. Too sour. $58. They also had a pizza popup on Saturday by Italia Fire, a wood-buring pizza popup. I tried the chicken pesto pizza $22, but it was lacking in flavor, and the crust was doughy and undercooked.

Amazing sparkling wine, perfect for champagne, fans, wonderful service and staff and an excellent…read morepart of town where you can get some tacos or food from the restaurant next-door and sit outside and enjoy your tasting. I often bring my kids and staff is quite friendly, offering them a juice or animal crackers. Note they have a new URL the correct website is https://equinox-winery.obtainwine.com/collection/wines

A tasting room with multiple bubbly flight options?! Yes please!…read more I knew Equinox had bubbles, but didn't know they also had a wine label and made still wines as well. They had 3 bubbly flights and 3 still wine flights to choose from, all of which offered 3 wines for a $20 tasting fee. They also offered a you pick 4 flight for $25. As a bubble lover, I of course had to go with one of the bubble flights. It was a tough decision between the sparkling white and rosé, but I ended up going with the white. Lucky for me, they also let me taste one of the sparkling rosés as well. I liked that they poured all 3 tastes at once so that I was able to compare each wine and ultimately end on my favorite of the pours. I think I typically prefer other methods than méthode champenoise for my bubbly, but it was still fun to try a variety of their offerings. They had a few different seating areas inside as well as some outdoor tables. We opted to sit inside at the bar so that we could chat with them a bit more about the wines. We were helped by Sue and one other tasting associate. Both were super nice, personable, and fun to chat with! Definitely worth the visit if you like sparkling wine!

Cool atmosphere with great wine & great band! Not to mention scrumptious fish & chips food truck!read more

They have live music Fri/Sat. They sell empanadas, but you…read morecan bring in food; I recommend either a take-out pizza from Bantam next door, or from the deli counter at New Leaf across the street. I tried their red flight. The only one I liked was the 2018 Pinot Belle.

Such a cute little winery! I typically come to this area to visit MJA, but decided to branch out…read moreand give Sones a try. The staff member who welcomed us was very sweet and helped move our table so that we could sit in the sun. The space is very small but charming (and dog-friendly), with little hedgehog decorations everywhere. We asked to do a tasting and were given five carafes to share amongst the three of us. The white wines were both excellent, but I particularly enjoyed the Zinfandel. Would return!

Staff was super friendly and inviting. Wine was ok but it was very cool how they serve it. Also…read morethey have 3 wines that they make small production of and when you buy them they give you refillable wine bottles. You can come back and buy more wine bring your bottle and just have it filled up. All in all great experience.

"Driving Miss Moblee," Act IV, Scene III (17/18)…read more [Steadicam tracking shot of E. and B. leaving the Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyards tasting room with bottles of port and brandy in a wine carrying case. They stumble out onto the sidewalk, deposit the contents in the trunk of the Tesla, and then walk arm in arm on unsteady legs to the Bottle Jack Wines tasting room, shared with Silver Mountain Vineyards]. [The tasting room is filled to overflowing with festive, wine-themed Christmas decorations. "Late September" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjdWlvnnljk) plays on the stereo]. [The rain has stopped, so E. and B. sit down at an outdoor patio with open bottles of 2018 Sierra Foothills Viognier and 2014 Santa Cruz Mountains Petite Sirah. They pour the wines into Zalto wine glasses B. extracts from his soft-sided cooler, accompanied by El Salchichero bresaola served on Companion Bakery levain bread with fresh horseradish and drizzled with toasted sunflower oil and 12 year aged balsamic vinegar. B. then serves a Dungeness crab panini, cut in two, with melted Monterey Jack from Vella Cheese Co. (Sonoma, CA) to pair with the Viognier]. E: Why in the F-word haven't we covered Bottle Jack Wines in The Press yet? I really dig this Sierra Foothills Viognier, and the Petite is F-wording delicious! B: Well, when you assign someone who lives in the City to cover the dynamic local wine scene here, you tend to miss newer, audacious places like this. Not to mention old lions like Silver Mountain Vineyards, whose wines are classic examples of the potential of the area to make great Burgundian and Bordeaux style wines. Maybe you should hire a local, such as myself, who can give the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA the extensive coverage it deserves. [E. is about to speak but is interrupted by her iPhone 11 Pro vibrating]. E: Hello? What? As in, like, immediately? And what shall I tell him, then, when he asks me for an explanation why? And you need the Tesla back when? Tonight? Are you serious!? This is, like, so not right. You know, Eric at the Times would never stand for this. Even Dave at the Post would say no, and between you and me, that man is a F-wording IDIOT who doesn't know S-WORD about wine. Tell Audrey and her F-wording corporate SLAVEMASTERS they can come and try to take a bite out of my honey pot sweet C-WORD if they think that they can get me to fire my own goddamned driver and return that goddamned Tesla of theirs anytime soon, because I am a goddamned award winning wine critic who went to Smith F-WORDING College, and if they think they can mess with me, well you tell them from me that they can ram rolled up copies of the Chronicle covered in steaming HORSE S-WORD straight up their enormous, middle-aged A-wordholes. And then, they can set them on fire. Fine. Gotta go. You're welcome. Goodbye. Happy frickin' Holidays to you, too! [E. presses the end call button on her phone and sets it on the high-top table where she and B. are standing. She grabs the empty bottle of Viognier by the neck and proceeds to smash it into shards directly on top of the phone before then pouring a full glass of Petite Sirah on the table and then kicking it over. E. then picks up the damaged phone off the ground and hurls it against the wall, where it shatters to pieces]. B: So, that went well. E: B., you're fired. And we need to take the Tesla back to the dealership in Mountain View by 10 pm tonight or they'll fine me $500 a day until I do. Budget cuts ordered by Hearst corporate, effective immediately. I should sue those A-wordholes for workplace sexual harassment for every penny that they and their next of kin are worth. D-wordhead male executives and that spineless female editor ice queen in chief B-word who carries out their orders. Idiots! [E. locates the Petite Sirah bottle, now lying half empty on the ground, and takes a long pull]. E: Well, ya' can't be ma' driver no more, Boke, but that don't mean we can't steel be freens. [E. and B. both drop back fully into character for a moment]. B: Miss Moblee, no'ne at Hearst nah an' otha' place in dis' heah world can come b'tween us na'more. We haz a boooond that'l bend from time ta' time but will nevah break! I tells youz whot .. E: Ain't that the truth! Boke, I luvs ya', and that ain't the wine talkin' neithah! We is freens - fahevah! [E. and B. take turns killing the rest of the Petite left in the bottle]. E: Tell ya what, let's us grab a drink somewhere - a REAL drink mind ya' and not just some more of this heah wahn - and figa' out what we is gonna' do next. Whatcha say, Boke? B: I knowz jes' tha' place, Miss Moblee. Jes' tha' place ... [E. and B. walk grim-faced to the Tesla, to "Redemption Day" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHmVzQIZGiQ)]. [End of Act IV].

Nice little tasting room located in a warehouse plaza that we frequent (since we love the 11th hour…read morecoffee shop!) It's pretty basic, there's a couple seats inside and outside, no view of anything, but at least the chocolate/ice cream shop is right next door! It was $20 for a tasting and i got to choose my 4 wines. For not having a view, and the bartender not saying more than a sentence about each wine, it was little steep for the experience. Luckily, the fee is waived with just a one bottle purchase which I did get!

I am in their wine club and it is a great deal. Super good wine. They source grapes from Santa Cruz…read morecounty and know where all the good grapes grow and how to make the best wine.

Great atmosphere, very friendly and nice people work there. We enjoyed a glass of wine and mulled…read morewine.

I have been a wine club member for several years and have always enjoyed my quarterly shipments and…read morecomplimentary tastings at the west side tasting room. Yesterday I finally made it to a pick up party at the winery and I'm so glad I did. It was lovely and they had beautiful charcuterie from Honey Brook Boards which made it extra special. I hope they continue to offer that, it felt like normalcy during very abnormal times. Silver Mountain is comprised of excellent wine, friendly people, no pretentiousness, and extra touches that make it very special.

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!!

Stopped in to rexford for a tasting. This is a really good SCM winery. It is a father and son…read morewinemaking team, and to hear them talk is informative and entertaining! I enjoyed all the wines I tasted here and will definitely return!

Rexford Winery easily has the best wine in Santa Cruz. I'd venture to say Rexford is top three in…read moreall of California for terroir focused, complex, full flavored, and fairly priced wines. We are shocked the secret's not out by now but the father and son duo at Rexford are true masters of the craft. White, red, rosé, and bubbly are crafted to perfection. They source from only the best growers and they absolutely pull every bit of complexity and flavor out of each varietal. In a market filled with noise and misdirection, Rexford delivers a pure reflection of what wine can be at its best and truest composition.

If you're downtown and want some wine this is the place to go. They have something for everyone…read more Today they had 3 different flights (2 were $15 and 1 was $20). There was a flight of 3 whites, one that had 2 whites and a light red, and a third that had all reds. The wines are from varying vineyards and represent regions from all over California. I had the monster mash wines that were a few different blends. They were bold, earthy, and super tasty! The service was fast, knowledgeable, and let you enjoy the wines without being overly pushy. It was dog friendly inside which was perfect for a chilly November night. They also had some wines in cans to go!

I tried the Monster mash Flight: There was only one wine that I liked:…read more- 4/5: Rokurokubi & Inugami old vine blend. Southern Rhone style. Complex and multi-layered, almost like a vermouth. I will be back to try more flights. Bartenders have good banter. You can bring picnic food inside. Grab a chicken pesto sando from Zoccoli's, or a gryro from Arslan, or a falafel wrap from Mosaic. They also sell a few chocolate bonbons from Mutari chocolates.

I love wine walks. They're like drinking with a mission--way more exciting than just sitting in a…read moretasting room. Instead of casually ordering from one location, you're handed a map, transforming the experience into a wine-themed scavenger hunt. It's like Where's Wino? But rather than simply being served, you might have to chat with someone, where you can either pretend to know things about wine ("Mmm, this one's red!" or "Ah, it has...grape notes") or really take the conversation off-road, diving into deep topics like their grandparents, tattoos, skincare, pets --it helps if your mind is like magnetic poetry-- as I print the email addresses of my co-workers on their mailing lists. (Enjoy the biweekly 10% off tasting coupons, Mr. Green.) Plus, each stop brings a fresh vibe. You're not stuck in one place. Each store is an Easter egg hunt for snacks as you sip among quirky socks, pet sweaters, and art that could double as motel bedspreads. Plus, you get your steps in. And, the event is on a three-hour timer if you want to catch every last drop of chardogrigio (I never rinse my glass), adding a sense of ticking-clock urgency to the fun. Compared to other wine walks, this one had only 12 locations, far less than half of what is offering from Los Gatos (my favorite), Campbell, Saratoga, and Willow Glen, so you may have to put on fake mustaches and hats to make some unsanctioned return stops.