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    Rexford Winery

    4.4 (34 reviews)
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    the menu for the wine tasting
    Tannia O.

    If you are a fan of everything wine, you've definitely found the place where your tastebuds will have you wanting more. Went with some friends for a tasting during our day trip and this was definitely the best place we could have ran across. We were all very pleased, needless to say we all got a bottle to take home. From Riesling to Zins, they got you covered. Amazingly abs delicious to the very last drop. This father and son wine tasting venue will be on our list every time we hit Sabra Cruz.

    Open weekends from 1-5 pm or by appointment.
    Camelia N.

    I recently visited the Rexford tasting room for the first time on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Two hours after we entered, we left with three bottles of wine (a Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Zinfandel) and dozens of stories told and shared with the head winemaker, two club member visitors, and a few groups who wandered in curious about what the fuss was all about that would keep us all deeply engaged in conversation while sipping our glasses of wine. The most unusual group were looking for wine labels with animals on them. One of them had nearly 2000 in his collection already! Rexford's labels are animal free, but we sent them across the street to a local winery that had hedgehogs on some of their labels (Sones Cellars). The rest of us simply came to try the latest wines and bring something back home for our troubles. I recommend the Chalone Pinot Blanc and Santa Lucia Highlands Chardonnay (oaked and unoaked versions are available) as well as the Lime Kiln Valley sourced Zinfandel, but the other reds also are quite nice expressions of cooler climate Santa Cruz Mountains style, including Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Tempranillo. Tastings include 5 wines for $10, and a bottle purchase will waive the fee. It would be a shame to go Westside weekend wine tasting and miss out on the gems and hidden treasures that Rexford has to offer!

    Taufiq H.

    Really nice winery genuine wines excellent taste The winemaker Joe Miller is an Astro physics professor don't winemaker very interesting knowledgeable to talk with The winds are amazingly good genuine

    2016 Antle Vineyards Pinot Blanc, Chalone AVA (Monterey County).
    Bradley N.

    If you are a lover of small batch Californian wines sourced from local vineyards known for producing high quality vintages, you need to visit Rexford (formerly known as Hillcrest Terrace Winery) for a weekend tasting on your next Santa Cruz sojourn. The father and son winemakers, Joe and Sam M., are experienced craftsmen with a scientific attention to detail, on the one hand, and artist's appreciation for elegance and beauty, on the other. This makes sense if you consider the fact that Joe was an academic researcher and astrophysics professor, while son Sam is a skilled guitarist and jazz music scholar. Making wines together is an inherited family passion, one that they enjoy sharing with visitors and club members regardless of their level of wine knowledge. In theory, you could visit here for a tasting never having done anything like this before. Don't expect a Napa Valley Disneyland tasting experience, however. Rexford's Santa Cruz facility is a working winery - with an emphasis on "working." Wines will be fermenting, aging in barrels, or resting in bottles all around you. The main decor on the wall are high definition images of the vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Monterey County, and San Benito County where the current Rexford portfolio of around a dozen different wines are sourced. It's only open weekends from 1-5pm (or weekdays by appointment), but there is also a Carmel Valley tasting room with more extensive opening hours, and the wines are available at either location. If you'd like to meet Father Joe, who started the winery and guides his son in the finer arts of making naturally fermented, barrel aged, unfiltered wines, probably the Santa Cruz tasting room is the better bet. Son Sam often is based in Carmel Valley, where you'll also get to sample around 5 different current releases for $10/person, and the fee is waived with 1 bottle purchase - a great deal considering the fact that the wines are also very fairly priced ($30-35 in most cases). If you are a Pinot Noir fanatic, the Fambrini Vineyards Santa Cruz Mountains bottling is worth purchasing even if it's not being poured. The one acre vineyard is just north of Santa Cruz in a limestone rich location very near to the Pacific Ocean, and Rexford has exclusive rights (a "monopole" in French Burgundian terms). Otherwise, check out the Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc wines from the Santa Lucia Highlands and Chalone, which are fruit driven but extremely well structured and balanced. The newly released Zinfandel from the Lime Kiln Valley (Gillian Enz Vineyards) is a remarkable expression of this quintessential California grape, and all of the Santa Cruz Mountains wines (Merlot, Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, etc.) are sourced from well respected vineyards whose names may be familiar to you if you've been to other tasting rooms in town and the surrounding valleys. If you have time and room for two tastings while in the area, my recommendation is to begin here at Rexford and then head over to Stockwell Cellars, on Fair Avenue next to Verve Coffee and across the street from the New Leaf Community Market. The Stockwell tasting room is considerably larger, and the wine style is similar but not identical. I wouldn't advise a third tasting unless you can handle it, but the next obvious stop would be the Birichino tasting room on Church Street, near to the main downtown shopping, dining, and entertainment districts. To my mind, these are the "Holy Trinity" of small batch wineries in the area whose winemakers are truly world class as well as nice people, to boot. Getting to meet winemakers while sampling vineyard designate, naturally fermented wines sourced from the Santa Cruz Mountains and Central Coast that also cost less than $50/bottle in most cases is quite rare in California these days, especially in Napa, Sonoma, and Paso Robles. All the more reason to come to places like Rexford, Stockwell, and Birichino instead. Your wine loving friends will be impressed by the new additions to your cellar and marvel at your cleverness. Don't tell them you learned about it on Yelp, if you'd like to claim the credit for yourself. I won't tell. It will be our little secret!

    tasting area
    Wayne L.

    We have been wine club members here a couple years now. It's always a nice visit to go down and taste and pick up the wines. Very good local wine and the people working there are a joy to do business with. They had to change their name because of legal threats from Hillcrest in Oregon.

    Sampling a pinot noir!
    Caitlin A.

    Wonderful tasting room in the "wine ghetto," as my dad calls it! My dad is club member here, so I've never paid for a tasting. I love the atmosphere here, and enjoy our conversations each time we go. I typically opt for the reds, but they have a fantastic Pinot Gris this season! Their reds are light and pair well with the amazing meals my dad likes to whip up. My mom, being DD, also enjoys sniffing the wines, ha, but they have such a delicate aroma! (Nose-feel? Haha!) FYI - They were know as Hillcrest Terrace previously, but changed their name to Rexford.

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    11 years ago

    My favorite winery in Santa Cruz! They are so friendly and their wine is amazing! Every time I come home I have to come here

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    10 years ago

    Loved this winery..very knowledgeable, friendly and great wine. Try their dessert wine!

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    13 years ago

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    9 years ago

    Great place! The man pouring was proud of his winery and his hard work shows. The wines were delicious as well as the conversation.

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    12 years ago

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    11 years ago

    Great wines, great tasting fee for the quality. Joe is a great guy.

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    Ask the Community - Rexford Winery

    Review Highlights - Rexford Winery

    We really enjoy tastings here -- Sam and Joe are equally kind to members and new comers alike.

    Mentioned in 8 reviews

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    Soquel Vineyards - Wine menu

    Soquel Vineyards

    4.5(79 reviews)
    8.0 mi
    $$

    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)
    1.8 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 - Barrels

    Barrels

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

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    Bottle Jack Wines - Outside view

    Bottle Jack Wines

    4.3(20 reviews)
    3.7 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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    Menu

    Bottle Jack Wines - Menu

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    Bottle Jack Wines - Rose and ocean views!

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    Silver Mountain Vineyards - Silver mountain!

    Silver Mountain Vineyards

    4.4(68 reviews)
    0.1 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

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    Rexford Winery - wineries - Updated May 2026

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