We specifically drove to Bonny Doon to have a tasting at Beauregard. And we are really glad we did…read more Beauregard has a special memory for us as it was the last place we went before lockdown. That day was also beautiful and we decided to take a long drive on that afternoon to have a wine tasting at Beauregard. Yesterday, we entered the tasting room and it was packed! The winemaker, Ryan, was there and was talking to the guests and pouring wines. It's always nice to see and owner/ winemaker in the tasting room interacting with the guests. It also felt very special because California tortoise shell butterflies were all over the area. No one quite knows why they are here, but they are gracing the area with their presence. And it's beautiful. The wines at Beauregard are better than I remembered them. They were excellent and I highly recommend a stop at this tasting room. I do not think you will be disappointed.

Very nice cozy wine tasting room in Bonny Doon. I had the $25 flight. The wines tend to be acidic /…read morecitrusy / astringent. Here are my rankings: 4.3/5: 2024 syrah grenache in neutral oak. good balance. 4.0: Chardonay oeuf: Very yeasty, citrusy, dry. 3.0: 2021 Zinfandel: From beauregard ranch. Aged in neutral oak. Overall it has a weak body. 2.5: 2023 pinot noir: smoky dry. Flavor is flat. From Coast Grade vineyard. Like a tart cranberry. 2.0: White sparkling pinot. No time on the skin. Super dry. Lightly carbonated. Very tart and lemony.

Nicholson Vineyards in Corralitos is such a wonderful find! What impressed us most was the…read moreattentive and welcoming staff. They engaged with us from the moment we arrived, and because it was such a hot day, they thoughtfully offered us ice water. The winery has a superb, lively atmosphere. It was busy during our visit, yet the staff still made us feel well cared for. We also love that it's dog-friendly and allows guests to bring a picnic--perfect for relaxing and enjoying the beautiful setting. There is little to no cell service at the winery, but they thoughtfully provide complimentary Wi-Fi for their guests. The tastings may be a little pricey compared with others in the area, but the hospitality and overall experience make it worthwhile. We had a fantastic time and look forward to returning again and again!

They are open for wine tasting Friday-Sunday 11-5…read more Marguerite is the very engaging owner. They make refreshing, light-bodied wines that are great for summer sipping on the patio. You can bring in picnic food onto the patio. They also have a snack cart. It's a very pleasant way to spend a summer day.

We had planned on staying the night since that's something your winery offered. Everything seemed…read morefine until we were asked several questions about our dogs, who are super friendly. Then we were asked if we would have them off leash. We said no because we don't feel comfortable doing that for our dogs' safety. The moment we said we would be keeping them on leash, we were told, "No, you can't stay here." Before that, it was okay for us to stay, but apparently only if we agreed to unleash our dogs. You can do what you want with your pets, but we don't deserve to be discriminated against because we choose to keep ours safely on a leash. At this point, I will never support your business again, and I will be sure to share our experience with others. The way we were treated was not okay.

Great place to stop by after hiking at Henry Cowell, Fall Creek, or Loch Lomond. They have picnic…read moretables outside; you can bring picnic gear and buy a bottle. I was most impressed by the port wine $65. They fortify it with spirits from St. Georage. The 2017 Pinot Noir is also very bold, complex, and juicy. The ciders are exceedingly dry. If you want sweeter, go for the pomegranate. On the weekends only, they do slushies; a wine slushy and a cider slushy.

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.

We stopped in to Aptos Vineyards tasting room on a Thursday afternoon. What a beautiful little…read moretasting area! Everything about it was lovely. We started as the only two people in the tasting room, but very shortly the entire room was full of all kinds of return customers, mostly wine club members. We sampled their beautiful wines, which were quite good, and enjoyed them. There was no pressure to purchase wine, the tasting room server was as pleasant and knowledgeable as she possibly could have been. She was swamped with people, and someone did come to help her. I loved the location of this tasting room and even though it was small it was nicely appointed and felt akin to someone's living room. I would recommend stopping at Aptos vineyards tasting room next time you are in Aptos!

The wine is excellent. If you can put up with the staff. Rude and pretentious…read more I went in today to purchase my favorite wines as a gift. Not only did the male employee fail to make eye contact or greet me. The female employee made a comment about how "wow - you are really making me do my steps today...". The place is very small. I dropped $200.00 and was never offered a sample. The atmosphere was pretentious and unwelcoming. I highly recommend the wine - but know that if you go - you want to get in and out get out.

They have a tasting room at the Old Sash Mill, but I went to a tasting at the estate in Aptos,…read morewhich is open Fri-Su noon-5. It's very pleasant to sip wine on the patio. They also have a bocce ball court. Two wines stood out: 5/5: The 2024 Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay; it's rubust, sparkly, with tropical notes. 4/5: The 2024 Monterey Sauvignon blanc: Fruity instead of grassy.

**Overall 3.5 stars**…read more The wine tasted excellent! In fact, all the flavors were complex and delicious that my friends joined their wine club! The winery is situated on a hill. The road to get up the hill is very narrow that we almost missed it bec it looked like a driveway. Once we got past the trees to an opening, it was like orchestral music started playing when we saw the gorgeous Storrs building! The cement structure was so sleek and modern, yet it was in the middle of this farmhouse kind of area... it was a little shocking, in a good way. I feel bad taking off stars because I actually loved the wine at Storrs, but for the cost of the wine tasting per person, I was astonished at how TINY the pours were. We are talking the tiniest sip. You don't even have enough to swish it in your mouth to get a good sense of the wine on your palette. We thought we were being "punked", except every pour was this miniscule. There is also a strict no outside food policy here, yet they don't sell food. This is a big downside for me because I find drinking wine a great opportunity to sit back and relax with friends, and that includes munching on some food! Counter space was very cramped in the tasting room, and no one greeted us or acknowledged that we entered the building even. We just walked around for awhile until we found a tiny corner to insert ourselves. The set up isn't ideal for when there are multiple groups inside. There are tables in an outdoor patio and one long table indoors, but with the tasting pours being half a sip, you really don't need to sit down. So this is a big downside for me. The wine is delicious, so I think it's worth tasting and buying some wine here. My tip is to go on an off day so you can get better customer service and maybe get more than a 0.00001 ounce pour. Haha.

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!

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.

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!