Pretty winery - no doubt. Went here cause I have heard so many positive things....but I have to say I was disappointed primarily with the reception. Wine was decent, but my experience was corked! It was a drizzly Sunday and I brought my visiting mother up to go wine tasting. For most of the time we were there, we were the only customers, but for the whole time we were there - we felt soooooooo unwanted. I literally had to ask our wine guide what wine she was pouring us. She warmed up a little towards the end of the tasting, but overall it was fairly painful, and unfortunately for them, the wine didn't sell itself that day. read more

Other reviewers have commented on the wines, the location, and the owners - I love 'em all even though I don't get by there as often as I would like. I DO want to add information not seen in any of the reviews I did read though. First is: the property is part of Peter and Paul's family heritage because when he came to the area from Italy their grandfather bought that land and planted fruit trees on it. Back in the family again.... Second is that their wines have fantastic (if - like other wineries - uneven) aging potential. I'm still working on some of their wines from the 80's and have a good handful of their 94 and 95 cabs, which are superb right now. Definitely good for the long haul, just use your judgement and age the big but balanced wines. Even their pinots and chardonnays improve with some age. Hmmm...got a 2001 Pinot I think I will crack open tonight. read more

Had a great time here this weekend. We were looking for something low key, with great wines, and a great view. Found Soquel, and couldn't be happier. We opted for the reserve tasting outside, and couldn't beat it. Very quiet with views over the valley and sea on the clear day. Always best with a bit of cheese and crackers; hear there is free outdoor pizza oven firing on Sunday's too. Wines were some of the best I've tasted in the area, Pinot Noir with some backbone, decent selection of Chardonnay and a couple Italian varietals. Going to give the wine club a bit of a trial, and hope to make it back. Seemed to be a smaller production place where the winemaker is walking about and just a few fellow wine tasters. All in all, just what we were looking for and highly recommend. read more

This is my favorite Santa Cruz Mts winery. I'm in the wine club, so try to go up there every month or 2. It is a fun, casual atmosphere and everyone who works there is great. Peter and Paul are twin brothers who are there every weekend and they always make us laugh. We always have fun when we go up there. The patio up top with select tastings is fun and has amazing views of the vineyards and Monterey Bay beyond on a clear day. Now for the wine: If you like Pinots, they have many to try. I also really like Olivia's Chardonay and it's so great to see Olivia evolve into a wine maker :) the Trinity is an amazing buy at $14 a bottle. Buy a case and you've got a solid house wine! I've really never tried a wine I didn't like! They have great Cabs, Nebbiolo, Petite Syrah, and Sangiovese too. The only down side is that they are only open on the weekends and close at 4, but I think that's true for most SC mountain wineries. read more

Peter and Paul Bargetto are the owners and possibly the most classy and warm-hearted twins on earth! Their wine is some of the best in Santa Cruz. If I could only drink one red wine for the rest of my life it would be the Soquel Vineyards, Lester Vineyard Pinot Noir. Thanks so much for making my life that much better guys :) Cheers! read more

Came here on a Passport Day, so at the least we marked this one off the list. I thought all the reds here were pretty mediocre (with the exception of the Sangiovese, which I took home a bottle of). The whites, tasty. Came home with a couple bottles of their Chardonnay. Very beautiful and remote location. But pretty lackluster service, if you ask me. read more

first stop of our wine tasting trip on Soquel and Ben Lomond. They have some pretty good white wines but what surprised me most was their version of Bordeaux. It was delicious. Flavorful, bold and still gentle. Unfortunately the one we tasted will only be released in a couple of months. I'd come back. read more

Soquel Vineyards - Beautiful place to sit back and sip your wine. - Wineries Near Me - Soquel, California

I arrived at the Vineyard with 8 of my friends. When we walked in we were ask right away if we made reservations (not a hi or hello). I said no. they then told me that when i have a large group thats what i need to do. they then told us they were very busy so we would b rushed and need to pay right away... they never told us about the wine or what we were drinking. The labels were backwards and we had to ask multiple times to turn them so we knew what we were drinking.. The property is amazingly beautiful! There wine is so-so... read more

I liked their Pinot Noir; nice scent, color and taste. And their Cabernet is inky, biggish body, a whiff of chocolate and your mouth would be saying "I'd like another glass and a Flintstone sized rib eye steak. The Chardonnay has a fine nose; it was clean tasting with a buttery pattern; so you know it's aged in French oak casks. Their Trinity Rosso is a table wine that would surprise your taste buds and be great with burgers, pizza or steaks. Fine hilltop view. Customer service: very good; Kelsey was courteous and knowledgeable. read more

Soquel Vineyards is a great little winery and we are extreemly happy with their wines! Its easy to get to and not too busy. The staff is also very friendly, they even gave a great reccomendation for a place to eat lunch after our visit! We are going to join the wine club on our next visit! read more

This place is probably only 1 of 3 wineries to stop by in the Santa Cruz area... not many already but few are even any good... sorry to say. This place was very nice with a great staff... we had several tastings and a barrel tasting which was very nice. A must stop if wine tasting in the area... read more

Soquel Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Soquel, California

Lovely scenic winery. Surrounded by vineyards. Multiple tables on the patio, pretty flowers and a small trail, perfect to hang out between the poors. Great view of the ocean from a distance. Great service by the 2 employees. We got a bonus barrel tasting after the regular tasting. The famous golden retriever is unfortunely in heaven, but they want to get another one. The wines are good to very good, but expensive to buy. Tasting fee is reasonable, $10-15 is not bad for the $$$$ Napa grown reds you get to taste. The road to get there is narrow and windy, but its not too far from the main road, perfectly doable if this is your first tasting of the day. read more

Disclaimer: I have not actually been to the vineyards BUT I'm waiting in Hawaii (Big Island) for a rent a car which is not a speedy process. But I am in paradise so calm down. This big nice looking white dude says "can you watch my bags, especially the wine". I perk up after a 5 hour flight and say "wine??" and clearly there is a huge cardboard box marked "fragile" amid his luggage. He's running back in forth to see what's taking so long and we get to talking and damn if he doesn't have this vineyard in Soquel and is this incredibly personable affable unpretentious guy who is soon cutting out the huge cardboard box with my car key and giving us a bottle of his Partners Reserve Pinot since the couple he planned on coming over with had a last minute medical reason for not coming. We scored!!!!!!!!! A great big mouthful of delicious red just hit my mouth a half hour ago and I have to say Peter, thank you, you go, keep on having fun and making great wine and never lose your sense of humor or love of mankind. Aloha to you and yours, Karen and John at the Hertz Big Island January 10, 2017. You gave us hope for this upcoming year. read more

Beautiful drive up to the winery and greeted by one of the friendly owner brothers. They happened to be making pizza that day. The wine is very delicious and the setting is beautiful. A great way to spend a weekend afternoon! read more

We love Soquel Vineyards and enjoy going up for a visit when our wine club pickup comes around. Peter, Paul and John are just good people who make great wines and terrific pizza! I have always avoided wine clubs but highly endorse the Soquel Vineyard wine club! If you are visiting from out out town, Soquel Vineyard should be at the top of your to-do list! read more

Best winery in the Santa Cruz region! We were the first to arrive on a Saturday morning and were greeted by the exuberant owner Peter. He started off the tasting with a lovely pinot grigio on the patio. Refreshingly crisp and clean to wake up the palate and take in the stunning view of the ocean through the vines. After a little chatting he couldn't wait to take us to the barrel of Chardonnay waiting to be bottled. It did not disappoint! He progressed us through the pinot, a blend, their syrah and the cab. Every single wine was accessible and enjoyable. All of them could pair well with a meal or stand all on their own with plenty of opportunity for the unveiling of their distinct characteristics. When Peter realized we were embracing the wines he was kind enough to pour the mack daddy of them all, the Consonante. Needless to say, we purchased them all! Proud to pour some Santa Cruz wine back in Austin Texas and can't wait for my next trip to Soquel. I believe there is an introduction planned for my friend and his son! Thanks Peter for a lovely experience! read more

Great winery run by great people. Wine is largely a matter of taste, but for me Soquel's wines taste just right. The staff are always friendly and helpful. The atmosphere is relaxed and casual. Wine club: members are treated like old friends. Behind the regular tasting room is small nook between the barrels and storage, where members receive their orders and the occasional barrel tasting. Their annual harvest celebration (held next door at Kennolyn) is a delicious little party. Cons: the tasting room is small, so probably not great for large groups unless you're willing to hangout on the patio. The patio has a great view over the golden vineyard, so in good weather this is no hardship! The winery is a few miles back a twisty road, so drive carefully! read more

Really loved the location this winery is located. The view was so awesome, service was great too. Would recommend and go back to this place again. read more

I had a pretty nice time here, though I thought the quality of the wines didn't quite match their prices (at least from my budget's perspective). The grounds are beautiful. It's interesting to me that a lot of wineries/vineyards in this region seem to be situated fairly high up in the hills, compared to places in Monterey or Sonoma/Napa which (as far as I can recall) are situated on valley floors or in foot hills. I thought all of the wines here were decent (I think their Pinot was probably the best), but a little outside my budget. Definitely not a bad place to add to your list of wineries if you're looking to do some tastings in the Soquel/Santa Cruz area. read more

I came up here and had a very lovely time. We went the day after the passport and even though it was a big weekend we still had the most fun, interactive and informative time with the winemakers. Our friends know them by name and we felt just as welcomed. Lovely job! read more

Great wine and great owners Paul and Peter Bargetto!!! Cheers!

I'm a born Napa Vintage Grape Crusher; we still have the family house...and know everyone in the business since the early 70s-late 60s. Soquel Vineyard is the only winery that I have ever been to (even around the world) that was remotely close to the family businesses that I grew up with. Paul, Peter & Jon are wonderful with their intense giving nature and whit; and were also born into the winery business from their father, Bargetto Winery. Of course being from Napa, I love their award-winning Cab over their award-winning pinots ; ) read more

Soquel Vineyards wines are delicious. Coming from generations of winemakers, they know how to blend and cultivate some really complex flavors in their wine. The winery has developed over the years and is becoming a really nice spot to come. We're in the wine club and their club events are awesome. Peter, Paul (and Jon) are really nice, knowledgeable guys who make some fantastic wines. I love the Pinots, the Sangiovese and they've made some stellar Zinfandel of late. Their blend, Trinity is a great everyday wine at a reasonable price too. read more

Lovely winery--the setting is spectacular! The wines are yummy, both whites and reds. Peter and Paul are always friendly and welcoming, sometimes even offering barrel tasting. Visit the winery if you want to enjoy great wines in the beautiful Santa Cruz mountains! read more

My co-workers and I came here as part of our annual staff team building event. It was lovely! The owners were really attentive to us and told us about the history of the vineyard. They also explained their procedures for everything and the types of wines they make. It was all really fascinating and the wine was amazing :) We will definitely be back! read more

These people are so kind you feel great spending money there. The wine is some of the best I have had and they also offer barrel tasting to wine club members as well as special bottles to purchase. It also has a beautiful view and area to chill out and relax. Love this place! read more

Good red wines. The staff was friendly and even offered us a few extra tastings. We got a bottle of the 2010 Zinfandel, which we really liked and wasn't pricey at all. After the tastings we definitely had to walk around and drink some water before driving, but it was worth the drive. read more

Can you give a negative amount of stars?? Worst experience ever at a winery. We showed up a half hour before their stated closing time and were told that they were closing then. When I pointed out that they were open for another half hour and they said that they were closing early because they had a slow day. Sorry that YOU had a slow day but it's not about you!! They accepted us for a "quick tasting" where they gave us each two sips of wine before divvying up the bottles that they would each take home for the night and told us to come back for a complimentary tasting some other time. No thanks!! Never coming back and I'll spread the word in the community. Worst customer service ever. read more

Hey this place is pretty great. Some of the wines are pricey but I bought a very nice red blend for a very competitive price. We were treated to salmon mini pizzas while we tasted the day we were there. I am a big fan of reds but they do it all great here. Beautiful vineyards. Best in Soquel guaranteed. read more

I love going to Soquel Vineyards on Sundays. The wine is delicious and the atmosphere is perfect. They even bake homemade pizzas in their wood fired oven for you to sample while you are tasting wine! I would recommend their Pinto Noir!!! Thanks for always serving a wonderful time! read more

Peter and Paul are fantastic entertainers! They made wine tasting a learning experience. Thanks so much for a great Sunday!! read more

Soquel Vineyards - Soquel winery! - Wineries Near Me - Soquel, California

This was our first stop in our Santa Cruz Winery tour. We googled the area and decided to give em a try. While we are not wine-snobs, we do quite a bit of tasting over the entire state. We have stayed away from Napa/Sonoma as it's just a tourist trap and very overpriced wines in our opinion. We are mostly reds. So, in we go and we welcomed by a nice few ladies. However, the one that was pouring for us was not very versed in her own wines. She didn't have a clue about what she was pouring and, wait for it, poured us from a wine that was put in the bottle less than 3 weeks previous! Eww...talk about bottle shock. We were a bit appalled after the told us when it had been bottled (before drinking). Needless to say, this winery gets a thumbs down. We are not impressed by prices, we are not impressed by locations. We are impressed by fantastic tasting wines. There weren't any here! read more

Husband and I enjoyed the 2013 Pinot Noir partners reserve, library selection. It was top notch! We are in love! Went well with cheese and steak!! Worst part, only 1 bottle! read more

I was in town visiting my son and stopped in to try their wine after seeing it in the markets around Santa Cruz and let me tell you it was well worth the trip! Getting their is a quick and beautiful drive through the forest to reach their hilltop location. Once we arrived we found easy parking and were greeted by the owner Paul, who welcomed us to the tasting room while he was making wine in the back! The tasting room was clean and professional with a Tuscan style ambience. Outside there is a terrace that overlooks the vineyard and ocean below with spectacular views. Of course the best part of all was their wine, truly world class reds, including the Trinity Rosso found everywhere in town, Gold medal winning Pinot Noir and their limited release bottles found only at the winery and through the wine club. We didn't get a chance to try the homemade pizza but others mentioned it's worth the trip back! read more

Great red wines. I loved them so much that the last time I was there I joined the wine club. Did my first pick-up yesterday with a group of girls and we had a great time. The views and tasting room itself are beautiful. As a wine club member I didn't have to pay for the tasting but even if you're not, for $5 you can get a regular tasting or for $10 you can get a pinot flight. On Sundays they have homemade pizzas straight out of the oven. If you like reds then this is the place for you! read more

some really nice views and a quite peaceful location. and they did not charge for tasting. nice folks !

Five stars all the way. I live near this wonderful vineyard and they hooked me up with the neighbor discount. Could the view and ambiance be any better? read more

Visited here with my friends from Germany. Wanted to buy a bottle of wine and have a picnic. We were told they don't sell the wine by the bottle, picnic tables are only available with catered food and when we found an empty table elsewhere on the property we were told we have 10min by Peter Bargetto. We definitely did not feel welcome and went to Hunter Hill vinery instead, where we had a pleasant afternoon and great wines. read more

Well worth the trip. First time to Soquel. Perfect service, beautiful grounds, fantastic wines and non-stop appetizers. Recommended by a friend and I would "highly" recommend to our friends and family. Purchased a case and wished I purchased more. read more