• In Abbott Square, off Cooper St.

Welcome to Wine Country—Santa Cruz Style.

The Santa Cruz Mountains American Viticultural Area (AVA), recognized in 1981, was the first AVA in the nation to be defined by its mountain topography. The wineries that flourish in these mountains are for the most part small, family-owned, boutique operations — many don’t have tasting rooms and are rarely open to the public.

At Vinocruz we offer the largest selection of Santa Cruz Mountains wines — more than 150 wines from more than 60 wineries operating within the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA, plus a warm and comfortable wine-tasting room in the heart of downtown Santa Cruz.

The Santa Cruz Mountains produce some of the world's finest wines. For decades this has been somewhat of a secret California Wine Country, but word is starting to get out. People in the know have been enjoying Santa Cruz wines for decades — we want to welcome you to join them. Drop by for a tasting!

Find out more about Vinocruz and our mission to bring you the best Santa Cruz Mountains wines.

Now Pouring

now-pouring

Now Pouring – Week of the May 8th-14th

Every week we select five wines to uncork for your tasting pleasure.

  • Testa Rossa 2009 Chardonnay Santa Lucia Highlands
  • Beauregard “The Lost Weekend” 2010 Semillon Sauvignon Blanc
  • Rexford (Formerly Hillcrest Terrace) 2009 Pinot Noir Fambrini Vineyardr
  • Hunter Hill 2010 Barbera Silvaspoons Vineyard Lodi
  • Mica Cellars 2010 Zinfandel “Heritage Clone” Zayante Vineyards

Learn more about the wines on this week’s tasting menu

California wines were just coming to the world’s attention when the Santa Cruz Mountains American Viticultural Area (AVA) was recognized in 1981. It had been just five years since the famous “Judgment of Paris” wine competition, a taste test in which a number of California wines were judged by a panel of experts to be as good or better than their lauded French counterparts... [Read More...]

Featured News & Events

Bob and Jim Varner

Varner Wines pouring May 12th, 2-5pm

Varner Wine Twins Jim and Bob Varner quietly farm a 14-acre vineyard in Portola Valley which was planted in 1980. Their winery has been quietly making a name for itself for its Chardonnays under the Varner Estate label and the secondary label, Foxglove. The Pinot Noirs, released under the Varner and Neely labels, are less well known but worth your interest as well. Because access to the estate vineyard and winery are through the Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the … [Read More...]

Mimi Cahalan

First Friday – May 4th 5-9 pm

We are proud to once again host another First Friday at Vinocruz! Mimi Cahalan will be our featured artist. Here is a statement about her work: "These pieces are constructed of paint, aluminum, wood, and nails to satisfy my need to be more physically engaged in my work than traditional painting allows. I revel in the color relationships, which I find an endlessly fascinating puzzle. (In the case of the “Poem” pieces and “More or Less Serious”, think Rubiks cube.) … [Read More...]