Santa Cruz Mountains

It’s easy to lose orientation in the Santa Cruz Mountains, looping through miles of thick redwood trunks on narrow, winding roads that rise and fall in elevation. Despite the fact that one of my favorite vineyards is on Memory Lane, I can never remember how to get there and get lost every time I go. [...]

I had a near-perfect day on Sunday.  I attended Big Basin Vineyard’s Spring Release Celebration in the Santa Cruz Mountains, one of just two days a year owner Bradley Brown opens his winery to the public. Bradley’s vineyard is just up the road from the Big Basin Redwood State Park. The views of the tree-covered [...]

Two old California oaks sit atop a windy ridge in the vineyard, a scene that inspired Jim Schultze’s son to suggest the name Windy Oaks for his parents’ winery. This section of the vineyard is called the RC Block, a cryptic reference to a famous winery in Burgundy. On his 19-acre vineyard, almost all of [...]

Despite the fact that the Big Basin Vineyard is on Memory Lane, I can never remember how to get there and get lost every time I go. It’s easy to lose orientation, looping through miles of thick Redwood trunks on narrow, winding roads that rise and fall in elevation, with the sun making infrequent appearances [...]