Santa Cruz Mountains Wineries

The Santa Cruz Mountains run along the west side of the Peninsula and the South Bay, the ridge you see from almost anywhere in Palo Alto. Vines have grown here since the 1800s. According to Wines of the Santa Cruz Mountains, the regional winegrowers group, the appellation now has more than 80 wineries and 200 growers spread over nearly half a million acres, with vineyards from about 400 feet to more than 3,000 feet above the sea. The ocean cools the slopes, which suits Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and mountain Cabernet.

Our wine tasting guide covers the three closest estates, Ridge Monte Bello, Thomas Fogarty and Picchetti, with fees and house rules. This page goes farther: tasting rooms confirmed open in late 2026 on Highway 9 and Summit Road, in Los Gatos, in the city of Santa Cruz and around Soquel, with routes and a sample day.

Getting there: four routes from Palo Alto

Highway 9 and Summit Road are narrow and winding, with cyclists on weekends. Highway 17 is fast but has a high crash rate, tight curves and heavy weekend beach traffic. None of these routes has tolls. Our Santa Cruz guide has more tips for driving Highway 17.

Saratoga, Highway 9 and Summit Road

This is the closest mountain route and the prettiest. Pair it with a morning hike at Saratoga Gap or Castle Rock State Park, then taste in the afternoon.

• Savannah-Chanelle Vineyards, 23600 Congress Springs Road (Highway 9), Saratoga. Its site lists hours of noon to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday and takes no reservations except for groups of 10 or more. The patio pours wine by the glass or bottle and a pianist plays in the tasting room on most Saturdays. The winery's homepage says it "remains open and will be for years to come."
• Byington Vineyard and Winery, 21850 Bear Creek Road, Los Gatos, on the Highway 17 side of the ridge. Its winter hours, November to March, are Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Tour and tasting slots run Saturdays at noon, 1:30 and 3 p.m. and Sundays at 1:30 p.m., booked by phone or email. Walk-ins are welcome, but space is limited and table reservations are recommended. Guests can use the estate's hiking trails.
• Burrell School Vineyard and Winery, 24060 Summit Road, Los Gatos. Its site lists the tasting room as open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5:30 p.m., with events on many weekends.

Los Gatos: Testarossa at the Novitiate

Testarossa Winery pours its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the historic Novitiate Winery at 300 College Avenue, on the hillside above downtown Los Gatos. The old stone cellars date to the Jesuit novitiate that made wine here for generations. Testarossa has made wine since 1993. Its site lists the tasting room as open daily from noon to 6 p.m., with the last tasting at 5 p.m. Because it is open every day and only half an hour from Palo Alto, it is the easiest winter weekday option on this page. Combine it with lunch in town, where our Los Gatos food guide lists confirmed restaurants.

Santa Cruz: the Westside tasting rooms

Several small producers pour in old industrial buildings on Santa Cruz's Westside, around Ingalls Street and Swift Street, a short drive from Natural Bridges and West Cliff Drive. You can walk between them, which makes this the best place in the region to taste without driving between stops.

• Silver Mountain Vineyards, which farms a vineyard near Summit Road and Old San Jose Road, pours in a tasting room on Ingalls Street. Its site lists Saturday and Sunday hours from noon to 5 p.m.
• Big Basin Vineyards, a family winery whose estate sits in the mountains near Big Basin, runs a tasting room and tapas bar in downtown Santa Cruz, within walking distance of the wharf.

The region's best afternoon event is the Surf City Stroll on Saturday, November 21, 2026, from 1 to 4 p.m. along Swift Street. Advance tickets are listed at $50 through November 20 and day-of tickets at $55 if any remain. Check-in is at the Swift Street Courtyard, 334 Ingalls Street, Suite A.

Soquel and Corralitos

• Bargetto Winery, 3535 North Main Street, Soquel, beside Soquel Creek. The Bargetto family has made wine in the Santa Cruz Mountains since 1933. Its site lists the tasting room as open daily from noon, with longer hours on some days. It also runs a tasting room on Cannery Row in Monterey.
• Windy Oaks Estate, 550 Hazel Dell Road, in the hills above Corralitos. The Schultze family has made Pinot Noir and Chardonnay here since 1999 and pours at three locations. Its site says reservations are highly recommended.

Soquel is a few minutes from Capitola, which makes a good beach stop for anyone not tasting.

Fees, reservations and etiquette

Most of these wineries charge a tasting fee per person, usually credited or waived when you buy bottles or join a club. Prices differ by flight and change through the year, so check each winery's site. Walk-in rooms can fill on sunny weekend afternoons. Some also cap group sizes. Bring photo ID, since everyone tasting must be 21 or older. Many mountain wineries do not allow dogs because of the wildlife and rattlesnakes on their land, so ask first.

Wine events near home

You do not even need to drive into the hills. The winegrowers group runs the Menlo Park Wine Walk on Santa Cruz Avenue in downtown Menlo Park on Saturday, November 14, 2026, from 1 to 4 p.m., with wineries pouring at shops along the street. Its next Wine Passport day is listed for February 20, 2027, when many member wineries open together.

Best time to go

Late spring through October is the main season, when most rooms keep their longest hours and the ridges are warm and clear. Harvest runs from late August into October. Testarossa's site noted that the 2026 harvest came unusually early, largely finished before Labor Day. Winter brings shorter weekend-only hours at several wineries, but also green hills and empty roads. Fog often fills the valleys below the ridges on summer mornings while the vineyards sit in sunshine above it.

Do not drink and drive in the mountains

These are some of the most demanding roads in the Bay Area: steep, narrow and shared with cyclists and deer, with sheer drops and no shoulders. California's legal limit for adult drivers is 0.08 percent blood alcohol, but any alcohol slows your reactions on a road like Highway 9. Choose a designated driver before you leave Palo Alto. Share pours and eat a real lunch. Rideshare service is thin on the ridges and some wineries warn that drivers will not pick up. Another option is to taste on foot in Santa Cruz or Los Gatos and let someone else handle the hill. You can also compare wine tours with pickup from the South Bay.

A sample day

1. 9 a.m. Leave Palo Alto for Saratoga on I-280.
2. 9:45 a.m. Hike at Saratoga Gap or Castle Rock on the ridge.
3. Noon. Picnic or lunch in Saratoga village.
4. 1 p.m. Savannah-Chanelle on Highway 9 (Thursday to Sunday).
5. 2:30 p.m. Over to Summit Road for Burrell School (Friday to Sunday).
6. 4 p.m. Down to Los Gatos for a last stop at Testarossa, then dinner in town.
7. 6:30 p.m. Home to Palo Alto in about 30 minutes, with your sober driver at the wheel.

For a slower weekend, stay in Los Gatos or Santa Cruz and compare hotels in Los Gatos and Santa Cruz. For a concert with your wine, see the Mountain Winery in Saratoga. Browse all day trips from Palo Alto.

Frequently asked questions