Red, White, and You

The fall leaves aren't the only things that are lush in the Santa Cruz Mountains this season. On November 17, over fifty local wineries will open their doors for an all-day wine-tasting extravaganza. Originally started to give smaller wineries a chance to offer tastings, "Passport Day" lets you sip and savor at all participating vineyards for $30. This is a ripe time to visit off-the-beaten-vine places like the intimate Alfaro Family Vineyards or old-school Fellom Ranch, where you can pet the family's horse and drink to expansive views of the Santa Clara Valley. Our friends at the Santa Cruz Mountain Winegrowers' Association suggest that you pick four or five wineries in a specific area and take your time enjoying them. Don't fret about not getting to all fifty wineries in a day: participating vineyards will honor unstamped passport pages on future Passport Days (there are four a year). Just lushous!

Passports can be purchased at any of the participating wineries, online, or by calling 831-685-VINE. A map and full list of wineries can be found here. Passport Days occur on the third Saturday of January, April, July, and November.