Outstanding houses in Santa Cruz County.
Pinot noir and Chardonnay from the Santa Cruz Mountains carry the fog's imprint—high elevation vineyards where cool nights slow ripening and push acidity into the wine's spine.
Save these houses, build your route through Santa Cruz County, and navigate when you're there.
Region DNA
The character of Santa Cruz County
Based on 156 wines with structural data
Style profile
Wide stylistic range — expect surprises
FEM score distribution
Based on 9 rated wineries in this region
Flavor territory
Most frequent primary flavor groups
Style breakdown
Wine style frequency · Bar length = relative count
Top grape varieties
Varieties ranked by number of wines · Number = wine count
Most representative winery
The estate whose wines are closest to the regional average — the truest expression of Santa Cruz County
Bargetto
VisitSanta Cruz County wineries worth the stop
The 6 best critic-rated producers in Santa Cruz County with a cellar-door address, ranked by their highest critic score. Check opening hours and book tastings ahead.
- 01Birichino
P.O. Box 7450, 95061, Santa Cruz, United States
Critics' peak 93 · Decanter · Wine Advocate · Wine Enthusiast
- 02Bargetto
3535 North Main Street, 95073, Soquel, United States
Critics' peak 92 · Wine Advocate · Wine Enthusiast · Vivino
- 03Ser
South of the San Francisco Bay Area and north of Monterey Bay., Key Coordinates (City of Santa Cruz):, 3, 6, ., 9, 7, 4, United States
Critics' peak 90 · Wine Advocate · Wine Enthusiast · Vinous
- 04Armitage
105 Post Office Drive, 95003, Aptos, United States
Critics' peak 89 · Wine Advocate · Wine Enthusiast · Vivino
- 05Rexford
429 Ingalls St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA, United States
Critics' peak 89 · Wine Enthusiast · Vinous · Vivino
- 06Bartolo
Santa Cruz, California (often associated with grapes from the Santa Clara Valley or surrounding areas)., Specialty: Still wines, particularly Mediterranean red blends (Grenache, Cabernet Franc)., Affiliation: Produced at Equinox Winery in Santa Cruz, managed by winemaker Barry Jackson., Style: Known for "spicy, bright cherry fruits" with good intensity., Facebook, +4, While the query mentioned domaine or château, Bartolo operates under the California "winery and tasting room" structure rather than the French château classification., Equinox & Bartolo Winery & Tasting Room | Santa Cruz CA - Facebook, United States
Critic-rated · Wine Enthusiast · Vivino
Santa Cruz County is a wine region in United States, home to 16 producers tracked on Femente, 4 of them rated 90+ on the critic index. Its vineyards are led by Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon, producing Californian Pinot Noir and Californian Chardonnay wines with notes of Red fruit, Oak, and Tree fruit.
Santa Cruz County — good to know
- What grape varieties are grown in Santa Cruz County?
- The most planted varieties in Santa Cruz County are Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Zinfandel, based on the wines Femente tracks across the region.
- What wines is Santa Cruz County known for?
- Santa Cruz County is known for Californian Pinot Noir, Californian Chardonnay, and Californian Red Blend wines and flavors of Red fruit, Oak, and Tree fruit.
- How many wineries are in Santa Cruz County?
- Femente tracks 16 producers in Santa Cruz County, of which 4 are rated 90+ on the critic index.
- Where is Santa Cruz County?
- Santa Cruz County is a wine region in United States.
Santa Cruz County
Pinot noir and Chardonnay from the Santa Cruz Mountains carry the fog's imprint—high elevation vineyards where cool nights slow ripening and push acidity into the wine's spine. Producers here favor restraint and freshness over extraction.
Producers in Santa Cruz County
- Andersen — undiscovered
- Bargetto — distinction
- Birichino — distinction
- Rexford — distinction
- Armitage — distinction
- Ser — distinction
- Bartolo — honest
- Sones — undiscovered
- Kissed By an Angel Wines — undiscovered
- Florèz — honest
- Pleasant Valley Vineyards — undiscovered
Restaurants in Santa Cruz County
Restaurants in Santa Cruz County