Christina Waters

Four years ago legendary wine pioneer Ken Burnap sold his Jarvis Road estate - site of the oldest wine grapes planted in the Santa Cruz Mountains - to a group of wine entrepreneurs led by Nick Guerrero. Under the Wines of Vine Hill mantle, Guerrero’s group has been making increasingly interesting wines — so far using two labels — from a variety of California grapes. Winemaker Salvador Godinez, most recently from Saintsbury in St. Helena, is the man responsible for a distinctive 2005 Pinot Noir, from Corralitos’ Raffaelli Vineyard. Under the Cumbre label, this hard-to-find gem makes me eager to see what will happen with Godinez harvests the Vine Hill estate pinot grapes - in two years time.

All of the ridge-top estate grapes from the late 60s (planted by Santa Cruz Mountains wine pioneer, David Bruce) were torn up and replanted with 6.5 acres of pinot noir, and 1 acre of Syrah, by vineyard manager Rachel Ormes, a UCSC Agroecology program graduate. The young vines will be ready for their first vintage in a few years, but meanwhile Godinez is working with pinot noir from Hicks Vineyard and Raffaelli.

Godinez is making exciting wines from these vineyards, opulent and loaded with licorice and plums.

Under the wine group’s second label — Gatos Locos — Godinez is crafting lovely elixirs from fine grapes from around the appellation. Grab any one of them when you feel like pampering yourself.

You might want to look into join the Wines of Vine Hill club - these wines are terrific and getting better. Production is small, so the winery is the best place to look. Better yet, do as I did last Saturday, and drive up to this gorgeous property off Vine Hill Road. Unbelievable views in every direction. Bring a picnic and sample some of the current releases. (to be continued. . . )

Starting Wednesday, June 25, Soif is open for lunch. See my post at the top of the page. That’s right, wine fans. Now you can enjoy chef Chris Avila’s lunches, Wed - Sat, from noon to 2, at Soif, located at 105 Walnut Avenue, in downtown Santa Cruz (831-423-2020)

Be the first on your block to sample salads, soups, sandwiches with your favorite wine.

From the volcanic soils of Tenerife - largest of the Canary Islands - comes this seductive white wine. 2006 Tajinaste Valle de la Orotava Blanco, Spain, is the official label - but actually it’s magic realism in a bottle. The grape is Listan blanco, the flavor is salty peaches, wet stones and ozone. Laced with minerals and citrus, but mysterious primal elements as well. (At 11.5% alcohol, this could be breakfast.)
It can be found at Soif for under $20. And besides, when was the last time you tasted a wine from the Canary Islands?

Judy Schultze of Windy Oaks Estate Vineyards emailed to remind me that the charmingly rustic facility — which just squeaked through the recent south county fires unscathed — will be open during the rest of June (hurry!) for tastings of what many argue is one of the top Pinot Noirs in California. More…

May 31 & June 1 - West side of the SC Mtns, and June 8 & 9, Eastern side of the SC Mtns.

Don’t miss two weekends of self-guided tours of small, artisanal wineries on both sides of the scenies Santa Cruz Mountains. Especially since our heroic small wineries emerged from the recent Summit Fire with their vineyards intact! And especially don’t miss the chance to soak up the ridgetop ambience at Silver Mountain Winery (see image left). Jerold O’Brien and Tony Craig are making some of the finest pinot noirs in the area up at the facility - and it’s rarely open to the public. More…

We weren’t the only ones soaking up the pastoral beauty of the Corralitos countryside last Saturday. We had plenty of fellow wine-seekers for company as we toured a few of the small artisenal wineries on rare view during this twice yearly open house.

First Alfaro Family Vineyards, where the gorgeous new tasting room, with marble counters and exposed beams, greeted us. The tasting room will be open on Saturdays, by appointment, starting the first week in June, so download a map and get ready to sample some of the many varietals and vintages. (The $10 tasting fee, Richard tells me, will purchase a commemorative glass and a flight of at least five Estate wines.)

This winery has several defining features. One is the irrepressible Richard Alfaro (below, in his official wine tasting shirt), who transformed himself from successful baker to passionate winegrower with a first crush five years ago. Of his 75 acres, a full 25 are dedicated to vineyards - Syrah, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. This has to be — correct me if I’m wrong — the largest continguous acreage devoted to wine grapes in the entire appellation. And it’s gorgeous!

I met Alfaro’s winemaking partner, UC Davis-trained Joe Martin (hence, the Martin Alfaro label), swilled myriad house pinot noirs - including the exceptional 2006 from Santa Lucia Gary’s Vineyard, and the estate-bottled Lindsay Paige Pinot Noir. We listened to the singing attorney, Joe Haselton, sampled cheeeses and hot Corralitos sausage, More…

Here’s a red wine discovery you’ll enjoy. I first encountered Martella Syrah Hammer Vineyard 2005 on the Gabriella Cafe menu, and it was love at first sip. I found a bottle of this appealing wine at New Leaf Market.

Martella is Michael Martella, longtime winemaker at Thomas Fogarty who bottles some choice varietals under his own name. This is one of them and it belongs on your dining table.

Syrah loves lamb, duck, olives, almost any cheese - and goes nicely with a long sunset. In the Martella Syrah found meaty, smoky tones initially, with plenty of grip and a band of brambles sitting firmly in the center - brambles that expanded horizontally, on and on into a leisurely finish. Around $20 and worth its weight in American oak.

The visually delightful, all-organic catering group founded by Heidi Schlecht and Amy Linstrom (who also operate the inviting River Cafe) continues to fuel some of our best parties.

Platters lavish with edible flowers, opulent proteas, and other eye-candy adorned the tables and decks up at the Vine Hill winery release party last weekend. Endive leaves were stuffed with roasted salmon, dill, and lemon zest aioli. Buffalo mozzarella and sage were wrapped in prosciutto and then grilled - that’s the sort of one step further thinking that characterizes Feel Good Foods’ catering style. Yet completely fresh and clear, nothing tricky or mysterious. The ripe cheeses and myriad olives shared plates with toasted almonds, More…

Big enough for lamb, restrained enough for mahi mahi — this is one serious contender for terroir-defining Santa Cruz Mountains appellation pinot noir. After an initial wave of cola and spice, primarily cloves, this sumptuous wine offers a dark finish that goes into a subterranean realm of black velvet shot through with roses and ultraviolet.

After a half hour or so, the wine resolves into a midnight edition of moist earth, plum and tamarind. In other words, you will have sampled a deep slice of the region translated through the pinot noir grape. Contact Wines of Vine Hill for details about how you can order bottle for yourself - if there are any left. And kudos to Cumbre winemaker Salvador Godinez.

Comparison shopping can be sweet. In order to better understand California pinot noirs - and specifically those made in the Santa Cruz Mountains appellation - it is sometimes necessary to cave in and purchase, taste and sigh over a pinot noir made in France.

Here’s one that rewards the splurge — and soars to great heights paired with aged sheep cheese.

The lovely Pernand-Vergelesses 2003 from Domaine Rollin Pere et Fils, is a subtle powerhouse of a Burgundy grand vin, fully equipped with notes of tobacco, leather and a heart of ripe plums. Yet at 13% alcohol and intricate acidity, it never tires the palate. Not one bit. Poetry down to the last sip, it opens and just gets better by the hour. The next day (should you be able to restrain yourself and save some) it is yet another ravishing creature, with a rounder tone and yet sturdy enough for some choice bit of oil-rich seafood or a roast pork loin.

Grab $30 — remember, you’re celebrating one more year of getting your taxes done on time — and head for Soif. There might just be a bottle left.