The heart of the Santa Cruz Mountains is actually a valley—the San Lorenzo Valley, which leads southwest down to the ocean at Santa Cruz. To the east, Skyline Boulevard runs along the ridgeline, high enough that it’s possible to see both the ocean and the bay peeking through the trees at certain points.

From Skyline Boulevard, it’s easy to see how the giant Big Basin Redwoods State Park got its name. The top portion of the San Lorenzo Valley really does look like a giant basin when viewed from the ridge above, one that is awash with the lush green of redwood forests and surrounded by craggy, parched ridgelines.

Down in the San Lorenzo Valley it still feels like you’re in the mountains. Small, one-street former logging towns like Boulder Creek and Ben Lomond lie against a backdrop of forested mountain slopes. It’s the sort of place where Bigfoot sightings are common, if some residents are to be believed. At the other end of the valley is the small town of Felton , which is closer to Santa Cruz and although still very much in mountain territory it has a bit more of an urban feel to it. All these mountain towns have an eclectic culture born of the waves of development over the centuries, from early loggers to Victorian resorts, bible camps, and a more recent influx of artists.

The Wines

The western slopes of the mountains tend to be planted more to chardonnay and pinot noir, though other varieties like syrah are also now gaining ground. Wherever they are grown, grapes only just ripen here. Any cooler and the winemaker’s job would be even harder than it already is.

During the summer, a sunny day in the mountains can rapidly turn into a fog-shrouded afternoon as the cool marine air rushes up the western slopes of the mountains and spills over the eastern ridge, often burning off before it has chance to descend into the warm Silicon Valley. Most of the vineyards are at the higher elevations of the western slopes, areas that the fog takes longer to reach and remain warmer for longer. Chardonnay needs the warmth to ripen, though pinot noir can be happy up high or slightly lower down the slopes.

Closer to the ocean the lower elevations can be so cool that growing vines is a struggle. The Ben Lomond subappellation covers many of these lower slopes, and despite its large geographical size (38,000 acres) it contains very few vineyards, so don’t expect to see it named on many bottles.

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