Santa Cruz Mountains Fall Passport event features over fifty wineries

October 30, 7:41 PMSanta Cruz Wine ExaminerJune Smith & Jerry Starr

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Cooper-Garrod tasting room
Courtesy of Cooper-Garrod Vineyards

Saturday, November 21, 2009, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m, premium mountain wineries from Half Moon Bay to Gilroy will open their doors to Passport participants. Some of these wineries are not normally open to the public.

The program, held on the 3rd Saturday of January, April, July & November, allows guests to visit the wineries at each season of the wine production cycle. In November, harvest has already been completed and the crush is winding down, but there is still plenty of activity taking place in the cellar.

Meet the vintner

Passport holders are invited to tour the facilities, meet the winemakers and taste current releases, often including samples of special wines poured only on these days. Passports are $40 per person, but tasting room fees are waived and passports are valid until all wineries have been visited.

Evening of Wine and Roses benefits Pajaro Valley Community Health Trust

When the passport book is completed, consumers receive the generous prize of two tickets to the annual Evening of Wine and Roses, a popular tasting held each November at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds.

Just as rewarding, however, is the enjoyment of meeting the winemakers and discovering their superb wines while on the tour.

A novel way to visit the wineries with Santa Cruz Bike Tours

Take a new twist on the turns of winding mountain roads and try one of Marty Abaurrea’s bicycle tours for an adventurous way to visit the wineries. Santa Cruz Bike Tours offers two to three public tours for Passport days, done at a casual pace with some sightseeing mixed in. Still, some tour-goers may want to use the “Swirl, Sniff, Sip and Spit" method in the tasting rooms, outlined in this article link.

Included are bikes, helmets, water, snacks and wine. Says owner Marty, “It’s a new way to experience the Santa Cruz Mountains wine region and all of its charm.” Santa Cruz Bike Tours offer other winery tours appropriate for most fitness levels that are customized to create an enjoyable afternoon. Prices vary, based on desired length, number of riders, meals, and number of wineries visited.

Santa Cruz Mountains wines and passports make wonderful holiday gifts. Many of these award-winning wines are not available in stores, so plan to purchase some wine to share with family and friends.

Purchase passports at any participating winery or from the SCMWA office
7605-A Old Dominion Ct, Aptos, CA 95003. (831) 685-VINE (8463)
For more information: email at info@scmwa.com

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