Who needs an expensive ticket to explore the winegrowing regions of Italy and France when all you need is a $30 passport to taste the best that the Santa Cruz Mountains have to offer? This vibrant viticultural area showcases the bounties of the season on April 19th with its special Passport Day, where several local wineries open their doors to the public and let the wine flow like water.
Organized by the Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Assocation, the Passport event takes place from 11am-5pm, and allows oenophiles to meet several
winemakers and discover new and exciting varietals. The fun starts when you buy a Passport at any participating winery. Each winery you visit offers a special commemorative stamp, and if you complete your Passport, you win a prize.
But the real rewards come from visiting wineries that are not open to the public except on Passport Days; tasting special wines and barrel samples; buying unique and hard-to-find wines; and enjoying the beautiful landscape of the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Take your time visiting over 40 wineries, including Bonny Doon Vineyard and Ridge Vineyards, but don’t worry about getting all your stamps in one day; the SCMWA honors completed Passports for as long as the program runs. The event takes place every third Saturday in January, April, July and November, so there are plenty of chances to fill empty slots in your Passport.
After working up an appetite sniffing, swirling and sipping, take your Passport to participating restaurants for specials like 10 percent off meals and waived corkage fees so you can enjoy your wine purchases with dinner right away. Good food, great wines, a beautiful region—you’ll be glad you saved your frequent flier miles and stayed stateside for this one. —Stephanie Soong
When:
April 19, 11am-5pm
Where:
Various locations
Info:
831/685-VINE; www.scmwa.com
