Santa Cruz Mountains AVA is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) centered on the Santa Cruz Mountains. Its territory spans three California counties, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and San Mateo. It was established as the nation’s eighth, the state’s sixth and the counties' initial appellation on December 4, 1981 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by the Santa Cruz Mountains Vintners proposing a viticultural area in portions of San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz Counties to be named "Santa Cruz Mountains."
From the Wikipedia article Santa Cruz Mountains AVA, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Santa Cruz Mountains is an appellation in California, United States. We track 11 of its wines in stock at 5 shops, from 4 wine houses, from € 54.95; mostly red, white.
- Country
- United States
- Region
- California
- In our wines
- Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc
- Styles
- Red 6 · White 4
- Prices
- from € 54.95 · median € 88.16 / 75 cl
Vintages
per year: wines in stock, prices, and the critics' scores the shops quote| Vintage | Wines | From | Median / 75 cl | Critics' score | Growing season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | – | – | – | – | averagewetso far +0.4 °C · 1,178 GDD · 155 % rain |
| 2025 | – | – | – | – | averagewet harvest ±0.0 °C · 1,269 GDD · 78 % rain |
| 2024 | – | – | – | – | warm +0.7 °C · 1,412 GDD · 74 % rain |
| 2023 | 4 | € 82.02 | € 100.26 | – | averagedry −0.2 °C · 1,232 GDD · 46 % rain |
| 2022 | – | – | – | – | averagedrywet harvest +0.4 °C · 1,369 GDD · 62 % rain |
| 2021 | 1 | € 298.38 | € 298.38 | – | average ±0.0 °C · 1,258 GDD · 129 % rain |
| 2020 | – | – | – | – | hotdry harvest +1.3 °C · 1,535 GDD · 76 % rain |
| 2019 | – | – | – | – | warmwet harvest +0.6 °C · 1,390 GDD · 97 % rain |
| 2018 | – | – | – | – | averagedrydry harvest +0.1 °C · 1,282 GDD · 67 % rain |
| 2017 | – | – | – | – | warmwet harvest +0.9 °C · 1,453 GDD · 85 % rain |
| 2016 | – | – | – | – | averagewetdry harvest +0.2 °C · 1,316 GDD · 154 % rain |
| 2015 | – | – | – | – | hotwet harvest +1.1 °C · 1,496 GDD · 75 % rain |
| 2014 | – | – | – | – | hotwet harvest +1.4 °C · 1,556 GDD · 73 % rain |
| 2013 | – | – | – | – | averagedrywet harvest +0.2 °C · 1,299 GDD · 29 % rain |
| 2012 | – | – | – | – | cooldry harvest −0.6 °C · 1,131 GDD · 100 % rain |
| 2011 | – | – | – | – | coldwetdry harvest −1.0 °C · 1,048 GDD · 135 % rain |
| 2010 | 1 | € 429.67 | € 429.67 | – | coldwetdry harvest −1.1 °C · 1,028 GDD · 184 % rain |
| 2009 | – | – | – | – | averagewetwet harvest −0.1 °C · 1,233 GDD · 167 % rain |
| 2008 | – | – | – | – | averagedrydry harvest +0.1 °C · 1,290 GDD · 25 % rain |
| 2007 | – | – | – | – | averagewet harvest −0.4 °C · 1,185 GDD · 80 % rain |
| 2006 | – | – | – | – | averagewetdry harvest ±0.0 °C · 1,263 GDD · 146 % rain |
| 2005 | – | – | – | – | average −0.4 °C · 1,179 GDD · 99 % rain |
| 2004 | – | – | – | – | average +0.1 °C · 1,282 GDD · 103 % rain |
| 2003 | – | – | – | – | averagewetdry harvest +0.3 °C · 1,324 GDD · 142 % rain |
| 2002 | – | – | – | – | averagedry −0.4 °C · 1,169 GDD · 39 % rain |
| 2001 | – | – | – | – | average −0.2 °C · 1,221 GDD · 74 % rain |
| 2000 | – | – | – | – | averagewetwet harvest −0.3 °C · 1,192 GDD · 165 % rain |
| 1999 | – | – | – | – | cool −0.9 °C · 1,062 GDD · 77 % rain |
| 1998 | – | – | – | – | coolwet −0.6 °C · 1,137 GDD · 182 % rain |
| 1997 | – | – | – | – | warmdrydry harvest +0.8 °C · 1,444 GDD · 47 % rain |
| 1996 | – | – | – | – | averagewet +0.2 °C · 1,311 GDD · 147 % rain |
| 1995 | – | – | – | – | averagewetdry harvest −0.3 °C · 1,196 GDD · 133 % rain |
| 1994 | – | – | – | – | average −0.4 °C · 1,181 GDD · 99 % rain |
| 1993 | – | – | – | – | averagedry harvest +0.4 °C · 1,345 GDD · 71 % rain |
| 1992 | – | – | – | – | hotdrydry harvest +1.1 °C · 1,510 GDD · 56 % rain |
| 1991 | – | – | – | – | cool −0.5 °C · 1,167 GDD · 81 % rain |
| 1990 | – | – | – | – | averagewet harvest +0.4 °C · 1,378 GDD · 102 % rain |
| 1989 | – | – | – | – | averagewet harvest −0.1 °C · 1,232 GDD · 104 % rain |
| 1988 | – | – | – | – | averagedry harvest +0.2 °C · 1,316 GDD · 86 % rain |
| 1987 | – | – | – | – | warmdrydry harvest +0.7 °C · 1,412 GDD · 45 % rain |
| 1986 | – | – | – | – | averagedrywet harvest −0.4 °C · 1,183 GDD · 62 % rain |
| 1985 | – | – | – | – | averagedrywet harvest +0.1 °C · 1,278 GDD · 63 % rain |
| 1984 | – | – | – | – | average +0.4 °C · 1,374 GDD · 88 % rain |
| 1983 | – | – | – | – | averagewetwet harvest ±0.0 °C · 1,270 GDD · 189 % rain |
| 1982 | – | – | – | – | coolwetwet harvest −0.7 °C · 1,112 GDD · 205 % rain |
Growing season (April–October; October–April south of the equator): mean temperature against Santa Cruz Mountains's 1991–2020 normal (hot: 1 °C or more above, warm: 0.5 °C, cool/cold below), growing degree days (warmth for the vines, base 10 °C) and rain against normal, with the harvest month (September/March) flagged when very wet or dry. Monthly data from NASA POWER (MERRA-2) at one point in the appellation. The current year is compared with the same months of a normal year (“so far”); its latest months are preliminary and revised by NASA later.
Critics' score: the average of the best 100-point score quoted for each wine of that vintage, as the shops quote them. A few quoted wines make a thin average; the number of wines is in brackets.
Ridge Vineyards 4 · Ceritas 2 · Kutch 2 · Leo Steen Wines 1