Most of the wine has a Santa Cruz Mountains flavor profile; I am not so fond of that style. But…read morethree items stand out: - Raspberry mead: sweet and complex. Sparkly backbone. - Sierra foothills port. Very complex. - 2023 old vine Zinfandel from Lodi: very savory.

Really lovely experience at Bargetto Winery. The outdoor area is dog friendly, so we enjoyed our…read morewine on the patio looking over the redwoods with our pup. Great energy, peaceful and serene. Would for sure return!

Great landscaping that is hummingbird friendly. No picnics allowed. They have lighter bodied wines…read morewith a heavy acid/citrus note. My favorite wine was the 2022 Cabernet Franc from pleasant valley.

Amazing service and people!!! We came here for my bachelorette and they were so nice and the winery…read moreis BEAUTIFUL!!!! The wine was fantastic and we had an amazing time thanks to the amazing people who run this place! The best part of our trip and I would highly recommend going here!!!

I visited Armida Winery when they were open and had a very pleasant experience. The tasting room…read morehad a cozy local feel, and the atmosphere was calm and welcoming. The wine selection was interesting, and the staff made the tasting feel relaxed instead of rushed. I liked that the place felt personal and not too commercial. It was a nice stop in Capitola, especially for a quiet wine tasting with good service and a comfortable setting.

The gals here were knowledgeable and very nice! Left with two bottles of wine to enjoy on our…read moreAirbnb patio. Met some really friendly people at the bar as well tasting wine.

This was our third visit to Shadowbrook, and every time has been an amazing experience…read more The atmosphere is one of a kind. It somehow manages to feel quaint, elegant, and homey all at the same time. The service is consistently excellent, and we honestly haven't ordered anything here that we didn't like. Even the calamari deserves a special mention. Calamari feels like such a staple appetizer at so many restaurants that it's hard for one to really stand out, but somehow Shadowbrook does it. Their calamari is absolutely amazing. The beef Wellington, lobster tail with filet medallions, New York steak, and lamb have all been fantastic as well. One thing we especially appreciate is how family-friendly Shadowbrook is despite being such a fine establishment. They have coloring pages for kids, a varied children's menu, and even a little hat filled with toys that kids can choose from. Those small touches make it much easier to enjoy a special meal as a family. Without a doubt, Shadowbrook has become one of our favorite places for special occasions. And, of course, you can't talk about Shadowbrook without mentioning the iconic hillside cable car. It's the cherry on top and worth the ride every single time.

We came here this past Monday with my wife, daughters, and nephew. My wife and daughters had never…read morebeen before. It had been many years since my last visit, and my nephew had most recently visited in December, so our prior experiences were quite varied. The restaurant's location and grounds are beautiful, and the food was good overall. Here are some specific highlights and areas for improvement: Upsides: We increased our party size from four to five earlier in the day, and the restaurant was able to accommodate the change. We were seated in the Greenhouse Room, which was lovely and offered great views. The appetizers and cocktails were very good. The prime rib and pork chop were particularly excellent, and I would definitely order either again. Downsides: The service left a lot to be desired. Our reservation was for 6:30 p.m., but we weren't seated until well after 7:00 p.m. Once seated, we waited about 20 minutes before our server came to the table. After taking our drink orders, were immediately asked if we were ready to order our entrées.  My wife and daughters ordered the Steak au Poivre. The steaks were under-seasoned and were not cooked to the requested temperatures. There seemed to be more emphasis on achieving prominent grill marks than developing a proper crust. Additionally, a staff member cleared my nephew's plate before he had finished eating. He's younger and didn't feel comfortable speaking up at the time, but he later told us he was still working on his meal. Given that this is not an inexpensive restaurant, I expected a higher level of service and more attentive staff training. That said, even with these shortcomings, I will definitely return. The restaurant itself and the surrounding grounds are truly remarkable and worth a visit on their own. I trust the food and service issues we experienced were outliers. Even great restaurants have an off night.

We stopped by on a Saturday afternoon with our pup. The patio is cute and spacious, and we were…read moregreeted with a splash of Riesling (which was great!). The service was excellent and so was the wine. We would definitely come back here next time we're in town.

We did a tasting at Big basin wine bar in Santa Cruz on Saturday afternoon. It was a very laid back…read moreand chill atmosphere. There were several tables filled and most people were eating food as well as drinking wine. I enjoyed every wine I sampled and because of that, I really want to visit the winery property. I definitely will return here. Great location and the food looked good, too.

Lovely little spot that's finally open on more regular hours. Stop by on a Friday or Saturday…read moreafternoon for pleasant wine and ocean views. I think reservations are required these days, but they're very easy to do online. The seating is in a nice outdoor area in the redwoods overlooking the ocean. A great setting and all of the wines we tried were good as well. Grapes aren't grown on site but are mostly sourced locally which is cool. We enjoyed everything so we were happy to purchase a few bottles. To sweeten the pot they apply your tasting fee to bottle purchase. It's really a no brainier to leave with a wine or two. They're priced pretty reasonably and it's nice supporting a local wine maker.

The scenery is stellar and the lady helping us was nice. Just got a weird feeling when the the…read moresupposed "guy that makes the wines" visits with every party there except for ours. Made us feel a little unwelcome. Then towards then end I'm not sure if we've been spoiled by every other vineyard but she didn't ask if we wanted to re visit any of the wines we tried. Was only asked if we would like to purchase any bottles. We asked if we could try a wine that wasn't on the flight and unfortunately they didn't have an open one. No worries but still wasn't offered anything else. Was a very relaxing experience would maybe come back it's just minor details. Overall had a fine time. To sum it up quickly the wine overall was I'd say a 7.5 out of 10. Some good, others were a bit mute but not bad.

MJA Vineyards Wine and Tasting Room....I love you! I always…read morehave a wonderful time when I stop by, and I am always treated like family; Marin's energy and generous Aloha spirit make customers feel welcome. There are all kinds of varietals--seriously, there are so many to try! Plus, it is easy to leave having made new friendships. I also love being part of the wine club and the perks, and I have been a member for about ten years. The wine club member parties and movie nights are a great time. There is a wine for everyone. The Cabernets age very well. I just opened a 2013 Cab this week ("Still Horny" ????) that was awesome.

Stopped here for a wine tasting and had a nice experience. The tasting was $25 and focused mostly…read moreon whites. We tried Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, two different Sauvignon Blancs, and a Red Zinfandel. The wines were good and the staff provided great service throughout the tasting. The setting is relaxed and perfect if you're looking for a casual place to enjoy some wine while in Santa Cruz.

We stopped in to Aptos Vineyards tasting room on a Thursday afternoon. What a beautiful little…read moretasting area! Everything about it was lovely. We started as the only two people in the tasting room, but very shortly the entire room was full of all kinds of return customers, mostly wine club members. We sampled their beautiful wines, which were quite good, and enjoyed them. There was no pressure to purchase wine, the tasting room server was as pleasant and knowledgeable as she possibly could have been. She was swamped with people, and someone did come to help her. I loved the location of this tasting room and even though it was small it was nicely appointed and felt akin to someone's living room. I would recommend stopping at Aptos vineyards tasting room next time you are in Aptos!

The wine is excellent. If you can put up with the staff. Rude and pretentious…read more I went in today to purchase my favorite wines as a gift. Not only did the male employee fail to make eye contact or greet me. The female employee made a comment about how "wow - you are really making me do my steps today...". The place is very small. I dropped $200.00 and was never offered a sample. The atmosphere was pretentious and unwelcoming. I highly recommend the wine - but know that if you go - you want to get in and out get out.