Here’s a sentence you won’t read often: The Santa Cruz Mountains AVA has a new vineyard and winery.
Tucked-away upstart Rosscienda Vineyard (1172 Redwood Heights Road, Aptos) isn’t yet open to the public, but some tantalizing (and Burgundy-leaning) details can tide winelovers over for now: It enjoys 600 feet elevations, coastal cooling and southeast sun, with five clones of pinot noir and chardonnay planted.
Its juices are now available for sale at its website, and the family-owned operation is circling the next Wines of Santa Cruz Mountains Passport Day (Oct. 19; winesofthesantacruzmountains.com) as the moment for a full-figured introduction.
The atypical name honors the nickname of the house that builder Doug and Jenny Ross constructed as their dream retirement home, and hints at the easygoing way the winery came to be: They originally put in grapes as a way to landscape the approach to the property, then they started selling their fruit, and eventually hired a winemaker and converted their barn into a winery.
“It’s been a progression,” Doug Ross says.
Jenny laughs and adds, “It was not all planned!”
Which gives “organic” new meaning. rossciendavineyard.com
CUISINE CALENDAR
Two concurrent events make for a decision-making crisis, or a frisky double dip. Gourmet Grazing on the Green Festival (with its massive lineup of 60ish producers, purveyors and pourers, sccbg.org/gourmetgrazingonthegreen) and the first-ever Harvest Festival in downtown Santa Cruz (a production with Santa Cruz Community Farmers Markets, local performers, farm stands, carnival games, food vendors and crafts, downtownsantacruz.com/do/harvest-festival) both happen this Saturday, Oct. 5. They happen noon–4pm and noon–5pm, respectively, so there is the possibility of a double dip.
GROWING GOOD
Santa Cruz Open Farm Tours appear on the horizon Oct. 12–13, with a lineup blooming with great growers. Blossoms Biodynamic Farm, Luz Del Valle Farm, Esperanza Community Farms, DeerBrook Farms, Live Earth Farm, Sea To Sky Farm, Thomas Farm, Prevedelli Farm, Whiskey Hill Farms, Mariquita Farm, Beeline Blooms, Dos Aguilas olive grove and Pajaro Pastures Ranch all participate, and have more in common than sustainable practices. They are all family owned and know how to host a hoe-down, with activities like apple pressing, fig tasting and tomato picking at various stops making for a flavorful affair that inspires careful planning to maximize visits across an abundant weekend. openfarmtours.com
NEWS NUGGIES
Can I get a hallelujah from the congregation: Plastic bags will be completely banned in California grocery stores starting Jan. 1 thanks to a new law Gov. Gavin Newson signed last week—in other words, so long, loophole for thicker plastic bags…A community go-to has fresh aroma as 11th Hour Coffee (1011 Cedar St., Santa Cruz) reopened this past weekend after an elaborate three-month interior renovation, 11thhourcoffee.com…Santa Cruz planning commissioners voted to approve Woodhouse Blending & Brewing’s use permit to allow live entertainment outdoors, woodhousebrews.com…Santa Cruz Chili Cook-off cometh to the Beach Boardwalk Oct. 26, and has opened the showdown to entrants via beachboardwalk.com/chili-cook-off…The Santa Cruz Warriors will host a Sea Dubs Fan Fest 1-3pm on Saturday, Oct. 26, to celebrate the start of the 2024-25 NBA G League season, free registration at ticketmaster.com…World Central Kitchen continues to cook up galvanizing disaster relief, this time in the wake of Hurricane Helene, while upping its strategies with prepositioning and new state-of-the-art vehicles, donate.wck.org…Highwayman-in-the-sky Kris Kristofferson, drive us home: “If you can’t get out of something, get into it.”
