The word for grapes in Spanish is uvas, so it is appropriate that one of the country roads that winds through southern Santa Clara County’s wine district, is called Uvas Road. The other main corridor is Hecker Pass Highway, or Highway 152 (only a 2 lane in this area), where it travels west from Gilroy. The Hecker Pass road bisects fertile valleys that trace their agricultural history to the early days of the Spanish settlers. In the 1920s many Italian immigrants found this area to be perfect for growing French and Italian varieties of wine grapes. If you continue West on highway 152 you will drive through dense redwood forests, to a summit of about 1000 feet, and then on through Watsonville on the coast with its fields of strawberries and orchards of world-renowned apples. On and off throughout the year, fog makes its way from the Pacific Ocean and over the Santa Cruz mountains to cool the vineyards of this area. The wineries of this beautiful region have won many awards for their Cabernet, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sangiovese, and Zinfandel wines among others.

Some wineries of note: Solis (SolisWinery.com), Sarah’s Vineyard (SarahsVineyard.com), Clos La Chance (ClosLaChance.com), and Jason-Stephens (JStephens.com). In addition to lovely tasting rooms and shady patios, many of these wineries feature picnic areas and bocce courts. Summer evenings often feature local musicians. They offer a truly unique, personal, and special way to spend an afternoon or evening!

Posted By: Colleen Badagliacco