This past Saturday, we followed our own advice in Wednesday’s “Don’t Miss” posting and decided not to miss the Pathway to Pinot Paradise in the Santa Cruz Mountains.  Our first stop, of a total of four wineries visited, was Alfaro Family Vineyards.  This past summer, we had stumbled across a bottle of the 2005 “A” Estate Pinot at Vintage Berkeley and, not knowing at all what to expect, had been very pleasantly surprised. 

We parked in front of a row of barrels stacked a few yards from what will soon be the winery’s tasting room.  Although Saturday’s Pinot tastings were held in the barrel cellar, the festival marked the tasting room’s grand opening with its brand new floors and wide, wooden deck overlooking the valley. 

We tasted five Pinots at Alfaro, all of which we liked – although we didn’t love the 2006 “A” Estate Pinot as much as we had the 2005.  Our favorites by far were the Schultz and the Estate Pinot.

The overall atmosphere was lively and familial, with music playing in the cellar as we sampled the array of Pinots and a spread of cheese, grapes, and crackers to nibble on as we lingered and chatted with the pourers and Mrs. Mary Kay Alfaro herself!  Mr. Richard Alfaro, we were told, was off at Pebble Beach Food and Wine, and sadly, we did not have the chance to meet Lindsay and Ryan, the two children after whom some of the wines are named (and both of whom are prominent features in the winery’s website).

All in all, it was a great way to begin our self-guided tour of the lesser traveled Santa Cruz wine region. 

www.AlfaroWine.com
420 Hames Road
Corralitos, California 95076
*Tasting reservations required.