Santa Cruz Mountains AVA Wineries Take Home Gold at Wine Competition

Wines of the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA scored big at the 2022 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, held last fall in Sonoma County. Cheers to Peter Bargetto, Paul Bargetto, and Jon Morgan’s Soquel Vineyards, which earned four Gold medals in addition to a Best of Class for a Vosne Romanée Clone Pinot Noir. They were awarded Double Golds for the 2021 Santa Cruz Mountains Estate Pinot Noir, the 2021 Ben Lomond Mountain Coast Grade Vineyard Pinot Noir, 2021 Santa Cruz Mountains Stretched Boundaries Pinot Noir, the 2021 Santa Cruz Mountains Lago Lomita Vineyard Partners Reserve Nebbiolo, and the highly popular 2021 Trinity Rosso Blend.   

Keeping things in the family, cousin John Bargetto’s Bargetto Winery scored Double Gold and Gold for six varietals.  In mid-county’s bucolic Corralitos, Nicholson Vineyards scored Double Gold for their 2020 Amador County Barbera and Gold for the 2020 Santa Cruz Mountains Estate Brooks Block Pinot Noir. Silver Mountain Vineyards fetched Golds for two of their Chardonnays, a Pinot Noir, and the Santa Cruz Mountains Syrah.  Storrs Winery earned seven for seven Double Golds for the 2021 Monterey Sauvignon Blanc, 2021 Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay, 2019 Central Coast Zinfandel, 2019 Santa Cruz Mountains Petite Sirah, and 2019 Santa Clara County Rusty Ridge Petite Sirah. The winery also brought home Gold for the 2019 Central Coast Grenache, 2018 San Ysidro District Merlot, and the 2018 Santa Clara Valley St. Clare, a Petit Verdot leading blend. The event is America’s largest Wine Competition.