Within California’s Central Coast American Viticultural Area (AVA) is the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA. The area sits on the… coast of the Pacific Ocean between the major cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles. The Santa Cruz mountain range itself – part of the Coast Range – sits between the ocean and the vineyards, shielding the grapes from the cold, wet, foggy conditions coming off the water. Grapegrowers plant many of the vineyards at higher altitudes – to nearly 800 metres; this elevatio