Nestled within the Santa Cruz mountains lies Picchetti Winery. A place where it really feels like everyone knows your name and the treatment is a warm as the sun. I found myself reassured once again that Picchetti produces some of the best wines form the mountain and is worth the distance for a visit. "Treat others the way you want to be treated." I grew up listening to my parents preach that very proverb.
Many people and businesses claim this is their philosophy though very few actually live up to it. It can be incredibly rare for young wine lovers to find this practice in wine country as many wineries require your nose parallel with one's chest and pinky finger extended when sipping one's glass... exaggeration perhaps, but you get the point.
One of my absolute favorite wineries isn't in Napa Valley or even Sonoma Valley for that fact. It resides at the based of a mountain where highly acclaimed grapes grow for one of the world's most renowned Zinfandel producers. There's no chateau or lavish tasting room. There's no branded tasting glasses or modern furniture inside.
Picchetti Winery is one the best wine producers hailing from the Santa Cruz appellation. They're located at the based of Montebello Road about 2,000 feet under Ridge Winery and the Monte Bello vineyards (where they even source some grapes from to make their own less-expensive version).
My family and I have been enjoying their wines for the past couple years now. We discovered them by accident on our way to Ridge Winery. My brother and I pulled into their parking lot out of sheer curiosity, did some tasting and the rest is history, you could say.
So what makes them a family favorite? First, their wines are incredible and are some of the best values in the area. They're all solid, fun, well-made and mindless to open. But what really makes the winery stand high above others are the people behind the tasting counter. Whether you've been a club member for years or are a first time visitor, the tasting room staff will make sure you feel part of their family.
Experiences can make or break a person's opinion on a winery and the tasting room staff knows that. They want you to feel like you're among friends and can talk openly about their wine even if its not to compliment a particular bottle. The more they know about your tastes, the better they can focus on finding a particular wine that you may enjoy. Life is short and there's no point wasting it drinking wines you don't like.
Tasting Room Manager, Mike Annunziata always makes sure you're having a good time. He prides himself on treating folks the way he would want to be treated and I guarantee he'll remember you the next you visit. His memory for faces and names is remarkable.
Visiting Picchetti Winery is like seeing that old friend from college you hadn't spoke to in a while. There's that big "hello" at first then its right into old times talking like you never missed a beat...
So what's the story on Picchetti? Vincenso Picchetti and his brother Secondo purchased 160 acres of land and produced grapes for local wineries during the late 1800s. During prohibition, part of their growing farm was converted in fruit orchards and expanding livestock. One of four sons, John, was a lover of birds and bread peacocks which still roam the farm to this day. Due to tough times during the late 50's early 60's the winery closed its door and the land was sold to the Mid-Peninsula Open Space District. Proprietor Leslie Pantling took the winery over in 1998 and now produces 9,000 of hand crafted wines each year.
With the crowds building at the ZAP festival in San Francisco, Jen, Tim and I cruised into the mountains specifically to taste at Picchetti. Jen mentioned she never tasted their wines which floored me. After all the wine I bought from them and numerous times I visited, Jen was never with me! It was time for her initiation.
Mike was there with a smile ear to ear finishing up a tasting for a couple on their way out (not empty handed of course). We tasted EVERYTHING! Like I said before, their wines are awesome. Everything from the sparkling Prosecco to their port, just awesome...
The wines we tasted and reviews are as follows:
"il" Prosecco $18 - 3 Stars
"il" Rose $18 - 2 Stars
2001 Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains $24 - 2.5 Stars
2001 White Pavone $18 - 2 Stars
2002 Sangiovese Central Coast $24 - 3 Stars
2000 Red Pavone $18 - 4 Stars
2002 Merlot Central Coast $19 - 3.5 Stars
2002 Zinfandel Bellicitti Vineyards $27 - 4 Stars
1999 Cabernet Alexander Valley $28 - 3.5 Stars
2002 Vino de Vicino $40 - 3.5 Stars
2003 Port $32 - 4 Stars
2000 Angelica $36 - 3 Stars
They're currently trying to push through their inventory so prices were cut all across the board and for club members (Tim is), the prices were reduced even more. We couldn't pass up some of the deals. So, when you're tired of prices and big crowds in Napa and want a change of pace but don't want to change the quality expectation in wine, try the Santa Cruz Mountains. Look for Mike when you visit Picchetti and mind the peacocks... they may look pretty but they can be feisty little suckers when they want to be.
