Don't Miss Wine Passport Day in the Santa Cruz Mountains This Saturday

Don't miss Passport Day in the Santa Cruz Mountains 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17 at most area wineries!

Saturday brings Fall Passport day to the Santa Cruz Mountains, and what better way to enjoy the splendid autumnal foliage in the vineyards than to grab your best pals, pocket your Passport, $45 at the Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association's website, and venture off into the sunny hills where Pinot and Chardonnay beckon around every corner.

You’re likely to discover some varietals you’ve never heard of, and maybe some you can’t pronounce, but don’t let that stop you from tasting! Stock up on estate Pinot Noir from Burrell School ($252/case) and Pinotage verticals from Loma Prieta, the only place in California where you can sample a three-year retrospective of this oddball varietal. 3-packs of Loma Prieta Pinotage, just $121.50: comes in a gold gift box.

Visit all the wineries on the Summit to Sea Wine Trail, including Burrell School Vineyards, Dancing Creek, Loma Prieta Winery and Poetic Cellars, all of whom will be offering specials Thanksgiving-friendly wines.

Poetic Cellars has two new white blends, “Masquerade” and “Fusion,” both $22. These are two of her best blends yet, so be sure to give them a swirl. Club Members enjoy 40 percent off on mixed cases from now through the holidays. Be sure to stock up for all of your holiday dinners and entertaining.

Dancing Creek, one of the newest wineries on the Summit to Sea Wine Trail, located near Poetic Cellars in Scotts Valley, offers 2008 Pinot Noir and 2009 Chardonnay for $214 per case, $39 for 2-packs.

In the Saratoga area, visit Cinnabar, House Family Vineyards, Naumann Vineyards, Savannah-Chanelle Vineyards, The Mountain Winery and Thomas Fogarty Winery.

For a map of wineries participating in Passport, www.scmwa.com