R & W Vineyards

Absolutely wonderful. The views are literally unbelievable. The wine is wonderfully priced and I can’t recommend this place enough. We will definitely be going back (many times).

A sincerely lovely winery run by two very hospitable people. The first thing you’ll notice is the spectacular view. Better than Ridge.
The view is coupled with equally outstanding wine, and for very reasonable prices. They have an outstanding Estate Cab for $ 14.95 and it’s delicious! Flavorful and easy to drink. We also loved the Betchart cab as well. These people really care about what they are doing and it shows.
This place is perfect for a small group. We will for sure be back. The wine rivals some of the best we’ve ever had at a fantastic price, and you just can’t find nicer vintners!

Noël and Bill are bio-​chemists who have built a charming vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Call ahead for a wine tasting because the tours are by appointment only. Our group of five (a pre-​wedding girl’s day out) enjoyed an intimate tour of their vineyard, processing and barrels. Noël and Bill were both so incredibly friendly. They spent a leisurely time and gave us a thorough education in wine-​tasting. We all enjoyed their wines (Relyea-​Wood), in particular their Syrah, taking several bottles home with us. The winery is high up a long winding road and the view from their veranda is absolutely spectacular. They have a wonderful facility that would be awesome for a large party with a grand piano, outdoor oversized chess set and observatory. After the tasting we sat outside and ate our picnic lunch (and our wine) enjoying the afternoon overlooking the Silicon Valley.

«We all need something to help us unwind at the end of the day. You might have a glass of wine, or a joint, or a big delicious blob of heroin to silence your silly brainbox of its witterings but there has to be some form of punctuation, or life just seems utterly relentless.»
― Russell Brand
From the witterings of my non-​Blue Sky fueled brainbox comes the initial review of R& W Vineyards, otherwise known as Relyea-​Wood. The owners Bill and Noël are former scientists now handcrafting wines at their estate above Silicon Valley (but below Ridge) on Montebello rd. They were open one Saturday so after visiting Ridge I stopped in.
I am of course a cynical person and seeing a new estate, with beautiful views and requisite winery dog (a really mellow rescue lab named Bear as well as two other dogs), I thought this would be another vanity project built with more Silicon Valley money than winemaking taste.
I’d be wrong.
The wines were actually very good and maybe their scientific careers paid off. While not terribly impressed with the locally sourced Merlot or Syrah (unbalanced and lacking flavor), the three cabernets were excellent versions of this varietal with unheard of estate pricing of $ 14.95 for the Estate Cab, $ 16.95 for the Mt Veeder and $ 27.95 for the best of the lot from Betchart Vineyard off of Montebello Rd. I love the cabs from Ridge but those wines do not exactly come in at $ 27.95. The Betchart was balanced, with rich flavor and not overly manipulated or hot. Just a lovely wine that I might wish I bought more than 2 bottles of (I also bought two pof the $ 14.95 Estate).
The views are quite spectacular and not as removed as they are at Ridge. The tasting occurred in three different areas and included a barrel sample. There is an oversized chess set, the dogs running around, a classic car parked… a pool table I think… just a lovely setting for cheese, fruit and vino and the servers/​volunteers were all friendly. My cynicism was unwarranted (unlike The Winery That Shall Not Be Named).
A new recommended stop especially if you are visiting Ridge and Picchetti!