Santa Lucia Highlands in the Press

Whispering Winds: The Unique Dance of Flavor in the Santa Cruz Mountains & Santa Lucia Highlands

The Vintner Project / Brooke Martin / 1/2/2024

Read more about the "Wind-Kissed & Sunlit Splendor of Santa Lucia Highlands AVA"

Celebrate Pinot Noir Day in These Top-Tier Western Wine Regions

Sunset.com / Krista Simmons / 8/18/2022

Cool coastal climates make for a great glass—and even better road trips.

Sleepy Hollow Vineyard - Caretaking a Grand Cru Treasure

Edible Monterey Bay / Laura Ness / 7/22/2022

Guide to Visiting the Santa Lucia Highlands

The Corkscrew Concierge / Katrina Rene / 7/3/2022

The insiders guide to visiting the Santa Lucia Highlands through the lens of the Santa Lucia Highlands Somm Tour.
Click to read more!

Guide to the Santa Lucia Highlands Wine Growing Region

WineWithPaige.com / Paige Comrie / 2/19/2024

For our trip down to the Santa Lucia Highlands last July, the forecast the week prior said sunny and upper 70s. Great — sundresses, I thought. Nope. Wrong.

When we got down to Carmel, where we were staying for the duration of the trip, mornings on the coast were damp and hazy, thanks to the fog that comes in over the ocean at night. We’d drive up steep, windy mountain roads to get to the vineyards in the hills, where we’d breakthrough the clouds and find sunshine — a few hours of warm bliss before… WIND.

The Santa Lucia Highlands is known for its wind. It’s one of the things that helps it grow incredible, complex, and beautiful dynamic wines. But wow. That wind!!

Mark Pisoni Talks Santa Lucia Highlands

The Wine Write / Randy Smith / 7/24/21

The name is synonymous with a region.

When you hear "Pisoni", you think Santa Lucia Highlands. You'd be hard pressed to find another American wine family with closer ties to a place.

Talking Clarice Wine Company and Beau Marchais with Adam Lee

The Wine Write / Randy Smith / 7/11/21

He could make Pinot Noir from anywhere. He chose the Santa Lucia Highlands.

Talking Santa Lucia Highlands Syrah with Bibiana Gonzalez Rave

The Wine Write / Randy Smith / 7/4/2021

The Wine Write Randy Smith shares his interview with Bibiana Gonzalez Rave, talking Syrah, the Santa Lucia Highlands and much, much more for a great read.

Wind Swept Vineyards of the Santa Lucia Highlands

Napa Valley Register / Mira Advani Honeycutt / 7/7/2021

Mira Honeycutt shares her experience from the first time she set foot in the wind-swept vineyards of the Santa Lucia Highlands in the Napa Valley Register.

Sun, Wind and Wine: Inside the Santa Lucia Highlands

Edible Monterey Bay / Laura Ness / 6/8/2021

Hair pinwheeling as if she were on the bow of a ship at sea in a gale, winemaker Sabrine Rodems illustrated for the folks on the Zoom call exactly how windy it gets on a typical day in the Santa Lucia Highlands. And she wasn’t even on “the bench” proper: she was on the lee side of the winery building on the Wrath property at the San Saba Vineyard, supposedly “out of the wind.” Everyone got the picture. 

Discover the Wines of the Santa Lucia Highlands

Manhattan With a Twist / Jacy Topps / 10/16/2020

California is well known for its beautiful wine regions like Napa Valley and Sonoma. However, there are so many other robust wine appellations within the state, and it’s time we get to know one of them. Santa Lucia Highlands (SHL) was officially established in 1991 by the American Viticultural Appellation (AVA), but its first commercial vineyard plantings took place long before that during the 1970s. 

Santa Lucia Highlands Packs a Punch

DallasWineChick.com / Melanie Ofenloch / 10/5/2020

"There exists a small, but dynamic, wine region within the Santa Lucia Mountains near Monterey County on California’s Central Coast. Located on Highway 101, between San Francisco and Paso Robles, the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, is only 18 miles long and 22,000 in total acreage, but it’s a region that has earned a name for single-vineyard Pinot Noirs and Chardonnay wines."

‘Wind And Refrigerated Sunlight’: Winemakers Talk About The Santa Lucia Highlands

Forbes.com / Jill Barth / 9/29/2020

"Spend any time chatting with a winemaker or grape grower in the Santa Lucia Highlands—situated south of the Monterey Bay on California's central coast—and the conversation will immediately turn to these three things: the wind, the sun and the people. These aspects combine to make some truly fabulous wine, namely cool-climate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah that has earned its critically acclaimed stripes."

Secret Source: NorCal Winemakers Love the Santa Lucia Highlands

WineandWhiskeyglobe.com / Fran Endicott Miller / 9/22/2020

"Overstreet is not the only NorCal winemaker to fall in love with SLH fruit, known for dark, brambly, and savory qualities that create layered and complex wines. Megan Gunderson, winemaker at NorCal’s Walt Wines also loves SLH grapes, as does Bibiana Gonzalez Rave of Cattleya Wines, based in Santa Rosa; the Columbian-born winemaker sources Syrah grapes from two of SLH’s most popular vineyards: Pisoni and Soberanes, the latter being the site for her Cattleya ‘The Initiation’ label. "

California's Hidden Gem: Santa Lucia Highlands AVA

Grapeexperiences.com / Cindy Rynning / 9/18/2020

"Through the years, I’ve had the opportunity to enjoy and appreciate the nuances of wines from this special, cool-climate growing region, one that I consider a hidden gem. And after a recent virtual tasting of wines (sent as samples) paired with lively conversations with member winemakers and growers, I realize that this small yet mighty wine region in Monterey County deserves plenty of attention."

California Bountiful Features the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA

California Bountiful / Jolaine Collins / 7/21/2020

Calfornia Bountiful features the cool-climate Santa Lucia Highlands wine growing region while following a group of wine professionals through the region in its July 2020 issue.

Santa Lucia Highlands Growers Awarded Green Medals

Sustainable Winegrowing Leadership Awards / 4/13/2020

Two Santa Lucia Highlands winegrowers have been awarded 2020 California Green Medal awards for their commitment to sustainability.

At the Tipping Point: The Santa Lucia Highlands

World of Fine Wine / Roger Morris / 3/23/2020

California’s Santa Lucia Highlands is an exotic region whose grapes produce some of America’s greatest single-vineyard Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. It is still a wild, untamed place with few wineries and meager tourism, but as Roger Morris reports, the scent of change is in the air.

Santa Lucia Highlands Braves the Heat in 2017

Vinous.com / Josh Raynolds / 11/5/2019

New release reviews of the 2017 vintage wines from the Santa Lucia Highlands

25 Ways to Leave Your Wine Love

Wine Spectator / Matt Kramer / January 2017

"Santa Lucia Highlands: The star district in California's Salinas Valley. Pinot Noir is the main attraction but don't overlook Syrah." Matt Kramer, Wine Spectator

Monterey Bay for Wine Lovers

Decanter / Stacy Slinkard / 10/8/2019

Tucked into the scenic coastline of central California, Monterey is a slice of paradise with breathtaking coastal views, an inspiring farm-to-table food scene, stellar wines and a contagious enthusiasm for outdoor pursuits. Stacy Slinkard shares where to go and what to drink from the Santa Lucia Highlands.

New Blood in Old Monterey

Wine Enthusiast / Matt Kettmann, photos by Michael Housewright / 6/1/19

These progressive winemakers are reinvigorating this storied Central Coast region.

Your Guide to Regional California Pinot Noir

Forbes.com / Tom Hyland / 1/2/2019

A regional guide to California Pinot Noir.

Smackdown Pinot Noir: Santa Maria Valley v. Santa Lucia Highlands

IntoWine.com / Michael Cervin / 11/1/2018

IntoWine explores the unique differences between two cool-climate, coastal influenced, windswept regions and defines their greatness.

New Releases from the Santa Lucia Highlands

Vinous.com / Josh Raynolds / 10/11/2018

"In short, a “Santa Lucia Highlands” designation on a label is about as close to a guarantee of quality as one is likely to find for Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and, increasingly, Syrah from the United States." Josh Raynolds, Vinous.com

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Santa Lucia Highlands: Wind and Wine

www.winefashionista.com / Mary Orlin / 8/14/2018

Wine Fashionista Mary Orlin breaks down the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA and why the wind and Monterey Bay matter so much to this cool-climate growing region.

Exploring the Santa Lucia Highlands - Wines With Views

Wine Enthusiast / Matt Kettmann, photos by Michael Housewright / June 2018

"If you look west from Highway 101 between Salinas and King City, the views of the Santa Lucia Highlands will captivate you."

The Crying Winds: Accounting for the Terroir Driven Character of Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir

Somm Journal / Randy Caparoso / June/July 2018

Randy Caparoso outlines how and why the intense wind is so important to the character of Santa Lucia Highlands wines.

Josh Raynolds of Vinous.com on the Santa Lucia Highlands Wines

Vinous.com / Josh Raynolds / January 2018

Josh Raynolds of Vinous.com explains what’s unique about the Santa Lucia Highlands in his video post.

Our Favorite California Appellation (that No One Knows about)

Wall Street Journal / Lettie Teague / May 17, 2017

"Home to some outstanding Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, Santa Lucia Highlands is an unsung corner of California wine country well worth getting to know."

Santa Lucia Highlands: Pinot Noir on the Edge

San Francisco Chronicle / Bryce Wiatrek / June 2017

"If you’re more accustomed to tasting the earthy, ever-leaner Pinot Noirs coming out of Santa Rita Hills or far-coastal Sonoma, you may have to redefine what California Pinot Noir means when tasting from the Santa Lucia Highlands. But that’s also what makes these wines so exciting. They transcend the threshold of ripeness we imagine for Pinot Noir without sacrificing freshness."

Sip & Swirl: The Santa Lucia Highlands

The Bakersfield Californian / Lyle Norton / 4/1/2024

The Santa Lucia Highlands region has gained recognition as one of California's premier cool-climate wine regions, and its wines have received critical acclaim. Still, other than wine enthusiasts, few know about it or where it is located. The Santa Lucia Highlands appellation is situated in the elevated benchlands of the Santa Lucia Mountains that extend between Soledad and Salinas.