martin ranch winery

We first visited Martin Ranch Winery seven or eight years ago while camping at Mt Madonna a few miles away. For some very strange reason, we didn't join the wine club for a year or so, but we have been happy to be in the 'family' a long time now. We have visited wineries all over California, from the big commercial wineries (don't go to them anymore) to the small boutique wineries with 8' x 10' tasting rooms. Martin Ranch is our go to winery, and is probably responsible for most of my wine experience outside my Cabernet Comfort Zone. First though, the Therese Vineyard Estate Cabernet - this is the wine that I will almost always choose when I want either a great wine for pairing (I'm partial to steaks!) or just a fine wine to savor while relaxing. I always keep some at home, and if it is one the wine list when we go out it will be our first choice. Therese also makes a world class Malbec. I had tries some execrable Argentinian Malbecs and thought it was just a horrible grape, until I tried this one. It has won some very prestigious awards since 2008 when Martin Ranch first bottled it as a varietal. It now shares equal rack space in my wine cellar.There are very many superb wines here. Dan Martin bottles under the JD Hurley label, and his style is to make wines that are approachable now and ready to be enjoyed. Therese Martin bottles under her own name, and her wines tend to be more complex and could probably live up to more aging, if they weren't so good that I tend to drink them quickly. I have learned to enjoy so many more varietals since coming here, and I have also learned a lot about winegrowing and winemaking from Dan, who loves to teach, both in the vineyard and in the barrel room (the best place to learn, as he always has barrel samples to illustrate his points!) we have joined a quit other wine clubs in the past, but I know that we will be members here for many more years. It is by far one of the friendliest wineries and has so many great events that we will never leave.

The drive to the winery is a little tricky but if you persist, you'll come to the Martin Ranch Winery at the southeastern tip of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Northern California has some of the best wineries without all the traffic or crowds that you might experience in Napa or the Sonoma wine country. This hill country is so scenic with beautiful homes perched high atop the landscape with ranches dotting and skirting the valley floor for a feeling of the good life because there is so much open space. Be careful, it can get very hot during certain days of summer.This family owned winery grows and produces its award winning wines under the labels of Therese Vineyards and J.D. Hurley. Therese is the wife of the owner. She has a section on the winery site called" From the Kitchen" in which she offer up recipes, wine pairings etc. Nice to have that kind of info to pull off your own wine tasting.They have a wine club which you can join for an exceptionally reasonable price. The membership provides lots of fun events such as their upcoming 8th Annual Wine Club BBQ. The variety of their tasting paired with some live music, the view and friends, or make some new ones, is a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.I love red wines and the 2010 Therese Vineyards Syrah and the 2011 J.D. Hurley Carignane was unexpected but so rewarding in full flavor and aroma.. But you should explore what your favorite tasty tastings at the Ranch are.You won't be disappointed, so saddle up and sip away,,,

Hi John, Thanks for posting your review. I'd love to invite you back to Martin Ranch Winery as we've undergone an extensive remodeling project to accommodate our guests in comfort year round. All of our comfy couches and picnic tables are located under shade and on that occasional super hot day, we have misters. A new tasting area has been built, the kid's playground has been updated and parking has improved.We're also now open Monday - Friday from 12-4 for wine tasting as well as the 3rd weekend of the month. Come out and experience the new improvements.Jackie StarkovichWine Club Director