They are fairly anonymous and the majority are not open to the public. Their acreage is often small and they don’t benefit from the name recognition of places like Napa and Sonoma. Even still, a notable array of Peninsula vineyards have quietly made a reputation for themselves in recent years by producing coveted wines from their home base in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

So many excellent vineyards dot the hills above Woodside and Saratoga that it can be difficult to keep track of them all. Two of the largest and most famous, Ridge and Mount Eden, are practically household names because of their sizable production: Mount Eden is crushing 220 tons this year; Ridge, somewhere close to 510 total, including 220 from its revered Monte Bello vineyards.

By contrast, tiny Kings Mountain Vineyards in Woodside, for example, brought in 6.2 tons this harvest. That can seem like a drop in the wine barrel by comparison, yet what many of these smaller operations lack in size they compensate for in quality. This is why the Santa Cruz Mountains have begun to shape up as a dark horse of the wine industry, leaving many experts impressed with our local presses.

“What is the most overlooked terroir in California? It’s a question I am asked often. The answer is always the same: The Santa Cruz Mountains,” wine critic Antonio Galloni wrote. “These rugged hillsides just south of San Francisco are home to some of the world’s greatest vineyards and wines.”

To make these exceptional — though at times, obscure — vineyards more accessible, we put together this guide detailing the standouts wineries of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Cheers!