Heading south from San Francisco, you might think you’d pass a bunch of suburban pockets and mini malls. Most wine enthusiasts think after you pass the airport, a few bridges, and Stanford, it’s all just a concrete jungle until the Santa Cruz Mountains. But the Santa Cruz Mountain appellation goes all the way north to Redwood City and includes many beautiful wine pockets in Los Gatos, Saratoga, and even the Cupertino hills. Think about it. Before it became Silicon Valley, this area was covered in orchards. Its climate is ideal for apricots, plums, berries, and the infamous cherry orchards from CJ Olson.

So, it doesn’t take a stretch grow fab grapes here. The Cooper Gerrod family has been doing it since 1893. And, since their winery is adjacent to their horse stables, you can do a horseback ride through trails of panoramic valley views with a wine tasting combo.