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History of the Santa Cruz Mountains

The Santa Cruz Mountains has been recognized as a premium wine producing region since the late 1800’s when local winegrowers first began to win acclaim for their wines in national and international competitions. Few of these original wineries survived prohibition, but many new wineries have developed since the 1940’s.

In 1981 the Santa Cruz Mountains Viticultural Appellation became federally recognized, one of the first American viticultural areas to be defined by geophysical and climatic factors. The appellation encompasses the Santa Cruz Mountain range, from Half Moon Bay in the north, to Mount Madonna in the south. The east and west boundaries are defined by elevation, extending down to 800 feet in the east and 400 feet in the west.

The number of wineries and the acreage planted in the Santa Cruz Mountains has increased dramatically in recent years as the area has become recognized as a unique grape-growing region. The individual microclimates, marine influence, mountain terrain, distinctive soils, and low crop levels, all contribute to the production of intensely concentrated fruit.

There are now over seventy, small, family-owned wineries in the region. The small size of these operations allows the winemakers the opportunity to handcraft their wines and to maximize the potential of the grapes. The same spirit of innovation, independence, and determination that distinguished the great winemakers of the 19th century lives on today.

Vineyards in the Sky- The life of Legendary Vintner Martin Ray by Martin Ray
If you think that pure chardonnay, pinot noir, and cabernet sauvignon wines have always been available in your local wine shop or supermarket, you’ve got a lot to learn! Meet the winemaker who became a legend in his lifetime. After prohibition was repealed, ending 14 dismal years in California winemaking, Martin Ray vintaged and marketed the first 100% varietal wines made from premier grapes. For 40 years thereafter, he ceaselessly crusaded for quality and honesty in winemaking. Scolding other wineries for producing mongrel blends falsely labeled as varietals, he became the industry’s notorious gadfly…while winning wine connoisseurs themselves to his noble cause. Truly the “father” of the Wine Revolution, Martin Ray is still well remembered-an icon among many vintners and wine aficionados.

Source:http://www.scmwa.com/index.php/about/?WSDSESSID=921baad350e6f01da434de20425c2c16&/1

Clark Wine Center was built in 2003 by Hong Kong-based Yats International Leisure Philippines to become the largest wine shop in Philippines supplying Asia’s wine lovers with fine vintage wines at attractive prices. Today, this wine shop in Clark Philippines offers over 2000 selections of fine wines from all major wine regions in the world. As a leading wine supplier in Philippines, Pampanga’s Clark Wine Center offers an incomparable breadth of vintages, wines from back vintages spanning over 50 years. Clark Wine Center is located in Pampanga Clark Freeport Zone adjacent to Angeles City, just 25 minutes from Subic and 45 minutes from Manila.

Wines from Burgundy, Bordeaux, Rhone, Loire, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Alsace, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, South Africa, Chile and Argentina etc. are well represented in this Clark Wine Shop.

For more information, email Wine@Yats-International.com or visit http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com