VINEYARDS
Brent works with vineyards throughout the Santa Cruz Mountains and Santa Clara Valley, primarily along the eastern slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Many of the Santa Clara Valley vineyards lie just beyond the boundaries of the Santa Cruz Mountains appellation, often at lower elevations.
Brent personally farms some of these vineyards, while all are managed with a commitment to thoughtful, environmentally conscious farming. Conditions vary from site to site, but the eastern slopes and surrounding valley generally experience warm, dry summers. The nearby Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay provide varying degrees of maritime influence, helping moderate the climate and creating a balance between warmth and cooler coastal conditions.
The geology of the region is complex and varied. Franciscan Complex rocks are an important part of the broader landscape, alongside sedimentary formations that include sandstone and shale. Vineyard soils vary by site but commonly include combinations of loam and clay over these underlying formations. This diversity of climate, geology, elevation, and exposure is part of what makes farming and making wine in this region so compelling.
FRANCVILLE VINEYARD
Francville Vineyard sits in Saratoga along the eastern foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The vines grow on a west-facing slope in shallow, gravelly clay-loam soils, looking toward the storied Mount Eden vineyards roughly 1,000 feet above. It is a warm and sunny site, yet the Cabernet Franc takes its time to ripen, earning the vineyard the affectionate nickname “Huevona,” Spanish slang for “lazy.”
Fragrant sagebrush, native herbs, and chaparral surround the vineyard, and that landscape seems to find an echo in the wine. Francville consistently carries a distinctly savory and spicy character alongside generous fruit and substantial structure.
There is an interesting tension to this site. Abundant sunshine and shallow, rocky soils contribute concentration and richness, while the vines’ long growing season allows that character to develop slowly. The resulting Cabernet Franc can be lush and deeply fruited without losing the herbal, spicy, and savory qualities that make the variety so compelling.
WISHERMAN FARMS
Wisherman Farms is a tiny quarter-acre parcel tucked along Ross Creek in San Jose, near the Los Gatos border. Sitting on the valley floor, the vineyard is planted to roughly 20-year-old, head-trained Zinfandel of the Deaver clone. The clone is known for its resilience to climatic stress and produces high acid fruit-forward wines.
The vines grow in a shallow layer of silty clay, roughly a foot deep, before giving way to an abundance of pebbles and rock below. Its position along Ross Creek reflects the alluvial nature of this part of the valley, where water has carried and deposited sediment and stone down from the surrounding hills over time.
I farm this vineyard organically, incorporating some biodynamic preparations and practices along the way. The property belongs to dear friends, who, along with their neighbors, have become an important part of tending the vines throughout the season.
At just a quarter acre, this is about as small, powerful and intimate as a vineyard can get. All of the work is done by hand, and I am able to follow these vines closely from pruning through harvest. It is a humble little patch of Zinfandel, but one with a strong connection to the landscape, the people around it, and the farming behind the wine.
The vineyards yield is typically equivalent to 3 tons/acre.
LITTLEHALE VINEYARD
Littlehale Vineyard is a tiny, one-acre Syrah vineyard tucked into the hills above Saratoga at roughly 500 feet elevation, near the base of Mount Eden. Situated on the warmer eastern side of the Santa Cruz Mountains, the site receives ample sunshine and warmth during the growing season while still feeling the moderating influence of the nearby Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay.
The vines grow in gravelly clay soils derived from the complex sedimentary geology of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The combination of a warm exposure, rocky soils, and the cooling influence of the surrounding region gives Littlehale a distinctly different character from the higher-elevation vineyards farther up the mountain.
The vineyard is organically farmed by Ken Swegles and the Rhizos Viticulture crew. I have worked with Littlehale since 2022 and have come to know the site closely over successive growing seasons. Despite its small size, it consistently produces Syrah with generous fruit, savory depth, peppery aromatics, and enough freshness to keep the wine lively and balanced.
ASCONA VINEYARD
Ascona Vineyard sits high along the summit of the Santa Cruz Mountains, at roughly 2,400 feet elevation above Los Gatos. Perched on a sloping ridgetop surrounded by redwood-covered mountains, the vineyard lies less than 15 miles from the Pacific Ocean.
The site is rooted in fine, silty loam over Vaqueros Sandstone, a marine sedimentary formation that underlies this part of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Its elevation, exposure, and proximity to the Pacific create a distinctive mountain climate. Days can be warm and sunny, while evenings cool considerably as coastal air moves through the mountains and fog settles into the valleys below.
Farmed organically by Ken Swegles and the Skyline Viticulture team, Ascona is a small, meticulously tended vineyard that has become a sought-after source of fruit within the Santa Cruz Mountains.
From Brent works with Cabernet Franc from Ascona. Here, the variety finds a compelling balance between California sunshine and mountain freshness, producing a wine with bright acidity, savory herbs, red and dark fruit, and an unmistakable sense of place.
