October 17, 2025 – The music of John Benedetti and the Sons of Surf wove a mellow and cozy jazz-blues background for Gourmet Grazing on the Green this year. Just the right level of energy to complement a bucolic bordering on blustery day lent itself well to pairing with wines like the 2023 Big Basin Vineyards Chenin Blanc from Roderick Farm vineyard in Chalone, a wine that grows on you with its soft linen core and warm touch of honey butter on biscuit finish.
The crowd seemed a bit more subdued this year than in the past. I guess we are all getting older, and perhaps wiser? I spied quite a few little kids who were angling for the Penny Ice Cream stand and Ashby’s Confections, where Jen and her son were handing out samples of dried orange peel dipped in dark chocolate, candied hazelnuts and her excellent pate de fruits.
So many tempting dishes vied for attention, among them the messily delicious Haute Enchilada poblano pepper with queso tacos, the short-lived mac n’ cheese from Venus Spirits, Suda’s tuna tartare and East Side Eatery’s perfectly composed pork pozole with all the toppings paired with beer on tap.
Executive chef Anthony Kresge and chef de cuisine Ryan Soden of Hollins House restaurant in Pasatiempo served up a duck ragu bolognese, which was also short-lived. Kresge was displaying the new menu for the Hollins House, which is open to the public only on Thursday evenings, with items like a smashed berry and shaved Brussels sprouts salad with feta cheese and poppy vinaigrette, pan-seared steelhead with griddled polenta cake topped with toasted almond and beurre blanc, leg of duck confit over bacon braised faro and roasted asparagus and “fork and knife” burger with bacon, fried egg, crispy onions, blue cheese and black pepper aioli and bone marrow schmeer on brioche.
Impressive wines were plenty, including the 2024 Rosé of Pinot Noir from Sante Arcangeli, made from every lot of the grape that came into Benedetti’s cellar. It’s as appealing as it is complex, made from pretty much every clone of Pinot Noir that’s planted in the Santa Cruz Mountains, including my oddball favorites, Martini, Swan, 122, 2A and Pommard.
GM Cindy Kane insisted I try the 2024 Sante Arcangeli Split Rail Chardonnay done partially in concrete egg, and I’m sure glad she did, as it was superb. Even Tabitha Stroup of Friend in Cheeses agreed it was amazing.
The Aptos Vineyard 2022 Pinot Noir poured by Tina Cacacce, was really developing nicely, and I enjoyed the sip of 2023 Windy Oaks rosé as well.
Kings Mountain Vineyards rosé and 2022 Pinot Noirs were well-received, thanks to the great pouring job by my friends Robin Parke and Jack Gobo, who made it possible for me to make the rounds. Gobo, a first gen Italian American born in San Francisco and raised in Santa Cruz, comes from a long line of Italian chefs. His parents owned a restaurant in San Francisco, and he loves cooking and baking. He showed up with some savory biscotti made with pecorino, garlic and pepper that he thought would go with the Kings Mountain Pinot. Turns out they were insanely great with the Wrights Station Cabernet Franc and also were wonderful with the Cabernet Pfeffer from Ser Winery.
If you’re a winery with peppery and spicy reds, Jack wants to make these savory bites for you.
On a sparkling note, the 2023 Ser Riesling was just terrific with just about anything you could imagine. It was stationed pretty close to Parker Presents, but was as nice a pair with spicy food as was the highly-rated 2023 Common Thread bubbles by David Baird, which most recently featured at Star Chefs 2025 in San Jose. These wines are a must for sparkling lovers.
Speaking of sparkling, the Equinox gals told me they are planning to open for tasting in the production facility on Swift Street as soon as permits are approved. It was fun to see the late Barry Jackson’s daughter, winemaker Ashley Jackson, pouring alongside Chennal Breen and Sue LeMothe, and a life size cutout of the Baron of Bubbles himself.
It was fun to be part of an unexpected mini reunion at Burrell School, with Anthony Kresge, who used to be director of sales there and winemaker Dave Moulton, talking about the time in the early 2000’s, when Capitola Art & Wine was taken over by the Burrell School girls. That was totally Anthony’s idea. Whether you loved or hated it, that skit taught everyone a lesson in how to sell wine. Those were the days.
Kathryn Kennedy’s wines were by far the ones with the biggest buzz, especially the 2016 estate: Marty’s Cabs are just superb. There are few better at tannin management. It’s all about patience.
The most memorable wine of the day for me was the 2009 Table Two Sangiovese and Syrah blend that Travis Muccigrosso White was pouring at the Muccigrosso Table. This is a wine that satisfies on so many levels, with its still vibrant acid core and its increasingly mellow cloak of earthy red fruit exploring the autumnal phase of its existence.
Michael Muccigrosso is currently hospitalized and recovering from a serious bout with pneumonia. We wish him better health. Wines can be ordered by going on the website and contacting Travis Muccigrosso White
One wonders how Gordon Lightfoot’s encapsulation of the fall season would have sounded juxtaposed to The Summer Side of Life. Go listen to that now and feel the melancholy of a soul searching for the promise of a new beginning each time the equinox approaches.
About the author
Laura Ness is a longtime wine journalist, columnist and judge who contributes regularly to Edible Monterey Bay, Spirited, WineOh.Tv, Los Gatos Magazine and Wine Industry Network, and a variety of consumer publications. Her passion is telling stories about the intriguing characters who inhabit the fascinating world of wine and food.
