Shared tours

Come join us for an unforgettable day of exploration in the world of Santa Cruz wine!

The Santa Cruz Experience is happy to offer a variety of shared group tours available to small groups who wish to experience a wine tour but are on a tighter budget. Below are a couple of sample itineraries intended to give you an idea of what can be expected on one of our shared tours.

Driven To Excellence Wine Tour

The Driven to Excellence Tour provides an exclusive tour including three wineries, a picnic lunch, and beautiful views of the Santa Cruz Mountains for only $70 per person. The tour departs at 11:00AM from the Java Junction in the Gateway Plaza (580-A River St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060), downtown Santa Cruz and ends at approximately 4:30PM.

The itinerary of the tour:

  • Depart from Java Junction.
  • First stop, the quaint tasting room of Hallcrest where we will receive some personal attention as we taste our first wines.
  • Next stop is Byington Winery and Vineyards where we will have our picnic lunch, taste some incredible wine, and take in the unforgettable estate and epic views.
  • Next we will visit David Bruce Winery and taste some of his world renowned Pinot Noir’s.
  • Finally we will return to the Gateway Plaza where you can have a cup of coffee or take a pre-dinner stroll along the San Lorenzo River levee. Or if you are still thirsty for wine, you can visit the conveniently located Storr’s tasting room in the Old Sashmill across the street from the Gateway Plaza!

Rambling Rivers and Rolling Hills

This tour provides a unique wine tasting experience including three picturesque wineries, a picnic lunch,  scenic drives up Glen Haven Road and Rodeo Gulch for only $70 per person. The tour departs at 11:00AM outside the Java Junction coffee shop on River street and ends at approximately 4:30PM.

The itinerary of the tour:

  • Depart from Java Junction on River street.
  • First stop, the secluded Poetic Cellars winery, to begin our day’s tastings.
  • Next stop is Hunter Hill Winery and Vineyards where we will have our picnic lunch adjacent to the hills and vines while tasting some outstanding wine.
  • Last we will visit Soquel Vineyards and Winery where we will relax and take in the sweeping ocean views while tasting some award winning wines.
  • Finally we will return to Java Junction which is located in walking distance to many excellent restaurants and Storrs Winery tasting room.

Shared tours are typically offered on Saturdays and Sundays, providing a minimum of four people have booked. Wineries are subject to change on the day of the tour. On occasion one or more of the wineries may be changed on the day of the tour due to unforeseen or unavoidable extenuating circumstances (special events, seasonal closures, etc.). The tour will always visit a minimum of 3 wineries and will have a maximum of 12 people. All reservations must be made by the close of business on the day prior to the wine tour.