Hallcrest Vineyard And The Organic Wine Works

Open: Year Round

"Appropriately named in the 1880s and originally a retreat for the Hall family, Hallcrest sits at the crest of a small hill above the town of Felton. In 1941, Chaffee Hall, a prominent business attorney from San Francisco, acted on his passion for wine and planted the Hallcrest Estate vineyard. An on-site winery followed in 1945 and is still in use today.  The first vintage was released in 1946. At the time, Hallcrest was one of only three wineries in the Santa Cruz Mountains and the only one producing varietal wines from estate vineyards.

Hallcrest Vineyards quickly became one of the outstanding wineries in California, known for its Cabernet Sauvignon and White Riesling. Acclaim for the wines combined with Hall's reputation as a winemaking pioneer in the Santa Cruz Mountains further elevated Hallcrest wines' status.

 In 1987, John Schumacher and his family bought the Hallcrest site, which had been operating as Felton Empire Winery since Chaffee Hall's death. John and his family restored the original Hallcrest name and label.  They pursue Chaffee Hall's original crusade to make uncompromised quality wines from the Santa Cruz Mountains. Hallcrest is family owned and operated by the Schumacher's.  The winery's focus is on handcrafting premium wine in small lots that bear a "signature" Santa Cruz Mountain Appellation character."