Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
West Coast U.S.
294
David Bruce Winery
The Naked Winemaker
Santa Cruz Mountains, California
Pioneering winemaker David Bruce likes to
get his hands dirty—not to mention other
parts of his anatomy. This self-taught pro-
fessor of Pinot once had an epiphany at
3am in the morning, while thrashing
around naked in a tub full of grapes: He
realized that the human body is the best
grape crusher in the world. Soft, gentle,
thorough, and dexterous, it beats any
machine hands-down; even traditional
foot-stomping can't compare.
As that episode abundantly proves,
Bruce began making wine because he
regarded it as “having fun.” A practicing
dermatologist, he was one of the first
people in the 1960s to take a crazy chance
and carve out by hand some terraces from
the dusty, yellow clay of the Santa Cruz
mountains. Those were the heady days of
experimentation, when even French oak
was considered a novelty. People thought
Bruce had to be crazy to be wasting his
weekends in an area of old orchards, jut-
ting peaks, and sheer vertical cliffs, plant-
ing the most fickle grape of all—Pinot
Noir. (Is it any coincidence that a derma-
tologist should choose a grape notorious
for its thin, sensitive skin?)
The gamble paid off, though, as Bruce
discovered a Pinot-friendly mountainside
cooled by the sea breeze of Monterey Bay.
Along the way he also discovered his own
hidden talent for winemaking, and sud-
denly people started turning up at the
winery to sample what is now a famous
California wine.
Granted, Bruce's winery is not the easi-
est place to find. The 16-acre (6-hectare)
operation is nestled amid redwoods on a
windy narrow road 2,200 feet (670m)
above sea level. Even when you get there,
you're not sure you've found it—the main
building's plain gray facade is unassuming,
and the tasting room itself is somewhat
sterile and bare inside. Out back, though,
you'll marvel at the rustic picnic area's
beautiful views of the rugged valley and
the Pacific Ocean.
Don't come expecting a trendy bou-
tique vineyard: The David Bruce Winery is
very much a wine-lover's winery. The very
basic visitor facilities are completely over-
shadowed by the wine itself—and, of
course, the view. It must be said, however,
that the view does not include any nudity
these days—Bruce's workers do use wad-
ers when they're crushing.
David Bruce Winery,
21439 Bear
Creek Rd., Los Gatos (
&
408/354-4214;
www.davidbrucewinery.com).
(
San Francisco International (48 miles/
77km).
L
$$$
Toll House,
140 S. Santa Cruz
Ave., Los Gatos (
&
408/395-7070;
www.
tollhousehotel.com). $$
Garden Inn
Hotel,
46 E. Main St., Los Gatos (
&
408/
354-6446;
www.gardeninn.us).
