Bargetto Winery 3535 North Main Street • Soquel • California 95073

Tucked in the foothills between the Santa Cruz Mountains and the sea, BARGETTO WINERY is idyllically perched above meandering Soquel Creek. The air is crisp and clean, and a profusion of sunny days keeps everything green and flourishing. Not surprisingly, picturesque Santa Cruz Wine Country has been attracting visitors—and adventurous winemakers—for almost 100 years and is known for producing excellent small-batch vintages.

It’s a legacy that would make John and Phillip Bargetto proud: These pioneering Piedmontese brothers first brought their winemaking expertise to the quaint village of Soquel back in 1918. Today, BARGETTO WINERY is the oldest working winery in the area and is still run by the third generation of the Bargetto family, who invite you to share in their Old World hospitality and celebrate amidst this sublime setting.

Ceremonies are held on a tiled creekside courtyard flanked by a long, weathered bar and the Tasting Room, prettily landscaped with espaliered vines and seasonal blooms. While the bride is indisputably the star of the wedding, the courtyard’s main attraction is the up-close view of the wooded creek, a serenely lush background for a wedding arch. The flowing stream is not only atmospheric, but also makes for propitious feng shui.

In one corner of the courtyard, curved burnished redwood doors open to an elegant Mediterranean-style banquet room. The coordinating interior boasts exquisitely crafted chandeliers, ceiling beams and an entire redwood-lined wall. All the wood used in the room’s design has been recycled from antique wine casks, themselves hewn from fallen 500-year-old redwood trees. Soaring arched picture windows overlook the creek bed, whose forested banks are enchantingly uplit at night. Intimate dinners unfold in the banquet room, followed by dancing on the courtyard beneath the stars and strings of market lights; larger receptions can utilize both spaces at once.

During non-harvest months, BARGETTO’s wine cellars are a veritable treasure trove of unique event opportunities, accompanied by the sultry aroma of fermenting grapes. Go for a sleek, modern look and stage part of your gathering amidst towering stainless steel fermentation vats; or opt for rustic romance and sup surrounded by oak barrels draped with twinkle lights. Alternatively, arrange a strolling reception with food stations throughout the cellars—with separate wine pairings, naturally! Speaking of wine, BARGETTO boasts a pleasing mix of award-winning reds and whites produced from locally sourced grapes. Their best-selling Chaucer dessert wines are a deliciously original accompaniment to the wedding cake. The cellars also offer dynamic photo backdrops, and you, your new spouse and your photographer have free rein to let inspiration take you from playful to sentimental as you explore the alcoves.

Several other perks: The Tasting Room closes at 5pm so the property is exclusively yours for the evening. Grandma’s House, built in 1950, is available for the bride and her attendants to prepare in homey comfort. Then there’s the warm, experienced event team, who’ll guide you through making the most of BARGETTO’s charming locales. Radiating vintage charisma and a sense of enduring tradition, historic BARGETTO Winery hosts events that are full of flavor, flair and fun.