January 7, 2025 – It’s official: Jennifer Jackson has closed down the Equinox tasting room at Swift Street Court as of January 1, and many of the fixtures and furniture will be repurposed by brewer Brad Clark, who plans to use the location for his Private Press label. Clark and Adair Paterno own Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing just in front of the former Equinox location. Meanwhile, Equinox will be selling off the equipment and inventory at their winery facility. It will occasionally be open for wine sales.
Nearby, on the west end of Santa Cruz, Izakaya West End was the site of a recent gathering of the Wild Wine Women, who were treated to a bottle of Ryan Alfaro’s Farm Cottage Chardonnay from Trout Gulch, brought by local viticulture expert Prudy Foxx. The group was already enjoying a bottle of the most excellent 2022 Quinta Cruz Albariño from the Gularte Vineyard in Monterey, made by Jeff Emery of Santa Cruz Mountains Vineyard. The GM came by to open the wine and explain that there is no corkage for wines made by local winemakers, and that the restaurant is committed to expanding opportunities for guests to enjoy local wines. We love hearing this! Support your local wineries when you dine there.
The Kori tasting room in the Court of the Fountains in Carmel was shuttered as of mid-December. Tira Nanza out of Carmel Valley will be opening there in February. More on that to come. We fondly remember that Albatross Ridge got their start in that little teeny space way back in the days before Covid.
Speaking of Albatross Ridge, owner Garrett Bowlus tells us that they are in talks regarding a lease extension for their tasting room in Monterey, which once had a food component. It’s also rumored that the Albatross Ridge tasting room in Carmel Valley might be closing, but apparently lease discussions are still in process regarding that location as well…