a note from the nicholsons
When we started this endeavor, our family was young. And in the blink of an eye, we have beautiful grandchildren growing alongside the vines and our children helping run the show. It feels full-circle, but, also just the beginning. We are rooted in the mountains of Santa Cruz County; ten minutes to the coast and nestled in beautiful Pleasant Valley. We create small lots of handcrafted wines that reflect our estate fruit and represent California’s unique mountain and coastal climate. We hope you come to Nicholson Vineyards, meet our family and wonderful staff, and experience our uncompromised quality, warm hospitality, and relaxed California landscape.
We are grateful so many of you choose to follow along and celebrate life’s little and big moments with us. Visit us soon at the top of the valley.
Cheers!
Marguerite, Brian, and family
our beautiful corner of the world
Our 11 acre estate is situated along idyllic Pleasant Valley Road in Aptos. We are located in the Santa Cruz Mountain AVA, on the Central Coast. Being just 10 minutes to the beach and 45 minutes to the Bay Area, we are fortunate to welcome many wine lovers- both nearby neighbors and visitors from afar.
Visit us for a tasting and take in spectacular views of our estate vineyards and olive groves, and enjoy the shade of our heritage oaks.
We are proud to be a part of the greater farming and wine communities and are happy to assist local organizations when opportunities and needs arrive.
History as rich as the soil itself
As a family of 9th, 10th, and 11th generations in California, with Spanish and Italian ancestry, farming is inherent and a tradition we are proud to continue. Our estate vineyards were first planted in 1995, followed by our olive groves in 2006. But long before our family and long before the vines, there were four sisters who controlled Rancho Corralitos (our property was a small part of this land grant). It is remarkable that these women had the opportunity and courage to manage this land (our land!) in the 1860s.
By the early 1900s, our community produced more apples than any other region in the world. Present day vines are planted where apples grew for close to 100 years. With every sip of our crisp Chardonnay, we are reminded of the versatility and richness of agriculture in our valley through the years.
