R & W Vineyards sits up on Montebello Ridge in the Santa Cruz Mountains at 1895 feet elevation, which means you’re getting real mountain views and that cooler climate that makes grapes actually interesting. The elevation and exposure create the conditions for full-bodied wines with genuine depth—not the thin stuff you get from valley floor operations. It’s a working vineyard, so you’re tasting wine made from grapes grown right where you’re standing.

The cool mountain temperatures that make the wine good also make the setting pleasant even on warm days. You can bring your dog along while you taste, which beats sitting in a tasting room staring at walls. The winery welcomes dogs, so you’re not sneaking them in or dealing with awkward conversations about it. Having your dog with you while you’re on the ridge overlooking the Santa Cruz Mountains is the kind of simple thing that makes a regular afternoon feel a little different.

Since you’re at elevation in Cupertino, you’re getting some distance from the flatlands and traffic noise of the Bay Area proper. The vineyard itself gives you something to actually look at—rows of vines, the landscape rolling out—rather than just a building with a tasting bar. It feels like you’ve gone somewhere, even though you haven’t driven that far from the valley.

The combination of full-bodied wines made from grapes grown in proper mountain conditions and the ability to have your dog there without any fussiness makes this worth the drive up Montebello Ridge. Bring water for your dog since you’ll be at elevation and potentially in sun, and plan to stay a bit longer than you might at a valley tasting room—the views alone warrant it. Check their website to confirm hours before heading out, since mountain wineries sometimes keep shorter schedules than you’d expect.