The Santa Cruz Mountains AVA overlooks the urban sprawl of San Jose and the Silicon Valley to the northeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Vineyards begin at the fog line and reach as high as 2,600 feet in elevation. At the lower, cooler reaches, the slopes produce excellent?Chardonnay?and?Pinot Noir.?Cabernet?thrives in the warmer, rockier soils higher up.