About

Wine unites us. Aptos Vineyard connects family and wines over a local, family-owned wine from the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Aptos Vineyard was established in 1974 by the Marlo family in Aptos, CA. Judge John and Patti Marlo noticed that a portion of their Aptos property was designated to be a vineyard so they thought Why not? And dove into cultivating a vineyard on their small property.

Tending to the vineyard and harvesting grapes was a family affair, yielding precious memories for the Marlo family. While a source of joy for the Marlo’s the vineyard was also a lot of work. After a slow start to yield enough grapes to become wine, they enlisted the help of various winemakers to craft the original Aptos Vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. They enjoyed decades of bountiful fruit yielded on their property. Aptos Vineyard became a source of joy and family connection.

Sadly, when The Judge fell sick in the mid-2000s, the vineyard lost its spark and the wine label fell dormant for many years. After The Judge’s passing, close friend James Baker and his family purchased the wine label and sought to revive Aptos Vineyard.

Over the years, Aptos Vineyard has established itself as a micro-négoces, producing high-quality wine from the Santa Cruz Mountains, relying on expert winemakers and exceptional vineyards. Aptos Vineyard has reemerged as a family label, revitalized.

Currently, Aptos Vineyard produces six varietals from five vineyards with four winemakers. Our tasting room is located at 105C Post Office Drive in Aptos, CA. Visit us today.

Our Story

Aptos Vineyard was established in 1974 by the Marlo family in Aptos, CA. Judge John and Patti Marlo observed that a portion of their Aptos property looked like a vineyard so they thought Why not? and dove into growing fruit and winemaking with enthusiasm.

Tending to the vineyard and harvesting grapes was a family affair, creating precious memories for the Marlo family. While a source of joy for the Marlos, the vineyard was also a lot of work. After a slow start to yield enough grapes to become wine, they enlisted the help of various winemakers to craft the original Aptos Vineyard Pinot Noir and eventually Chardonnay. They enjoyed decades of bountiful fruit harvested on their property and soon the label became a source of joy and family connection.

Sadly, when John fell sick in the mid 2000s, the vineyard lost its spark and the wine label fell dormant for many years. After the Judge’s passing, close friend James Baker and his family purchased the wine label and sought to revive Aptos Vineyard.

To ensure success, they enlisted the winemaking expertise of John Benedetti of Sante Arcangeli Wines. With fruit grown and harvested in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Aptos Vineyard has reemerged as a family label, revitalized. Learn more about our current wines here.