Smartphone users can now purchase a mobile Passport directly through the app to redeem a tasting flight at 50+ participating wineries in the AVA, 365 days a year
APTOS, Calif. (October 18, 2018) – This harvest season yields big changes for the Santa Cruz Mountain Winegrowers Association (SCMWA), an organization that represents more than 70 grape growers and wineries nestled between San Francisco, Monterey Bay and Silicon Valley. The association takes its popular passport wine-tasting program digital with a new SCM Wine smartphone app.
“Our passport wine-tasting program has been one of the Bay Area’s best-kept secrets for the past 25 years. Given that we are located in the backyard of Silicon Valley, it was only a matter of time until we took it to the digital world,” says Megan Metz, the executive director of the SCMWA.
Beginning this fall, wine lovers in the Bay Area and beyond can purchase their SCM Passport through the app for only $65 to redeem a complimentary tasting flight at any of the 50+ participating wineries, 365 days a year. The app will allow users to digitally check-in to each winery they visit throughout the year, earning a unique passport stamp at each visit. Passport holders can also enjoy live music, reserve wines, special treats and more at four Passport Celebration Days a year, a tradition that has been going strong in the AVA since 1993.
Metz states, “We want to make wine tasting in the Santa Cruz Mountains more accessible than ever. With the launch of this app, we hope to see lots of new faces in our tasting rooms. We also hope this makes it easier for our longtime, loyal passport holders to keep coming back.”
In addition to granting access to a user’s SCM Passport, the app includes a winery directory that lists comprehensive information about each winery, such as location, hours of operation, phone number, website, social media pages, amenities and key wine varieties. Users can use the “filter” option in the directory to search for particular wine varieties, the wineries closest to their current location and amenities (such as dog-friendly, kid-friendly, special events, etc.). The app also provides information about the association’s upcoming events, wine trails in the region, recommended dining options and regional hotel partners.
The final Passport Celebration Day of 2018 will take place on November 17 from 12 to 5 p.m. To view a list of participating wineries or to download a digital version of the passport map, visit: scmwa.com/event/2018-passport-celebration-days.
For more information about the SCM Wines smartphone app, visit: https://scmwa.com/passportapp.
About the Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association
The Santa Cruz Mountain Winegrowers Association (SCMWA) is an alliance of more than 70 wineries and grape growers, most of them family-run, working to promote the unique aspects of the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA and its wines. Formed in 1981, the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA is nestled in one of the most unique winegrowing regions in the world, beginning just south of San Francisco and spanning the mountain range between the San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. Mountain terrain, marine influence, varied microclimates and distinctive soils combine to produce ideal conditions for high-quality winegrowing. The small size of the wineries allows for greater attention to detail, which maximizes the potential of the grapes. For more information about SCMWA, visit scmwa.com, call 831.685.8463 or email contact@scmwa.com. Join the conversation on social media at Facebook.com/SCMWA, Twitter.com/SCMWA and Instagram.com/scmwine.
