[3] The mountainous terrain, the Pacific Ocean, and the San Francisco Bay have wide-ranging effects on the appellation, creating myriad microclimates in the region depending on the elevation of the land, location of the sloped mountainside vineyards, and the other terroir elements of fog, sun exposure, soil type and erosion.

Moreover, numerous books and articles dealing with wine refer to the "Santa Cruz Mountains" as a specific grape-growing area.

[1] The region is bounded by the Santa Cruz Mountain Range, from the northern boundary of Half Moon Bay and Woodside to its southern side of Mount Madonna and Watsonville.

The boundaries of the "Santa Cruz Mountains" viticultural area are based, in general, on contour lines and man-made features.

Evidence was presented at the hearing that the contour lines varied to different levels to include an area exhibiting the same general geophysical characteristics, e.g. climate, soil, and topographic features.

Moreover, while the climate, in terms of temperature can be characterized as mild, the "Santa Cruz Mountains" has an average rainfall much greater than the surrounding areas.

The region's vineyards and wineries actively support sustainable practices, including cover crops, erosion control, canopy management, solar, biodiesel.