Santa Cruz. On a south-facing slope perched at 300m elevation in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the Lilo Vineyard opens to an unobstructed view to the South over Monterey Bay. Planted a dozen years ago on a complex mix of schist, shale and sandstone soils, the steep slope and yields can be stunningly low. Just above the fog line, this is viticulture on the edge: a marginal site fully exposed to late frosts at bud break and spring rains that can affect flowering, along with every other torment the weather coming off the Pacific can bring.