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San Jose Mercury News (13/Jan/2015) - Wine's starring role in Hitchcock's life

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Wine's starring role in Hitchcock's life

When movie director Alfred Hitchcock needed to escape all the drama of Hollywood in the 1940s, he headed for the serenity of the Santa Cruz Mountains. There, he could relax and entertain silver screen royalty, from Ingrid Bergman to Grace Kelly, at his estate tucked among the redwoods.

Hitch bought the property in 1940 and, in doing so, purchased a piece of Santa Cruz Mountains winemaking history.

Back in 1881, when Pierre and Sada Cornwall acquired the 85-acre expanse -- for $500, yet -- on the slopes of Mount Roberta in Scotts Valley, they named it Heart O' The Mountain. Cornwall planted vineyards and started making wine under the Santa Sada label, and wine was produced here until Prohibition.

That terroir was part of the attraction for the wine-loving movie director. During his 34 years at Heart O' The Mountain, Hitchcock built a second home, a large Mediterranean-style villa with gardens -- and grapes.

"Hitchcock did have a vineyard here," says current Heart O' The Mountain owner Robert Brassfield. "Writings indicate the vines were riesling."

Those particular grapes were sold to Livermore's Cresta Blanca Winery, now owned by the Wente family. Hitchcock's love of wine was evident not only in his personal vineyards and estate cellar but on screen as well.

Wine shows up in film cameos -- just as the director's famous profile has been known to do. Bottles of Burgundy with a Pommard appellation play a role in "Notorious." The plot of "Champagne," ...