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  • Road leading through a vineyard into the sunset.
    SLH Pinot Noir in a Santa Lucia Highlands Wine Artisans logo wine glass with an out-of-focus vineyard and blue sky in the background.
    Looking through green spring vineyards rolling over hills at the base of mountains against a sunset sky with 2 oak trees silhouetted.
    Wrath’s winemaker poses with her bottles.
    Volunteer of the Year Award recipient poses with his award in from of SLH vineyards.
    2 Chefs display a roast pig with a wall of wine barrels in the background.
    Looking through green spring vineyards rolling over hills at the base of mountains against a blue sky.
    Looking through green spring vineyards rolling over hills at the base of mountains against a sunset sky.
    Looking over a green vineyard into a valley of farmland with mountains in the background at twilight.
    A winemaker poses with her bottles.
    Chef Todd goofing off in front of a rustic window stage prop.
    Enthusiastic winery staff party.
  • Wine bottles and glasses fill out the place settings for dinner in the wine cellar.
    SLH Pinot Noir being aerated as it pours into a Santa Lucia Highlands Wine Artisans logo wine glass.
    Looking through green spring vineyards rolling over hills towards a valley and mountains against a blue sky.
    Black and white image of glowing white spring vineyards rolling over hills towards mountains with a huge oak tree in the foreground.
    Black and white image of glowing white spring vineyards rolling over hills towards mountains.
    Looking through green spring vineyards rolling over hills at the base of mountains against a blue sky.
    Looking over a green vineyard into a valley of farmland with mountains in the background in the late afternoon.
    Wine bottle and glass of Chardonnay on a wooden table in a wine cellar with a row of bottles in the background.
    Looking up at a cluster of wine bottles with barrels in the background.
    Wine bottle and glass of Pinot Noir on a wooden table in a wine cellar with a row of bottles in the background.
    Close-up of a line of Chardonnay bottles in a line falling out of focus.
    Close-up of a line of wine bottles in a line falling out of focus.
  • Boekenoogen sign with gold metal letters on a fieldstone wall with vineyards above and red flowers on the sides at sunset.
    Looking over a green vineyard with oak trees into a valley of farmland with mountains in the background at twilight.

Santa Lucia Highlands Wine Artisans

Steve Zmak has covered the annual Santa Lucia Highlands (SLH) Gala held in the barrel room and surrounding grounds of Mer Soleil Vineyards on River Road in the Salinas Valley several times. It brings out all the celebrity chefs, local award-winning vintners and growers, and Pinot Noir and Chardonnay fanatics—like Zmak. He has also photographed a number of SLH vineyards for various marketing pieces such as wine tasting guides, event posters and social media; and photographed events at all the SLH wineries. Zmak has taught vineyard photography workshops at Hahn Family Wines SLH Estate and the SLH vineyards farmed by Pessagno Winery, and in 2010 published a “A Year in the Vineyard” showing a full year in SLH vineyards. In 2020, his photography dominated the yearlong exhibit on the history of winemaking in Monterey County at the Monterey Regional Airport.

Santa Lucia Highlands Wine Artisans founding executive director Dave Muret commented, “Steve is the official SLH photographer.”

 

Looking through green spring vineyards rolling over hills at the base of mountains against a sunset sky with 2 oak trees silhouetted.

The iconic twin oaks of Boekenoogen’s Santa Lucia Highlands vineyard in Monterey County above the Salinas Valley on the steps of the Santa Lucia Mountains where Mooney Family Wines sources some of their Rhone-style fruit.