Deluxe Foods, in the Deer Park Shopping Center in Aptos, carries a very good selection of local wines—many of them on sale at various times. Cinnabar’s Monterey County 2016 Chardonnay, which comes with a twist-off cap, is a bargain at $16.99 in the store. This 2016 Chard garnered 87 points from Wine Enthusiast, which described it as having roasted pear, light banana and baked-earth aromas. But its crisp flavors of peach, apricot, lemon citrus and baked pineapple are what make it a delicious mouthful of well-made wine with bright minerality.
Cinnabar’s tasting room in the heart of Saratoga is an upbeat place to visit. They make a goodly number of varietals and hold regular live music events on the patio or in the Mudd Room, named after winery founder the late Tom Mudd.
George Troquato is the longtime winemaker at Cinnabar—now celebrating 35 years in business—with Mudd’s two children, Jack and Karina, working with him to uphold Cinnabar’s commitment to producing “age-worthy wines, elegant in nature and bold in taste.”
Cinnabar’s best-known wine is Mercury Rising, and it’s now available in growlers. Your first full growler will cost you $50, with refills coming in at $40. (Members: $40/$30 refills.) Note: One growler holds 2.5 bottles of wine, and is perfect for gifts, dinner parties, weddings, and your everyday easy drinking.
Cinnabar will be at Taste of the Mountains Wine Walk in Menlo Park from 1-4:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1. Contact Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association for more info at scmwa.com or email
co*****@sc***.com
. Tickets are $49.
Cinnabar Winery’s tasting room is at 14612 Big Basin Way, Saratoga. 408-867-1012, cinnabarwine.com.
Bargetto Winery Wine Cruise
A popular trend these days is to go on a wine cruise. With more wineries pouring their wines on top-notch cruise ships, Bargetto Winery is jumping on board Crystal Cruises to sail around the Caribbean in November 2019.
If you want to celebrate Bargetto’s 85th anniversary with them, call Scott Pinheiro of Santa Cruz Travel at 426-4900 or email
Sc***@Sa*************.com
. Book by Nov. 30, 2018 to save $150 per person.
