Getting ready for a chat with four friends on Zoom, my husband and I poured ourselves hefty glasses of Ser Winery’s Rosé of Cinsaut to enhance the experience. And it worked!
I had gone to winemaker Nicole Walsh’s new tasting room in Aptos Village to get this Rosé—calling ahead of time to order it. Walsh had the wine ready for me, and a speedy and safe curbside pickup ensued.
The 2019 Rosé of Cinsaut ($22) is a beautiful wine. It’s made with 100% Cinsaut grapes from Bechtold Vineyard in Lodi, one of the oldest-standing vineyards in California. “The vines are over 125 years old and deliver some of the most sought-after fruit in the state,” Walsh says. Packed with up-front aromas of strawberry and guava, delicious palate-pleasing flavors of strawberry and melon follow.
Cinsaut (or Cinsault) is a red-wine grape that can take a lot of heat. It is often blended with other grape varietals, but Walsh’s stand-alone Cinsaut Rosé speaks for itself. And with Walsh’s minimalist approach, a well-made wine such as this needs no added embellishment.
Walsh, formerly head winemaker at Bonny Doon Vineyard, is selling her wine for curbside pickup from 1-4pm every Saturday at the tasting room. Complimentary shipping is available on orders of three or more bottles, with a 20% case discount on all wines. And the luscious 2015 Coastview Vineyard Syrah is a deal at 20% off.
Walsh recently teamed up with Persephone Restaurant in Aptos to create a memorable food and wine experience—working with Chef Cori and sommelier Alex. Check Walsh’s website for upcoming events and more info.
I first met Walsh when we connected over a tasting of her Cabernet Pfeffer when she had just started out with her own label. She has done wonders with the Cab Pfeffer—a rare grape variety with fewer than 12 acres grown in California. Might I suggest that when you order the Cinsaut, you get some Cab Pfeffer as well.
Ser Winery, 10 Parade St., Suite B, Aptos. 831-612-6062. Serwinery.com.
It’s great that this Aptos Village tasting room is available! I haven’t visited yet, due to the limited hours these days, but I did meet Nicole and her wines at the January Winemaker’s Dinner in late January at Persephone Restaurant in Aptos. We tasted many wines and her tasting notes at each course were revealing of wines’ uniqueness! She’s an inspiring joy!