We popped into Ser Winery’s welcoming tasting room for a late afternoon sampling of new releases, including a genuinely delightful Vermentino. Winemaker Nicole Walsh has nailed it with this crisp white wine, producing a beautiful, easy-drinking dry vino ideal for your Fourth of July table.
Grapes are harvested from Cedar Lane Vineyard in the Arroyo Seco appellation of the Santa Lucia Highlands in Monterey County. With its cool climate and river-bed gravelly loam, the Vermentino Italian grape, widely grown in Sardinia and Liguria, thrives.
“Citrus, minerals with slight marine character define this wine,” Walsh says. She explains that Cedar Lane’s impeccable farming produces balanced vines and incredible fruit. Aged in French oak, the 2021 Vermentino ($28) is mouth-watering and refreshing; it’s different from the usual white wine suspects.
Empanadas by Collectivo Felix and charcuterie boards by Taking Pure Joy are available if you get the munchies.
Ser is Spanish for “expressing identity or origin,” but in my book, it also means “excellent wines to be found in Aptos.”
Ser Winery, 10 Parade St., Ste. B, Aptos, 831-612-6062; serwinery.com.
Concert with KRTY at Clos La Chance Winery
The reimagined Gilroy Garlic Festival continues to support local charities. In conjunction with KRTY, the Nashville Songwriters series will feature Wendell Mobley and Lee Thomas Miller, performing live among the vines at the picturesque winery.
Wednesday, July 13 (doors open at 6pm). Clos La Chance Winery, 1 Hummingbird Lane, San Martin. gilroygarlicfestivalassociation.com.
Bruster’s Real Ice Cream
I stopped by the recently opened Bruster’s to check out their assorted flavors, taking home a delectable coffee toffee and some delicious vanilla. Premium ice cream, sherbets and sorbets are made fresh daily—non-dairy, vegan and no sugar added/fat-free options are also available. Canine friends are treated to free doggie sundaes—good news for Fido!
Bruster’s Real Ice Cream, 150 Rancho Del Mar, Aptos; brusters.com.
