Shared tasting rooms are a thing in town, such as the one run
by Silvertip Vineyards and Ser Winery in a cozy little building
with amenable staffers. Both small operations offer well-made
wines that show off terrific fruit from the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Silvertip was once a Christmas tree farm, while Ser is the passion
project of a respected local female winemaker who also makes
wine for Bonny Doon Vineyards. Try the chardonnays and pinot
noirs made from mountain fruit produced by both wineries,
or savor the unusual dry orange muscat from Ser or Silvertip’s
muscular syrah. Tastings can cover wines from either or both
wineries. www.silvertipvineyards.com, www.serwinery.com; open
Thursday–Sunday, 2–7 p.m. Tasting fee: $12.
Wine devotees made a beeline for the shared tasting room of
Lexington Winery and Mindego Ridge after it opened; both
specialize in fine wines made from local mountain grapes. The
buzz over Lexington is due to its mission of making serious
Bordeaux-style wine from a storied mountain vineyard perched
at 2,400 feet, since these red varietals from the Santa Cruz Mountains
have wide renown (Think Ridge and Mount Eden). A proj-
96 South Bay Accent
TESTAROSSA
WINERY
TRAVIESO
WINERY
FROM TOP: COURTESY OF TESTAROSSA WINERY, COURTESY OF TRAVIESO WINERY; OPPOSITE:
COURTESY OF RUSSIAN RIDGE WINERY
