Grüner Veltliner Mesa del Rio Vineyard 2022, Ser

Known as the “bright green apple wine from Austria,” Grüner Veltliner shines brightly when grown in a warmer maritime climate. This wine starts off with lots of golden apple, asian pear, and baked lemon meringue pie, and then opens up to tropical fruits like pineapple and mango. Subtle hints of acacia and white flower linger in the glass with just a touch of classic white pepper. This is the kind of white wine that is best served simply chilled—a warmer temperature will really open the wine up and help express all of its complex flavors, so don’t serve it ice cold!

About the Winery

Ser is an artisanal winery based out of Santa Cruz, CA, specializing in varietal, vineyard designate, old world style wines, produced in a natural way to allow the expression of their varietal character and the vineyards from which they are sourced.

Started and owned by Nicole Walsh, this winery was born from her decades of experience at Bonny Doon, where she still serves as associate winemaker. Ser (Spanish for expressing identity or origin) began its first vintage in 2012 with wines sourced from vineyards influenced by the Pacific Ocean. Cool climate, central coast vineyards including the appellations of the Santa Cruz Mountains, Cienega Valley, Santa Lucia Highlands, and more recently Edna Valley are the primary sources of fruit.

Nicole states on her website that her inspiration for the winery’s name came after reading an article by Andrew Jefford, “Wine and Astonishment.”. It was in that writing that the notion of the 'Being' of wine truly resonated with her. Being is different from existing. It’s true, wine exists; you can touch it, smell it, drink it. To quote Jefford, "Being, by contrast, is the 'isness' inside"; in other words, the natural essence of the grapes unique to each specific growing area. Nicole dedicates herself to preserving the isness of wine, to allow its true varietal expression and the place and time of its origins.

Jefford also talks of that first moment of insight, that moment when some people decide to devote their professional life to wine. He says, "it gives the lucky few who choose to 'grow wine' the chance to use craft to embody, reflect, and echo nature itself." Nicole considers herself privileged to be one of those "lucky few."