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MONTEREY/CENTRAL COAST | WINE COUNTRY THIS WEEKJune Brings Vintner’s Festival to the Santa Cruz Mountainsby Laura NessJune is a month of change and transition, traditionally one filledwith ceremonies marking life accomplishments, i.e., graduations, andthe beginning of new lives together, i.e., weddings. Then there’sFather’s Day and lots of anniversaries, as all those happily wed couplescelebrate another year of bliss together, at least we fondly hope. Winemakes a great gift for all these occasions. If there’s a special grad or Dadin your life, Burrell School suggests this is an ideal time to give a bottleof Valedictorian, Dean’s List Cabernet or Honor Roll Merlot. Of course,if you want to have some fun with Dad, how about a bottle of DetentionZin? If you’re gifting a lit major, how about Poetic Cellars“Ballad?” If Dad needs a little Zen in his life, a bottle of Poetic Cellars“Mantra” might be just what he needs. The smooth 2007 Loma PrietaCabernet is sure to please the sophisticated palate, and the pepperyzesty2006 Hunter Hill Estate Merlot will get you major browniepoints.The annual Santa Cruz Mountains Vintner’s Festival, the first twoweekends of June, is the ideal time to go shopping for wine gifts forthose special people in your life: including yourself. All the Summit toSea Wine Trail wineries will be celebrating Vintner’s Festival, some atrestaurants as well as at their estate tasting rooms. Here’s a quick peekat what’s going on.TO MONTEREYTO MONTEREYHAHN HAHNESTATESSMITH SMITH& HOOK HOOKVINEYARDSFOOTHILLFOOTHILL(PAVED ROAD)(PAVED ROAD)ROADROADRIVERRIVERPessagnoPessagnoBoekeoogenBoekeoogenWrathWrath68 68ROAD ROADRIVER RIVERGONZALES RIVER RDGONZALES RIVER RDFORT ROMIEFORT ROMIEMISSIONMISSIONParaisoParaisoVineyardsVineyardsCOLONYCOLONYPARAISOPARAISO SPRINGS RDSPRINGS RDG17 G17MAIN STREETMAIN STREETTaste of MontereyTaste of MontereyDe TierraDe TierraMarilyn RemarkMarilyn RemarkFORT ROMIE ROADFORT ROMIE ROADTO SAN JOSETO SAN JOSE101 101GonzalesALTA ALTA ST STManzoniManzoni BlackstoneRay FranscioniBlackstoneRay FranscioniVentanaVentanaARROYO SECO RDARROYO SECO RDLOSLOSCOCHESCOCHESSalinas SalinasFRONT STFRONT STSoledad SoledadEAST STEAST STMETZ ROADMETZ ROADSALINAS146 146ChaloneChaloneVineyardVineyardJune 5 & 6: Westside FestivitiesAll the wineries on the Summit to Sea Wine Trail will be open andhonoring Vintner’s Festival tickets, which can be purchased atscmwa.com for $30, which gets you a commemorative glass to use.Burrell School will offer live music, vineyard tours, complimentaryappetizers, picnic tables and special tastings. Loma Prieta will havebarrel samples, tastes of library wines, live music, bocce ball on topof the world, complimentary appetizers and sweeping coastal views.Poetic Cellars will feature live music, an art show, food for purchase,picnic facilities and new releases, including the 2007 vintage ofMerlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Hunter Hill will offer appetizers(most likely something wild), music, jewelry and a jaw-dropping saleon 2007 Rock’n’ Rhone, 2006 Syrah, 2007 Old Vine Zin, for$10/bottle, as long as they last. Relax by the waterfall in the newAdirondack-style lawn chairs and drink in the peace of this beautifullylandscaped setting.Big Basin Vineyards in Boulder Creek will also be open for Vintners’sFestival, with tastings of the current releases as well as barrelsamples, live music, food and vineyard tours.June 13 & 14: Eastside FestivitiesBoth Burrell School and Loma Prieta will also participate in theEastside weekend celebration. Poetic Cellars will be pouring at LaFondue in Saratoga, so if you’ve not been to this restaurant, go checkit out. Many other wineries will be pouring at Saratoga restaurants aswell. Nonno’s plays host to a dozen of the Surf City Wineries, plusWindy Oaks and P.M. Staiger.Plan ahead: Join Poetic Cellars at California Café in Los Gatos forTasting Room Tuesdays, on Tuesday, June 29th, from 5 to 7 p.m.For more events on the Summit to Sea Wine Trail, go tosummit2seawinetrail.com.SycamoreSycamoreCellarsCellarsG16 G16ARROYOARROYOSECOSECOWALNUTWALNUT101 101GreenfieldScheidScheidVineyardsVineyardsHOBSON AVEHOBSON AVETOSAN TO LUISSAN OBISPO LUISOBISPOKing King City City64 www.WineCountryThisWeek.com