2010 Santa Barbara County Wine Futures Tasting in Los Angeles

On April 24th, The Wine House and The Winehound hosted some three hundred wine enthusiasts at the the 2010 Santa Barbara County Wine Futures Tasting in Los Angeles.  Over 50 wineries from across Santa Barbara County participated in the tasting at the Olympic Collection Banquet and Conference Center a few blocks from The Wine House.  Last year's event was held at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Century City and showcased some amazing wines. In fact, I was introduced to one notable winemaker at last year's futures tasting, who has become a great friend - Larry Schaffer of Tercero Wines

With glass in hand and some small bites, I set out to taste my way through the dozens of '08 and '09 vintages.  A number of my fellow wine enthusiasts/writers/bloggers also attended the futures tasting, some who I met for the first time.  It was also a great opportunity to reconnect with winemakers, such as Larry Schaffer, Dave Potter, Ken Brown, Bob Lindquist, Adam Tolmach, Doug Margerum, Peter Work, Norm Yost, Peter Cargasacchi, and David Yates.

Larry Schaffer, Tercero Wines

Doug Margerum, Margerum Wine Co.

Peter Work, Ampelos Cellars

Ken Brown, Ken Brown Wines

I set out with one goal in mind: try to visit as many wineries as possible, particularly those I consistently buy from, while managing to taste a few new ones.  From my own biased perspective, I thought the selection of wines represented the diverse vineyards and winemaking styles of Santa Barbara County.  More importantly, many wines (some recently bottled or barrel samples) exhibited remarkable structure and complexity.  A few wines were exceedingly tantalizing on the nose and palate.  There is no doubt that these standouts will mature into award winning wines from this acclaimed wine region.  In all honesty, no one wine stood out as a disappointment, but a handful of wines left me asking myself  "where is this going?"  There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to your nose or palate, but you can quickly pick up when something is right or wrong about a wine.  Don't infer from that that some wines were "inferior" or "tainted."  Just take it as it is.

I enjoyed 99% of the wines at the futures tasting, but some deserved a little more attention than others.  Also, you will notice that I did not add tasting notes.  I was busy enjoying the wines and chatting up the winemakers.  More importantly, it's about what you discover in these wines if you so choose to taste them or buy them when they are released.  I'm sure you will pick up dark fruit, citrus, smoke, tar, etc.  All I want to do is steer you in the direction of a few standouts and discoveries.  I don't think you'll be disappointed.

And the Nominees are...

Tercero Wines - '08 Cuvee Loco, Larner Vineyard (Ballard Canyon) and '08 The Climb, Santa Barbara County

Jaffurs -'08 Syrah, Larner Vineyard (Ballard Canyon)

Au Bon Climat - '08 Estate Chadonnay, Santa Maria Valley

Ken Brown Wines - '08 Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills

Dragonette Cellars - '09 Sauvignon Blanc, Santa Ynez Valley

Honorable Mentions

Blair Fox - '09 Vermentino, Fox Family Vineyard, Santa Barbara County

Shai Cellars - '08 Adome Syrah/Cabernet Blend, Santa Barbara County

Kenneth-Crawford - '09 Pinot Noir, Babcock Vineyard and '09 Rhone Blend, Larner Vineyard (Ballard Canyon)

Rey - '07 Syrah Central Coast

Sanguis - '07 Syrah "Backseat Betty"

Harrison-Clarke - '07 Syrah Estate, Santa Ynez Valley and '07 Cuvee Charlotte Estate, Santa Ynez Valley

And the Oscar Goes to...

Clos Pepe - '09 Pinot Noir Estate, Sta. Rita Hills

Cargasacchi - '08 Pinot Noir, Cargasacchi Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills

Margerum - '08 M5 Reserve, Santa Barbara County

Raising a Glass at the Santa Barbara County Vintners' Festival 2010

For three hours on Saturday, April 17, throngs of wine enthusiasts descended on River Park in Lompoc for the Santa Barbara County Vintners' Festival 2010.  Marking its 28th anniversary, the Festival welcomed visitors from across the Central Coast, California and the United States to experience the decadent wines of Santa Barbara County.  By all accounts, this year's Festival was attended by fewer people, yet the crowd was no less enthusiastic to taste wines and meet the winemakers or the attractive blonds or brunettes hired by wineries to pour wines (Wine Marketing 101).

All the members of the Santa Barbara County Vintners' Association were represented at the annual Festival, including approximately 112 wineries and 32 food vendors.  While throwing your glass between two warm bodies to the get the attention of those pouring wines seems like a worthwhile adventure, I decided to join my good friend and Santa Barbara County/Rhône wine promoter, Larry Schaffer of Tercero Wines in helping fill the glasses of hundreds of wine enthusiasts.  Sure, I was tempted to sneak away for a taste at Margerum or Jaffurs, but the booth was packed with eager wine tasters and someone needed to help quench their thirst with the Tercero Wines '07 Cuvee Christie and the '09 Outlier.  If you are acquainted with Tercero Wines, you will not be surprised with the aromatics, complexity and texture of the 2007 and 2009 vintages.  Much to my surprise, people were gravitating to the '07 Petite Sirah and '07 Thompson Syrah.  I am glad there are people out there that share my palate for bold, elegant, jammy, and meaty red wines.

There's nothing like watching Larry Schaffer talk about wine.  His enthusiasm for his wines and Santa Barbara County is contagious. What set Tercero's booth apart from other wineries was the addition of the newly released iPad.  Everyone came by the booth to check out the iPad, and they were more than eager to add their names to the Tercero Wines email list.  It was a clever marketing tool and surely one that will help him and other wineries expand their reach into the crowded wine market.  You have to set yourself apart at these events, otherwise you're just another winery with a pretty label.

Not surprisingly, some folks came to the booth saying, "oh, I am not fan of that type of wine."  Sure enough, there were hooked after a pour.  Tastings like these are meant to expose you to new wines and winemaking styles, so take the chance of trying something that goes against your own palate and prejudices.

Hopefully the Vintners' Association will move the event to the Santa Ynez Valley next year rather than have people trek all the way to Lompoc.  I know the folks in the Sta. Rita Hills would disagree, but it's good to shake things up a bit.  Up next for the Vintners' Association: Santa Barbara County "Celebration of Harvest" on October 9, 2010 from 1-4 p.m. at Rancho Sisquoc Winery in the Santa Maria Valley.

Ojai Vineyard 2004 White Hawk Syrah (Santa Barbara County)

Background: Honestly, you can't go wrong with Ojai Vineyard.  There's a wine for every palate among the dozen or more wines produced each year (6,000 cases) by owner/winemaker Adam Tolmach.  Ojai Vineyard sources fruit from the finest Central Coast vineyards (Fe Ciega, Bien Nacido, Thompson, Melville, Clos Pepe, Solomon Hills).  Ojai produces Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Grenache, and Syrah, as well as Red and White blends from barrels that did not make the selection for the single vineyard bottlings.

Stats: Syrah grapes sourced from White Hawk Vineyard in Santa Barbara County.  14.5% alcohol by volume.  Retails for $47, purchased for $26.99 at the Woodland Hills Wine Company.  93 points Wine Enthusiast, 92 points Robert Parker, 92 points Wine Spectator, and 91 points Josh Reynolds (IWC).

Tasting Notes: Dark, elegant, muscular and dense.  A bouquet of blackberry, minerals and jalapeño aromas tingle the nose, while blackberry, dark chocolate and black pepper coax the mid-palate, finishing with a lingering dark fruit finish.  It starts with a bang and ends with an elegant boom.  

The Ojai Vineyard 2004 White Hawk Syrah strikes me as a wine that required very little coaxing in the barrel or bottle.  It seems to have developed its own split personality - monstrous and well-balanced.  Don't get me wrong; this is not a big, bold tannin bomb of a wine.  As far as I'm concerned, this wine offers an abundance of elegance, depth and balance, while leaving a statement. Don't worry; I bought a second bottle of the Ojai Vineyard 2004 White Hawk Syrah.  

The Ojai Vineyard

P.O. Box 952, Oak View, CA 93022

(805) 649-1674

No tours or tasting room

Welcome to the Neighborhood, Municipal Winemakers

Ladies and gentlemen, help me welcome the newest tasting room to the Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail, Municipal Winemakers.  Tucked behind the Kunin/Westerly tasting room on Anacapa Street a block away from the beach, you wouldn't know a new winery set up shop except for the signs out front.  You can easily second guess whether you are walking down the right path to the tasting room, but stay on the gravel driveway for a few yards, and step inside the modest tasting room to enjoy some creative wine blends.  As soon as you enter, you'll be greeted by the tasting room staff or Owner/Winemaker, Dave Potter.  While not tending to his own wine label, Dave makes up the dynamic winemaking team at Fess Parker Winery (Blair Fox and Larry Schaffer).  Can I join the team?  It seems that everyone at Fess Parker has their own successful label.  I want in!

Municipal Winemakers produces approximately 500 cases of wine and sources its fruit from a variety of vineyards in Santa Barbara County, including Tierra Alta, Camp Four, and Dierberg.  The collection of wines offer youthful, fruit-forward expressions, but there are not overly complex.  You buy these wines to enjoy; not to store in the cellar for many years wondering to yourself, "is it time to open?"  MWs winemaking philosophy (authentic, creative and independent) demonstrates these qualities, and future vintages will undoubtedly evolve into wines with these pure aromatic and tasteful characteristics.  I was impressed with the 2009 Pale Pink Rose (unique blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Counoise) and the 2008 Syrah (smoky, black fruit, smooth texture, and fine tannins; well-rounded in the mid-palate).

Wine Tasting List

2009 Bright White Riesling ($18)

2009 Pale Pink Rose ($18)

2008 Bright Red ($22)

2008 Syrah ($25)

2007 Dark Red ($25)

You might also be interested in these wines, which are available for purchase in the tasting room: 2007 Fizz Sparkling Shiraz ($34), 2008 Grenache ($25), 2007 Cinsault ($25), 2007 Best Barrel Cab ($40) and Thread ($45) - best barrels from winemakers Dave Potter, Blair Fox, Larry Schaffer and Mikael Sigouin.

Municipal Winemakers

28 Anacapa Street, Suite D, Santa Barbara

(805) 931-MUNI (6864)

Open Sat & Sun, 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. ($10)

Facebook: Municipal Winemakers

Twitter: @muniwine

Email: dave@municipalwinemakers.com

Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail

On a clear, crisp fall Sunday, I set out on the drive north on U.S. 101 to the city of Santa Barbara.  The drive north can convince anyone to move to the idyllic, yet sprawling seaside city destination.  Many wine travelers pass through the city on their way to the popular wine destinations in the Santa Ynez Valley and often overlook the more than half-dozen wine tasting rooms on Santa Barbara's Urban Wine Trail.

It was only a few weeks earlier that the wineries were filled wall-to-wall with fermentation bins and the aroma of fermenting grapes. Now, the bins are gone, the barrels are full, and fermentation is well underway.  Within 5 hours, I hit 5 tasting rooms and 6 wineries searching for undiscovered Central Coast wines.  Aside from Jaffurs and Kunin, I've never visited the other tasting rooms and tasted but a few of Carr's previous vintages, so this was a great opportunity to expose my palate to new wineries. Overall, I was pleased with the selection of wines on the tasting lists, but only a few wineries and wines stood out for me.  Everyone should jump on the Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail and taste these wines for yourself to find your favorites.  Cheers!

Jaffurs Wine Cellars has produced highly acclaimed Rhône varietal wines from Santa Barbara County for over a decade. Jaffurs is one of my top 3 favorite Rhône producers in the Central Coast and each vintage gets better. Jaffurs sources its fruit from the best vineyards in Santa Barbara County, including Bien Nacido, Thompson, Stolpman, Larner, Ampelos and Verna's.  Selections include award-winning Viognier, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Petite Sirah.  819 E. Montecito St., Santa Barbara. Open Fri-Sun 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. $10 Tasting Fee (glass included). (805) 962-7003

Jaffurs Wine Cellars

Carr Vineyards and Winery specializes in limited production wines from Santa Barbara County.  Selections includes their wide-ranging collection of Pinot Noir from vineyards throughout the Sta. Rita Hills, Pinot Gris, Grenache, Syrah and Cabernet Franc.  It's always a party in the tasting room and during harvest, you can sip on Pinot Noir and watch the crew crush the next vintage.  414 N. Salispuedes St., Santa Barbara. Open daily 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (till 8:00 pm, Thurs-Sat). $10 Tasting Fee (805) 965-7985

Carr Winery and Tasting Room

Kunin Wines/Westerly Vineyards share a tasting room a block from East Beach and Stearns Wharf. Kunin Wines has produced hand-crafted wines from California's Central Coast for eleven years. Westerly Vineyards focuses on Rhône and Bordeaux varietals from the Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara AVA.  Kunin's selections include a spectacular, award-winning Viognier, Châteauneuf-du-Pape ("Pape Star"), Syrah and Zinfandel.  Westerly's selections include Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Syrah and Merlot.  28 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara. Open daily 11:00 a.m to 6:00 p.m. $10 Tasting Fee (Kunin), $8 Tasting Fee (Westerly) (805) 963-9633

Kunin/Westerly Tasting Room

Whitcraft Winery is a family-owned limited production winery specializing in Central Coast Pinot Noir. The wines are never fined, filtered or pumped.  Whitcraft's wine selections include Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah. 36 A S. Calle Cesar Chavez, Santa Barbara. Open Fri-Sun 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.  $8 Tasting Fee (805) 730-1680

Oreana Winery produces small lots of Pinot Noir, Syrah and blends from Santa Barbara County. The winery once housed a tire shop in this industrial section of Santa Barbara, that has become home to many other wineries.  Oreana's wine selections include Chardonnay, Verdelho, Pinot Noir, Tempranillo and blends. 205 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara. Open daily 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  $10 Tasting Fee (805) 962-5857