Wine Tasting in Santa Barbara County - Part 2

Last week, I shared our adventures in the Central Coast. The first two days were spent with a large group, which really limits where you can go. When I organize these wine trips, I always leave Sunday and Monday for my “wish list” wineries to seek. This list grows, as I met winemakers, and ask for recommendations .Usually, my best “finds” are on Sundays and Mondays. This year was no exception.

Sunday morning started with breakfast at Ellen’s  Danish Pancake House in Buellton. I have found this place to be better than the more well-known places in Solvang, and less crowded. I have often run into winemakers in this place, and the prices are very reasonable.

The previous day, I had been able to connect with Mike Roth, the winemaker at Martian Ranch and Vineyards, and was able to arrange a tasting with his assistant winemaker, Craig Winchester, on Sunday morning. We had heard about Martian from other winemakers, and just happened to have ordered a bottle of “Ground Control” for lunch on Friday. We drove towards Los Alamos, then turned off at Alisos Cyn Rd. The addresses weren't matching up, and we wondered where we were going, then we came across a little martian image along the right side of the road, headed up the dirt road, and there it was. We were the only ones there.

While the name Martian brings images of little space creatures (and they do play this up on their label and in their tasting room), the name actually comes from a combination of the owner’s son’s names: Martin and Ian. All the wines are estate grown, and biodynamic. They also eliminate the use of added sulfur, which means they have to keep everything extraordinarily clean.

We met with the Craig, and he showed us around the crush facility, and their beautiful wooden fermentation tanks, then into the cellar room for some barrel tastings. When we worked our way back out to the tasting room, we tried virtually every wine they make, including some new release Chenin Blanc, Albarino, and Cabernet Franc. All their wines are something special, and I would really keep an eye on these guys. Their wine club is currently just starting up, and as soon as word gets out that their wines are priced between $20 and $35….good luck finding this small production wine. This is your “hot tip” for the week!

After spending three hours at Martian, we traveled north to the Arroyo Grande AVA. We drove through the quaint little town (I have to go back to check out the ice cream store), and arrived at Talley Vineyards. We pulled out the picnic coolers, and sat down for lunch as a classic rock band played tunes in the outdoor grass area. Talley is surrounded by farm land, mixed in with grapevines. Their main focus is on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Next we drove about fifteen minutes further north, into the Edna Valley AVA, and stopped at Sextant Wines, located in the original townsite of Edna. The wines are sourced locally, and from Paso Robles. The wines that stood out for me, were the two dessert wines. Sitting behind the tasting room building is the actual old Edna town site. It seems that most people don’t even realize it is there.

By now, the day was mostly gone, so we headed back to our hotel, then off to dinner at Root 246. The restaurant is located in Solvang, and offers some of the most interesting seasonal cuisine in the area. While most everyone in our group ordered the prime rib special, I stuck with the menu. The appetizer of Lamb belly was followed by the finest pork dish I have ever had. The pork was sous vide, tender but crispy on the outside….absolutely delicious.

Monday we started early, and drove over to Mosby. They produce a number of Italian varietals that many people are not familiar with: Sangrantino, Teroldego, Lagrein, and Dolcetto. These are great food wines, at reasonable prices.

Our next stop was at Standing Sun wines. This winery was suggested by a number of other winemakers. When we arrived, we were greeted by the winemaker/owner, John Wright. He was in the process of rearranging his cellar, so he could host a concert there that evening. John told us that this was a regular happening in his winery, where musicians come in and play. His wine selection was a mix of Rhone and Burgundy varietals.

On our way out of town, we stopped by the Los Olivos Grocery store. They have a large selection of local wines, cheeses, balsamic vinegar, olive oils, fresh bread, and specialty foods.

Hopefully the last two blogs have given you some ideas for your next wine tasting trip in Santa Barbara County. There is a lot to explore, and some great spots that you should check out.

Wine Tasting in Santa Barbara County

The anticipation had been building the entire week. A four day trip to wine country, to do some tasting is always something to look forward to. But this time, it involved a tour bus, hotel arrangements and dinner reservations for 27 people. The California Central Coast, at harvest time, was the destination, and this is a recap of that trip, along with some restaurant and winery hotspots to check out.

Brandon pouring at Dragonette Cellars

On Friday, we arrived at Los Olivos, the Santa Ynez AVA. While waiting for friends to show we decided to stop in one of the many tasting rooms located in this quaint little town.  This small town of a little over 1,500 people boasts more than 40 wine tasting rooms, all lining Grand Avenue, and the adjoining side streets. Park your car and taste!

We stopped first at the Tensley tasting room. Where they are known for their Pinot Noir, Syrah, Grenache, and Chardonnay. They are a small producer, making only about 4,000 cases a year. Located in the same building is Carina Cellars (also partially owned by Joey Tensley). Carina Cellars was more Rhone oriented, serving Viognier, Syrah blends (similar to Cote du Rhone).

John Dragonette

Our friends soon arrived, and we walked down the street to the Los Olivos Café. Not only do they have a very nice menu, but their wine selection is outstanding. Not only local wines, but wines from all over the world. The first “find” of the trip was a bottle of Grenache that was ordered with lunch. It was a Grenache from Martian Vineyards, called “Ground Control”. We had never heard of this winery, but were intrigued. Little did we know, we would encounter this bottle in a couple days (more to follow in next week's blog).

Barrel Tasting at Dragonette Cellars

We checked into the Buellton Marriott, which is nicely located for access to all the wine growing regions in this area. Just up the road, our entire group gathered at the new winery for Dragonette Cellars. Those of you who follow this blog, know that this is one of my favorite wineries in the area, and I have been a fan of their wines since I "discovered" them about six years ago. Our group had the fortune to meet with both John Dragonette and Brandon Sparks-Gillis, who shared time talking about their wines, their vineyards, and production methods. We barrel sampled a few wines, and also tried some pre-release Sauvignon Blanc Grassini, as well as some freshly pressed Grenache Rose, that had yet to start fermenting. As I do with all winemakers, I asked if there were any up and coming wineries we should check out. The response: Martian Vineyards, and Roark Wine Company. Brandon shot off an e-mail to the winemaker at Martian, and eventually I had an appointment to meet on Sunday. We weren't able to connect with Roark, so next trip they will be on the list.

Dinner this first night was at Sides Hardware and Shoes, in Los Olivos. Located in a historic old hardware store, built in 1901, this restaurant offered a varied menu, to satisfy everyone’s palate. The wine list offered most wines by the glass, and the corkage was only $15. I can’t speak for the others, but my lamb with goat cheese gnocchi was delicious. However, the talk of the evening was one particular dessert: Blueberry upside down cake.

Sogno del Fiore

Saturday was another organized day of tasting. Now that we had the full group in attendance, I hired Wine EdVentures to shuttle us to the four tasting locations. Notice that I didn’t say “wineries”. That is because our first stop was actually a wine club. Sogno del Fiore is something new…a wine club, a wine estate, a wine location (video). While they do grow grapes here, their main purpose is their wine club. We met with owners, Jerry and Liz Fiore, who conducted a tasting of various wines, purchased for their wine club members, along with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. What is unusual about their club is that they offer up to villas, in the vineyard for club members to rent. Depending on your membership level, the use of the villas includes free night stays.

Feliz Noche Tasting with Don Felipe

Our next stop took us to a large oak tree, in the center of the Oak Savanna Vineyard (video). There was a table set up, some case of wine stacked behind it, and that was it. Within a few minutes a pickup truck traveled down the dirt road, and out steps Felipe Hernandez. The locals refer to him as Don Felipe, in recognition of his over 40 years working the vineyards in the Santa Ynez valley. Don Felipe works as a wine consultant to numerous vineyards, including Koehler. His personal label is Feliz Noche Cellars.  He produces very limited (100 cases or less) production wines. His Grenache had one of the most distinct red cherry flavors I’ve tasted, and his unusual blend of Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Grenache (known as “Mi Passion”), was a hit (video). The wines are pricey, and they are hard to find. Could this be the next “cult wine” from Santa Barbara County?

Alma Rosa Tasting

Next we moved on the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, home of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The first stop was at Babcock Winery. This is a larger production winery, producing over 10,000 cases. It sits up on the eastern slope, and overlooks the valley below (video). From here, we moved to the other side of the Sta. Rita Hills, and visited the Alma Rosa Winery.  When Richard Sanford left his namesake winery in 2005, he started up the Alma Rosa Winery. Known for their organically farmed Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, we also tried some Vin Gris Rose, and Pinot Blanc. This is a quaint little tasting room, tucked back in the trees (video).

After returning back to the hotel, and a quick dip in the hot tub, we were ready for dinner at one of the newest restaurants in the area: SYKitchen. We were pleased to have John and Mitchie Dragonette join our group for dinner, were we tried a little of everything. The Octopus salad was fantastic, and the braised beef special was outstanding. This little farmhouse restaurant also boasts a knowledgeable Sommelier to help you pair your meal, and the prices were very reasonable. We also had our first "star sighting" when Jim Messina showed up for dinner.

Oak Savanna Vineyard

So, by the end of day two, we had been to a total of seven wine tastings. As has been our experience, the Sunday/Monday tastings tend to be the most exciting. On my next blog, I will complete the last two days of our trip.