Tag archives: winery

Party for Pinot: 23rd World of Pinot Noir Event Makes Triumphant Santa Barbara Return
By Gabe Saglie   |   February 28, 2023

“The practices we use to do business today, from a sustainability standpoint, are the same ones my grandfather used 95 years ago,” vintner Steve Sangiacomo told me this week. “How we farm, how we treat our employees – it’s all about responsibility.” Sangiacomo Family Wines is a premium wine brand in Northern California – they […]

J Vineyards’ “Shifting the Lens” Series: Wine as an Agent for Change
By Gabe Saglie   |   September 13, 2022

On a recent afternoon, on the rolling grounds of Eastside Knoll Vineyard in Sonoma, falcons are on alert. With the 2022 harvest finally underway, and with the pinot noir grapes here quickly maturing toward optimum ripeness, the birds of prey have been employed as an eco-friendly alternative to netting to keep hungry starlings away. “It’s […]

Walk for Wellness at Alma Rosa
By Montecito Journal   |   July 26, 2022

Coming up on Saturday, July 23 is Mental Wellness Center’s 3rd Annual Alma Rosa Winery Peace of Mind: 10,000 Steps in the Right Direction Walk. The live walk will take place at the scenic 628-acre estate of the Alma Rosa Winery and participants will have the opportunity to walk through the winery’s luscious pinot noir […]

A Deliberate Approach to Making Wine
By Gabe Saglie   |   June 7, 2022

Michael Brughelli’s 2019 wines – out just last week – are more than just the second release of his eponymous label. They feel a lot like a rousing encore performance. The Brughelli wines received critical acclaim early. His inaugural launch, a 2018 pinot noir and a 2018 chardonnay, saw scores high in the 90+ stratosphere […]

Looking Back Lafondly
By Gwyn Lurie   |   May 3, 2022

Pierre Lafond passed away this past Sunday at the age of 92, after 60 years in Santa Barbara enterprise overlapping a 25-year career in architecture. Pierre Lafond and his wife, Wendy Foster, developed a number of shops in Montecito and in greater Santa Barbara. And they were vintners and early adopters of Central Coast viticulture, […]

Wine on the Road: A Visit to Paso Robles
By Gabe Saglie   |   December 14, 2021

“We are a community of dreamers,” Anthony Yount tells me as we sip al fresco on the Denner Vineyards patio, overlooking a landscape of green, undulating hills and dozens of acres of proprietary vines. I’d asked the winemaker what he feels makes the Paso Robles wine world unique. He went on to find a silver […]

Game of Clones: Rusack Vineyards Launches New Lineup of Wines
By Gabe Saglie   |   October 19, 2021

The appeal of Rusack Vineyards’ brand new 2019 Sauvignon Blanc ($26) has a lot to do with a clone called musqué. Referred to as “clone 27” in the biz, it’s well-known for its powerful perfume. “We’re going for a really aromatic white wine style,” winemaker Steve Gerbac told me this week. “We want you to […]

Turning Tide: New Wine Label Spotlights Sustainability
By Gabe Saglie   |   October 5, 2021

Her new label, Turning Tide, marks a significant shift for winemaker Alisa Jacobson. As director of winemaking for 19 years for the mega producer Joel Gott, she oversaw the production of some 1.6 million cases of wine a year. With her new pet project, she’s spearheading a far smaller output of right around 1,000 cases […]

Babcock Winds Down Summer with Vintage Market, Art + Wine Affair
By Claudia Schou   |   September 7, 2021

Expand your culinary palate this week at Babcock Winery’s Vintage Market, Art + Wine Event. Wine lovers can sip crisp or silky wines paired with savory, handcrafted dishes prepared by local catering outfit Valle Fresh. End the summer sipping rosé while shopping for unique finds for your closet and keepsakes for your home. The hillside […]

Drink Red and Chill: Cooling Down Some Red Wines Has its Benefits
By Gabe Saglie   |   August 19, 2021

Winemaker Sherman Thacher prefers to chill some of his reds and to use them, even, to shift between courses at dinner. “If you’re going from appetizers to something heartier, and maybe going from a white wine to a red, and you’re sitting outside, maybe barbecuing, a chilled red can really be a great transition,” he […]

In the Kitchen with Art Sevtap
By Claudia Schou   |   July 1, 2021

As foodies return to dine-in service, one local eatery is commanding attention with its authentic and flavorful approach to Spanish-Mediterranean cuisine and robust wine selections.  Sevtap Winery is a new tasting room in the Presidio that lures food and wine lovers on its breezy umbrella-shaded patio or inside, a naturally lit and airy dining room. […]

The Hills are Alive
By Richard Mineards   |   June 24, 2021

It was the perfect pairing when Folded Hills winemaker Andy Busch, a former patron at the Santa Barbara Polo Club, debuted his 2018 Polo Syrah at his rustic Gaviota locale, which produces 3,200 cases of wine annually. The new vintage was made by winemaker Angela Osborne, who has now moved on to devote her time […]

Finding Its Soul: Babcock Winery Focuses on How Products Make You Feel
By Lynda Millner   |   June 24, 2021

“You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy wine and that’s kind of the same thing.” So says Bryan and Lisa Babcock, the owners of a winery in the Valley not far from Lompoc and nine miles past Buellton just off Highway 246. Bryan’s parents, Mona and Walter Babcock, purchased the 120-acre property and planted […]

A Santa Barbara First: Winemaker Greg Brewer Gets Top Honor
By Gabe Saglie   |   November 26, 2020

The latest honor for winemaker Greg Brewer is a perk for Santa Barbara County, too: it’s the first time a Santa Barbara-based vintner has been named Winemaker of the Year by the popular publication, Wine Enthusiast. “The accolade is flattering because my name is on it,” Brewer said last week after the award was announced. […]

Tasting Notes with Belmond El Encanto Sommelier Jordan DeVille
By Claudia Schou   |   November 26, 2020

The holidays are all about celebrating the season and the start of a new year with family and friends. One of my favorite wine selections this season – and one to consider for your own holiday tables – is the 2016 Joyce “Massa Estate” Chenin Blanc. Joyce Vineyards is a family-run small-batch winery that began […]

Tasting Notes with Wyatt Davidson, Santa Barbara Wine Collective Manager
By Claudia Schou   |   October 29, 2020

It is easy to get lost among the winding hills and sprawling oak trees native to Santa Barbara County, but when you do, you might happen upon a few hidden gems. Nestled into the hillsides of Ballard Canyon lies a vineyard site unique in the Central Coast wine region, The Stolpman Family Vineyards. Tom Stolpman […]

A Perfect Wine: Santa Barbara Co. Label Earns Elusive 100 Point Score
By Gabe Saglie   |   October 13, 2020

Winemaker Paul Lato says, “there’s a really big gap between 99 and 100.” The celebrated vintner, a Polish native who was a sommelier in Canada before he moved to the Central Coast in 2002, has earned many coveted scores for wines under his eponymous label, along with a fervent consumer following. But 100 points for […]

Tasting Notes With Belmond El Encanto Sommelier Jordan DeVille
By Claudia Schou   |   October 1, 2020

It’s no secret that California’s Central Coast is a renowned wine destination, and one of the region’s greats is Daou Vineyards in Paso Robles. Its home on Daou Mountain has an extraordinary phenolic output – among the highest in the world – that yields rich, precision-based wines of prodigious color, texture, and structure. One of […]

Tasting Notes with Lucky’s Steakhouse Wine Director Larry Nobles
By Claudia Schou   |   September 15, 2020

Paul Lato is the perfect contender for the Central Coast’s innovative wine offerings. He was a former sommelier at several fine restaurants in Toronto before taking the leap to work with seasoned wine maker Jim Clendenen, of Au Bon Climat in Santa Maria. Lato had several breakthroughs, including several 95+ point ratings from wine critic […]

Grape Recognition
By Gabe Saglie   |   September 3, 2020

Alisos Canyon Gains AVA, the seventh for Santa Barbara County Santa Barbara vintners are celebrating the feds’ decision last week to designate Alisos Canyon as an American Viticultural Area, the seventh for the county. This new AVA covers 5,774 acres nestled in the Los Alamos Valley, roughly between the Santa Ynez and Santa Maria Valleys. […]