Last Thursday the stars of wine were aglitter at the Peninsula Beverly Hills Hotel. Illuminating brightly, the Stars of Santa Barbara, sponsored by LearnAboutWine brought together winemakers from 40 wineries, who traveled to Los Angeles from various regions of Santa Barbara County to show off their star-studded wines.
With over a hundred wines to choose from, one could not possible try them all. As I perused the event, I will share with you the highlights of some of the wines I had a chance to sample.
The set up allowed one to stroll through three distinct areas to sample wines. Being a balmy day, there was an outdoor area featuring several vintners and food stations. I found this the most pleasant atmosphere and lingered there a bit longer.
I made a beeline to Sanguis Wines as I had been told recently that I must sample Sangius wines. I was not proven wrong. What makes this winery different is the length of time the wine is aged in oak. Jessica Gasca, Assistant Winemaker at Sanguis said reds are aged anywhere from 30-42 months in oak. This gives Sanguis’ wines the holding power of 15 – 20 years. The aging is quite apparent in the wines. My favorite, the 2007 Los Mujeres, a proprietary red wine made up of Grenache, Syrah, Roussanne and Viognier, a complex, rich and full-bodied wine. The 2009 Ode To Sunshine Chardonnay was aged 22 months. This Chardonnay was rich in color and taste. In addition, there was the 2008 Endangered Species, a blend of Syrah, Viognier and Roussane. This Santa Barbara winery is open by appointment only and worthy of a separate private tasting.
A relatively newer winery with owners experienced in the business is Liquid Farm. Liquid Farm is establishing themselves primarily in the production of European styled cool climate Chardonnays. Having imbibed their 2010 White Hill Chardonnay on several occasions, I opted to try Liquid Farm’s newly released 2010 Golden Slope, a wine I had previously tasted barrel tasted that now bottled is a crisp wonderful Chardonnay after aging 14 months. Liquid Farms also just released a 2011 Rose that is excellent too.
Nikki Nelson described Stars of Santa Barbara and Liquid Farm’s wine philosophy aptly, “It was wonderful to see a great turnout of restaurateurs, Sommeliers, wine shop owners, wine lovers and winemakers themselves - all gathered to support the seriously incredible wine region that is also LOCAL - less than 2 hours from our door step in LA. The whole movement to "Eat Local & Drink Local" is what inspired us to get out there and make our first vintage in the first place! We found ourselves eating locally - hitting farmers markets and mom and pop restaurants but we were drinking mostly old world wines - voting with our dollars for France, Italy and Spain 90% of the time. LF was born really out of the desire to support and champion the gem of a wine growing region in our own backyard with wine that was more old world in style - favoring moderate alcohol, naturally high acidity, typicity of the varietal - Earth and mineral as the star of the show vs. high toned fruit and alcohol being front and center.”
Another favorite that I continually watch for their new releases since I first visited their tasting room 5 years ago is Dragonette Cellars. Dragonette is a very consistent winery making wines with holding power. On this occasion I tried the 2010 Sauvignon Blanc, Santa Ynez Valley, one of the smoothest non-grassy Sauvignon Blancs I have ever tasted. This is partly due to the more chalky soil of the Santa Ynez Valley. The wine is aged 40% in barrel and 60% in stainless steel. The 2010 Sauvignon Blanc, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara has a tinge of grassy flavor. Lastly I experienced the 2009 Seven, a very smooth robust Rhone blend of 94% Syrah and some Grenache and Mourvedre. You cannot go wrong with any wines from Dragonette.
Coquelicot EstateVineyards was my next stop as Brandon Sparks-Gillis from Dragonette suggested I try Coquelicot’s Sauvignon Blanc. The 2009 Sauvignon Blanc an organic wine from the Santa Ynez Valley is excellent. I also sampled a wonderfully balanced 2007 3 Mon Amour, a Bordeaux Blend. What struck me at Coquelicot is the affordable pricing of their wines.
As I wandered through the Stars of Santa Barbara, Gioia Wine, stood out from other vintners because they were the only winery displaying a food accompaniment. Gioia means Joy in Italian and Teri Love, owner is just a joy to meet as she exudes her love of wine. As I sipped the 2009 Bacia Bianca, a Chardonnay blend, I sample the chutneys from Maison de Ferme. There was the Persian-Inspired Savory Rose Jam and the Gavenstein Apple and Jalapeno which both had a wonderfully powerful bite and a nice compliment to the Bacia Bianca. Gioia 2008 Pinot Noir was a light and softer pinot, and paired with the curry-spiced chocolate.
Westerly Vineyards captivated a crowd. Vito Gambini was quite an exuberant host. The 2009 Sauvignon Blanc was very smooth. The barrel fermented 2009 Sanssouci was a little grassier in flavor. Westerly’s 2008 Tommy Town Cabernet Sauvignon caught my eye as a lighter but flavorful Cabernet.
Tantara Winery had a nice selection including their 2006 Syrah, 2008 Pinot Noir and 2009 Chardonnay. All three were very smooth to my palate. In addition, I enjoyed sampling Jaffurs 2009 Grenache Blanc. After writing a recent article on Brewer-Clifton, I tried their latest releases of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. One could not sample Brewer-Clifton without also trying the latest at Palmina; Steve Clifton’s other winery where I enjoyed the crisp lightness of the 2010 Pinot Grigio.
Experiencing Stars of Santa Barbara, I discovered that LearnAboutWine provides wine enthusiasts with a more intimate setting and appreciation of wines. I highly recommend participation in LearnAboutWine events. To check out LearnAboutWines classes and upcoming events click here.
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