News:Harvest is winding down. Early indications point to another stellar year of world class wine from our fair county.
What started off modestly in the 60s--almost as an experiment to see what wine grapes would do in the Santa Maria Valley--has blossomed into bigtime agriculture! Last year, wine grapes were the seventh most important crop in Santa Barbara County with gross earnings at more than $20 million.
Winegrape acreage in the county was a pittance 25 years ago--171 acres in 1970. By last year, grapes had jumped to 8,700 acres, and plantings are expected to double by the year 2005.
In other news, Calvin Wilkes, a successful wine merchant based up in San Luis Obispo County, has joined forces with Bryn Martin down at the Bay Cafe and is opening a wine store on the Bay's premises. Besides having great seafood, the Bay Cafe has always had one of the better winelists in the area, and with Calvin selling the wine there, it could get even better.
If you haven't been by Arnoldi's lately, check it out. With new owners Jim and Helen Kershaw in the saddle the food's better than ever, and the winelist is starting to show some strident improvements too. When Bryn Martin isn't at the helm down at the Bay, he's helping Jim and Helen as the "assistant owner" at Arnoldi's, busing, waiting, washing dishes. And if Jim and Helen aren't busy enough already, they have a new bouncing baby boy--their first--born just two weeks ago--James Michael Kershaw.
Events:
Friday, November 1, 7 p.m., the Los Olivos Wine & Spirits Emporium serves as the venue for a winemakers' dinner with John Alban of Alban Vineyards and Steve Dooley of Stephen Ross Winery. The dinner is scheduled in conjunction with the annual harvest celebration presented by the wineries of Arroyo Grande and the Edna Valley. $50 includes the food, wine, tax and gratuity. Reservations are a must. 688-4409. Saturday, November 2, 1-4 p.m., the Edna Valley Arroyo Grande Vintners Association presents its sixth annual Harvest Celebration at Edna Ranch Vineyard, 7400 Orcutt Road in the Edna Valley. Scheduled events include wine tasting, barrel tasting of new wines from the 1996 vintage, gourmet foods and a silent auction. Tickets are $45. For ticket availability and reservations, phone 541-5868. Sunday or Monday, November 17 & 18, 5-8 p.m., Santa Barbara Winery presents cooking classes at the winery with David Cechinni, the Wine Cask's new chef. Topic for the sessions is alternative holiday cooking. Cost is $40 per person. Call the winery for reservations or for addional information. 963-3633. Wednesday, November 20, 6-8 p.m., Santa Barbara Winery presents its annual Beaujour party at the tasting room. Hors d'oeuvres will be served and the new vintage will be poured to the backdrop of the Bob Ledner Trio. Price is $15 which includes a commemorative logo glass. Reservations are required. 963-3633. The third Thursday of each November is Nouveau Day, the date new wines of the vintage are released in France. It's cause for celebration among wine drinkers and it is celebrated all over the world as barrels and bottles of the wine leave France on Air France Concordes and other jets. A number of California producers make nouveau-Beaujolais-style wines too; Santa Barabara Winery's, which they call Beaujour, is made from zinfandel and is a quaffable wine which I always find simpatico with turkey, stuffing, yams and even cranberry sauce if it isn't too sweet. Santa Barbara Winery's Beaujour party is always scheduled the third Wednesday of November, just a day before France's Nouveau Day.
Thursday, November 21, 6 p.m., Sullivan Goss Books and the Arts & Letters Cafe will offer a tasting of French wines. Check them out. The book store and cafe are at the pinnacle of "ambiant Santa Barbara." For more details, call Frank Goss at 730-1460. In case you didn't know, Sullivan Goss has one of the largest collection of art books in the world. The Wine Cask always offers both domestic and French nouveau wines in conjunction of the Nouveau celebration. For details on Wine Cask happenings, give them a call at 966-9463. Saturday, December 7, Santa Barbara Winery offers a winemaker dinner with Bruce McGuire. This candlelight affair which will be held in the winery's barrel room will be catered by the Wine Cask. For details and reservations call 963-3633. Secrets shared:
Capra Press in Santa Barbara is publishing some pretty interesting and remarkable wine books. Two which come to mind, two of my favorites and two which any serious wine drinker should at least read, if not own, are Plain Talk About Fine Wine by Justin Meyer, published in 1990, and Vintage Talk by Dennis Schaefer, published in 1994.Now, add to this list the new book, Shortcuts on Wine by Edmond Masciana, just published. I know you can get these books at Sullivan Goss and from Chaucer's in Loreto Plaza.
Any or all of these paperbacks would make nice holiday gifts for the wine lover. And so would Kirk Irwin's new Santa Barbara wine calendar. THINK RED WINE!
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, think red wine. One of my perenial favorites is Santa Barbara Winery's Beaujour. Other hit picks I've tasted recently are Jim Adelman's 1995 Makor zinfandel--his best yet. Chris Whitcraft's three new pinot noirs are dazzling as ever! And the three new releases (and second vintage) from Craig Jaffurs are worth searching out--his 1995 syrah, limited production grenache, and Matilija Cuvee, a blend of mourvedre, syrah and cabernet franc.
Bob Senn writes The Independent's monthly wine column, "Grapevine," and owns the Los Olivos Wine & Spirits Emporium.
