May 9, 2002
To Good People and Good WinesSpeaking of good people, Wes Hagen, vineyard manager and winemaker at Clos Pepe Vineyards located in the new Santa Rita Hills appellation, has been named Grower of the Year by the Central Coast Winegrowers' Association. Wes is the competition director for the first-ever Santa Barbara County Fair commercial wine competition. The judging will take place next week. I will be one of the judges. Wes is a passionate grower and winemaker, and the person I believe will be the new world ambassador and spokesman for the wines of Santa Barbara County!
Rumblings from North County!
There was enough of a fervor over the name "Los Padres County", that the name "Mission County" has been selected as the name for the new county-if the voters decide to do the split. In my opinion, "Mission County" is a brainless name, perhaps only slightly better than the name, "Los Padres."
"Mission" is the name of a mediocre vinifera wine grape varietal which was brought into California by the Franciscans in the eighteenth century. The grape was planted around the missions and was made into communion wine. People I know who are producing seminal pinot noirs in the $50-$60 range won't want to put "Mission County" on the wine label.
In grape growing, place is everything. And those strawberry and broccoli growers and the ranchers here in the north county don't comprehend that concept. By the way, the Ag Commissioner's office announced last month that wine grapes have beat out broccoli and strawberries as the number one cash crop in Santa Barbara County.
The name "Santa Barbara" has become one of the most respected names in the world of wine. Beringer, Kendall-Jackson and Robert Mondavi, to name a few of the big players, have spent millions over the past decade to promote the name. To give that up for a name like "Mission" sucks. And I suspect the growers and producers I know will fight a county split tooth-and-nail.
South County and Santa Barbara dominate the restaurant scene, but north county-Lompoc and Santa Maria-dominate the winery scene (except for Santa Barbara Winery and Jaffurs which are located in the city of Santa Barbara).
While the wineries up here are cutting edge, the restaurants in north county still just don't get it, except for the few you can always name on one hand- the Buellton Hitching Post, Casmalia Hitching Post, Chef Rick's Ultimately Fine Foods in Orcutt, and Brothers, soon to be re-opening at historic Mattei's Tavern in Los Olivos.
And there's a few other restaurants I like, that don't have winelists to speak of, but don't rip you off with outrageous corkage fees either-like Jocko's in Nipomo (corkage fee about $3) and the Swiss Chalet in Santa Maria, very rustic and probably a bit like the Casmalia Hitching Post was about 30 years ago (corkage fee around $4). I just ate at the Swiss Chalet for the first time last month-the rib eye was awesome, and I brought my own wine, a Turley 1999 Pesenti Vineyard zinfandel from Paso Robles. Four bucks to cork it-what a deal!
Good people; good wines!
I attended a trade tasting up in San Luis Obispo last week, and ran in to a number of winemakers I like and respect.
Pioneering producer, Bill Mosby of Mosby Winery, is a salt-of-the-earth guy. Not a phony bone in his body, Bill is real, nitty gritty and makes damn good wine. His winery specializes in Italian varietals. I especially liked his 2000 Teroldego, an unusual Italian red grape from Trentino. His teroldego sells for $28.
"New kids on the block," Andy Kahn and Christian Garvin of Kahn Winery are damn nice people too. And they make great wine. They produce about 1800 cases a year and focus on grapes they feel are best suited for Santa Barbara County's unique conditions. Kahn Winery also runs a small vineyard development and management company, Kahn Farming. All their wines are worth searching out!
And A Toast To Good Attitudes!
Kudos go out to KEYT's Gabe Saglie, the guy who does the "Grapevine" radio program Saturdays at noon on the radio station. He's an asset to the wine scene-enthusiastic and always learning and communicating. (The day I think I know it all, or the day Gabe thinks he knows it all, we may as well hang it up and go back to Coors Light and vodka tonics.) Enthusiasm is always good, and I still get excited when I feel some enthusiasm, after writing about wine for close to 20 years. Gabe shows his enthusiasm well, but best of all, he is neither pompous nor pretentious. Very refreshing! Keep it up, Gabe! And happy First Anniversary for the show.
Bon appetit!
Bob Senn lives in the Los Alamos Valley of Santa Barbara County and owns the Los Olivos Wine & Spirits Emporium.
