December 1, 2004
“Meeting of the Minds”
Monday nights at the Buellton Hitching Post is burger night in the bar. A friend once told me jokingly that “Francois” (referring to owner Frank Ostini) would never “sully” the restaurant with burgers, but he does it on the bar side of the restaurant Monday nights.
Over the years, I know, it has become a popular scene among locals in the wine industry. Several weeks ago, I met friends Willie and Carolyn there for burgers. Also at the restaurant that Monday were Gray Hartley and his wife, Charlotte. (Gray Hartley is the Hartley of “Hartley Ostini,” Frank’s partner in Hitching Post wines.) Rick and Diana Longoria were there having burgers with their son, James. Richard and Thekla Sanford were also there, as was Brett Davenport of Buttonwood Farm and Brian Loring of Loring Wine Company.
- Hitching Post wines are some of the finest pinot noirs produced in this part of the world. With restaurateur Frank Ostini at the helm you can only imagine these are very “food friendly” wines. These wines are on the wine lists at both Hitching Post restaurants. They are also available in a number of wine retail stores. Look for their limited release “pink pinot,” a hearty-and delicious-rose. They made one barrel (about 25 cases) from a vineyard called Rio Vista in the Santa Rita Hills appellation. (805) 688-0676.
- Rick and Diana Longoria are pioneers on our local wine scene. One of my favorite benchmark wines ever produced in the county was Rick’s 1979 cabernet sauvignon. At the time, Rick was winemaker at J. Carey Cellars on Alamo Pintado Road, now Foley Estates. His first pinot noirs under the Longoria label date back to the 1982 and 1983 vintage-again legendary wines helping to define Santa Barbara County as a world-class pinot noir producing region in the New World. Look for their new Fe Ciega pinot from Santa Rita Hills! (805) 688-0305.
- In the mid 80s, Diana Longoria was the executive director of the Santa Barbara County Vintners’ Association.
- Speaking of pioneers, the roster would not be complete without Richard and Thekla Sanford. Their pioneering Sanford & Benedict was planted over 30 years ago. The 1976 pinot noir set the world on fire! Producing exemplary pinot noirs and chardonnays from Santa Rita Hills, their tasting room west of Buellton on Santa Rosa Road is always one of my favorite places to visit. The winery also produces limited quantities of a pinot noir rose they call “vin gris.” (805) 688-3300.
- It wouldn’t be a Monday night at the Buellton HP without seeing Brett Davenport there. Brett is the president of Buttonwood Farm, also on Alamo Pintado Road. A pioneering winery, Buttonwood Farm-best known for successfully bucking the pinot noir and chardonnay trend in the county-produces stellar Bordeaux-style white wines and red wines. The winery’s production includes a luscious sauvignon blanc plus some tasty cabernet sauvignons, cabernet francs and merlots. (805) 688-3032.
- Brian Loring, owner-winemaker of Loring Wine Company, is sort of “the new kid on the block” compared to the Longorias, Sanfords and Brett Davenport. Last year I would have said doing military software was Brian’s day job. With the 2004 vintage behind him, I think I would say Brian has TWO day jobs-military software AND winemaking. As about as passionate as you can be about pinot noir, Brian has pinots from seven sources for 2003-four are now released, three will be released in 2005. Current releases come from Cargasacchi, Garys’, Brousseau and Rozella’s.
All these people at Buellton Hitching Post told me they had enjoyed reading my wine column on Louis Lucas in the “Santa Ynez Valley News,” now part of the Pulitzer Central Coast family of newspapers.
EVENTS
- Christmas on the Trail”, December 3-5. The wineries of the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail do one of their “passport events” during these three days. A good time for enjoying wine and stocking up for the holidays. Tickets can be purchased at any of the member wineries or by calling Bedford Thompson Winery in Los Alamos (805-344-2107) or the Firestone Vineyard (805-688-3940). Tickets are $25. Part of the proceeds will benefit a north county agency helping children.
- In conjunction with the annual Los Alamos Luminaria Celebration, Saturday, December 4, Bedford Thompson will also feature a reading of Charles Dickens’s selected Christmas stories, from 4:30 to 5:30 on the patio. (805) 344-2107.
A Brief Bio on BobI had been invited by publisher, Randy Campbell, to write a monthly wine column in The Weekly in December 1984 during my 14 year tenure as program director for KTMS FM, owned by the News Press Publishing Company. In 1986, when Randy merged The Weekly to form The Santa Barbara Independent, I continued as the paper’s wine columnist.
I started the Los Olivos Wine & Spirits Emporium in 1993 and “escaped” Santa Barbara in 1998 when I moved to Los Alamos.
As a new resident of north county and with encouragement from friend and Senior Times Reporter, Karen White, I started writing a monthly column for The Times in July 2000. Since that time, the wine column now appears weekly.
Times wine columnist, Bob Senn, lives in the Los Alamos Valley and owns the Los Olivos Wine & Spirits Emporium.
