May 25, 2003
Happy Memorial Day! Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer. This is the time for summer wine events and dinner parties-mouth-watering Santa Maria-style top block barbecued over oak with fresh homemade salsa, macaroni salad and thirst-quenching Santa Maria Valley or Edna Valley pinot noir! But always think about what you are drinking and the consequences when driving your car.Last weekend I had dinner with some very good friends in Santa Maria. I had brought two bottles of wine for the meal. When I got to their house, they were both enjoying dirty martinis in sexy stem glasses. I knew this was going to be serious, and at the outset we discussed how I would get home. I ended up staying in the guest room and drove back to Los Alamos the next morning.
Whenever I have friends to the house for dinner, I always make it known that the guest room is available. It's very good protocol, I think, and I would urge anyone to do the same. We all have a responsibility to never allow friends to drive when impaired.
The Second Annual Santa Barbara County Commercial Wine Competition
The second annual competition was held at the Fairgrounds on Tuesday, May 13. Some 206 wines were entered and judged by five panels of four judges each. My panel was a fun group-myself, Russ Parsons of the Los Angeles Times Food Section, Sashi Moorman, winemaker for Stolpman, and Michael Larner of Larner Vineyards near Solvang. (Michael also teaches classes in the viticultural program at Allan Hancock College.)
The competition's director, Wes Hagen, stressed that we look for the good in the wine, and not nit pick, looking for flaws.
Eighteen double gold medals were awarded-one for sauvignon blanc, three for chardonnay, one for viognier, one for blush, seven for pinot noir, three for syrah, one for nebbiolo and one for dessert.
You could argue, I suppose, that the numbers of double gold awards reflect "what everybody knows" or "thinks they know" about wine grapes in Santa Barbara County-that we grow and produce the best pinot noir, chardonnay, and syrah in California, if not the United States.
- Sauvignon Blanc-Brander Vineyard Santa Ynez Valley "Cuvee Natalie" 2001
- Chardonnay-J. Kerr, Santa Barbara County, Bien Nacido Vineyard, 1999 (also Best of Show-white); Lafond Vineyard & Winery, Santa Rita Hills, 2001; and Rusack Vineyards Santa Maria Valley Reserve, 2001
- Viognier-Curtis, Santa Barbara County, 2001
- Blush-Lucas & Lewellen, Mandolino, Santa Barbara County "Rosato" 2002 (also Best of Show-rose)
- Pinot Noir-Brucher Winery, Santa Maria Valley, 2000; Casa Cassara, Santa Rita Hills, Burning Creek Vineyard, 2001 (also Best of Show-red); Clos Pepe Estate, Santa Rita Hills, 2000; Foley Estate, Santa Maria Valley, 2001; Lafond Vineyards & Winery Santa Ynez Valley 1999; LinCourt Vineyards, Santa Barbara County, 2001; and Gainey Vineyard, Santa Barbara County "Limited Selection," 2000
- Syrah-Beckmen Vineyards, Santa Ynez Valley, Purisima Vineyard, 2001; Casa Cassara, Santa Ynez Valley, 2001;Rusack Vineyards, Santa Ynez Valley, 2001
- Nebbiolo-Santa Barbara Winery, Santa Ynez Valley, Stolpman Vineyard, 1998
- Dessert-Santa Barbara Winery, Sauvignon Blanc, Santa Ynez Valley, Lafond Vineyard Late Harvest, 1999 (also Best of Show-dessert)
Incidentally, nebbiolo is a one of the great Italian red varietals most notably grown in the Piemonte region (the Piedmont) of northern Italy. It is the grape that makes the great Barolos and Barbarescos. While not as widely known as syrahs and pinot noirs, both Italian varietals-sangiovese and nebbiolo-show great promise here in Santa Barbara County.
Times wine columnist, Bob Senn, lives in the Los Alamos Valley and owns the Los Olivos Wine & Spirits Emporium.
