June 27, 1996

The Grapevine!

by Bob Senn
NEWS

The big news on the Central Coast is Firestone beer--the real stuff this time--a really tasty double barrel ale with 5 percent alcohol--not the non-alcohol beer the winery produced a number of years ago.

This new Firestone venture is the passion and brainchild of Adam Firestone, son of winery founder and Assemblyperson Brooks Firestone, and his brother-in-law,

a charming Limey and computer guy, David Walker. Their brewmaster, Jeffers Richardson does one helluva job with this new Firestone brew. You can tell when you taste it that this is a product of lust and passion.

And Tuesday night, July 30, the Victoria Restaurant & Pub in Ventura will be hosting a beer maker-winemaker dinner in conjunction with The Firestone Vineyard and the Firestone Walker Brewing Company. Call Andrew Stone at the restaurant for more information or to make reservations. The number is 650-0060.

Last week, Leeward Winery bottled its 1995 Edna Valley appellation chardonnay. The wine will be released August 10.

Coincidentally, August 10 and 11, 10-4 p.m., Leeward presents its special weekend, "The Taste of Ventura." This bash matches food and wine--local foods grown here in Ventura County--raspberries, strawberries, the caesar salad prepared by the gang at The Chart House. It'll prove to be two days of fun, great wine and food and it's free. Reservations are not necessary, but if you'd like more information, call Shawn Matthess, the winery's marketing director at 656-5054. Newsy tidbits from up the coast!

Greg Brewer is back on the winemaking team at Santa Barbara Winery with Bruce McGuire after a brief foray out into the boonies of the Santa Ynez Valley as Sunstone's winemaker. And Greg will be doing a summer series wine course July 18 through August 22 down at the winery. $60 for the series or $12 for individual sessions. Call Santa Barbara Winery at 963-3633.

More really exciting news from Santa Barbara Winery to report.! Publicist Laila Rashid tells me the winery just purchased part of the old Rancho Santa Rosa property in the western end of theSanta Ynez Valley. The property is directly accross the river from Lafond Vineyard. The plan, according to Laila, is to plant roughly 30 acres of pinot noir and 5 acres of syrah.

Yet more great news to report! Kathy Joseph of Fiddlehead Cellars recently put together a deal to purchase 133 acres out on Santa Rosa Road in the western end of the Santa Ynez Valley. And she will be planting pinot noir in her new vineyard across the road from the fabled Sanford & Benedict Vineyard, one of the consummate pinot noir vineyards in California, planted about 25 years ago by pioneers and visionaries, Richard Sanford and his then-partner, Michael Benedict.

Coup de Qupé! Bob Lindquist, owner-winemaker at Qupé which is located about a dozen miles east of Santa Maria in Santa Barbara County has accepted the position of consulting winemaker for Chateau Routas, in Provençe, France. Routas produces about 20,000 cases of chardonnay and Rhône varietals--Qupé's forte on this continent. New releases: Dave Guffy, winemaker at Cambria, and his wife Julie are happy to announce their latest release, Jennifer Elise, born in March. And Craig Jaffurs of Jaffurs Wine Cellars and his wife Lee Wardlaw announce their first release Patterson Wardlaw Jaffurs born May 30.

NEW RELEASES (WINE): Carmel Maitland, the owner of Old Creek Ranch tells me she's got two new releases, Maelstrom (to be somewhat Poe-etic) and a well priced pinot noir for just $8.50. The Maelstrom which retails for $15 is a blend of 50 percent petite sirah, 33 percent cabernet sauvignon and 17 percent nebbiolo. The pinot noir comes from a vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley of Santa Barbara County.

The tasting room off of Highway 33 is open Thursday through Sunday.

EVENTS: Summer concerts, food & fireworks

Bob Senn writes The Independent's monthly wine column, "Grapevine," and owns the Los Olivos Wine & Spirits Emporium.

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