February 4, 1999
NEWSAs our local wine country continues to grow, four new wine producers join the Santa Barbara Count Vintners' Association as winery members.
Blackjack Ranch Vineyards & Winery is located on Alamo Pintado Road between Ballard and Los Olivos. The winery, owned by Roger Wisted, is not open to the public yet.
The winery does, however, have its first release out-a gorgeous 1997 vintage chardonnay, which was made up at Laetitia Winery near Arroyo Grande. The fruit for this stunning premier release came from a vineyard near Los Olivos over on Ballard Canyon Road.
Brophy Clark Cellars, based in Santa Maria, has several particularly intriguing releases already out there too. One I like a lot is their pinot noir produced from grapes grown in the Arroyo Grande Valley-a wine to seek out, and certainly a winery to watch!
Daniel Gehrs Wines is also a new member. The winery, owned by Dan and Robin Gehrs of Solvang, does not have a tasting room open to the public.
Dan Gehrs was the winemaker at Zaca Mesa until recently and he is now the winemaker at Bridlewood. Dan Gehrs, a veteran of the county for some time now, is producing some quite outstanding wines under his own name.
Vandale Vineyards, owned by Bruce and Beth Vandale, is a small vineyard planted to sangiovese-about three acres-east of Highway 154 in Santa Ynez.
The wine is made for Bruce and Beth Vandale by Bruno D'Alfonso of Sanford Winery. The first release sangiovese is a benchmark release-a hallmark wine in the style of one of those great Super Tuscan reds from Italy which will no doubt show just what the potential of this important Tuscan and Chianti varietal is in the destiny of Santa Barbara County!
A New Mission
I just received a terrific newsletter called "The SLO Grapevine," published by a group called Women for Winesense, based in San Luis Obispo County. Here is a part of their vision statement: "...We believe that wine enhances and enriches everyday life, and we promote the appreciation and responsible enjoyment of wine. We support the success and professional development of women in wine and associated industries."
I certainly couldn't agree more with the sentiments expressed in the mission statement. For more information on the group, call 547-1753 or visit www.winesense.com.
Events
Speaking of the Vintners' Association, the 17th annual Vintners' Festival will be held at the Firestone Meadow on Saturday and Sunday, April 17 and 18th from 1-4 p.m. Tickets are $60. Order your tickets now. The staff tells me if ticket orders received by January 31 exceed the number of tickets available per day, a computerized random selection process will be used to fill the orders. Call 688-0881 for reservations or more details.
Attention home winemakers! The amateur wine competition is returning to the Santa Barbara County Fair again this summer. Amateur winemakers working with grapes grown within Santa Barbara County or San Luis Obispo County can enter. Divisions include red, rose, white, dessert, fruit and sparkling. Entry forms must be submitted before June 18. For more information call 925-8824.
New release!
The 1999 Alban at 6:41 a.m. on January 10, and you are thinking, "Hmmm, isn't this a bit early for a new release; harvest for the last year of the millenium hasn't even happened yet." Congratulations go out to John and Lorraine Alban of Alban Vineyards on the birth of their first child, Jared Seymour Alban, born a healthy, happy 7 lbs 8 oz January 10.
The Alban Vineyards 1996 estate grown grenache, by-the-way, was my pick for wine of the year for 1998.
Bon appetit!
Bob Senn writes The Independent's monthly wine column, "Grapevine," lives in the Los Alamos Valley and owns the Los Olivos Wine & Spirits Emporium.
