Holiday Cheers in the Sta. Rita Hills

Published
by
joanie
on December 1, 2008
in Joanie Hudson, Lafond Winery and Special Events
. 1 Comment

Why not leave the malls and congested parking lots behind this weekend and head out to the vineyards to do your shopping?  The first weekend of December is always packed full of activities, jovial tunes, and the first holiday parties of the year.  This special weekend (December 5-7) the Sta. Rita Hills Winegrowers Alliance has put together a lengthy list of open houses and tastings to entice visitors to spend the weekend in the beautiful energy and rolling hills of the appellation.  

Lafond Winery and Vineyard extends open arms to visitors looking to get in on the holiday cheer and can provide an assortment of gift ideas for your loved ones (all while tasting through a selection of our most recently released Chardonnays, Pinots and Syrahs).  Christmas shopping doesn’t have to stressful at the winery gift shop.  

This is a great weekend to come up to the Santa Ynez Valley and enjoy the crisp, clean air while touring your favorite vineyards as well as vineyards that only open their doors to the public a couple of days a year.  For example, Pali Wine Company and Flying Goat in Lompoc will hold open houses and join the Sta. Rita Hills in toasting the holiday season.  So make your list of vineyards to visit, check it twice, and get out there and enjoy.  

For more information on events and our appellation/growing region, please visit and join the Sta. Rita Hills Winegrowers Alliance website.  Sign up for the email list to receive updates on events and happenings (or just regularly check my blog!).

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery

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Santa Barbara Winery New Release

Published
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Pierre
on November 30, 2008
in Wine News
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Santa Barbara Winery 2006 Petite Sirah

We are happy to release our second vintage of Petite Sirah. This grape has had a rather muddled history ever since it was first cultivated in California circa 1890 shortly after being either propagated or identified as a seperate varitety in France in the 1880 s.

It is not Syrah, and there is nothing petite about it in terms of grape size or flavor. Many older Petite Sirah vineyards in California are actually field blends containing as many as five grape variteies (including Petite Sirah and Syrah). DNA fingerprinting has also shown what we know as Peitite Sirah could actually be the ancient Rhone variety Peloursin.

Or, as the most popular theory goes, this grape is actually Durif, a cross of Peloursin and Syrah created in France in the 1880 s. Whatever the reason, the name Petite Sirah has stuck and the wine became an early favorite in California as the rich, massive wines it produces were a natural favorite when paired with old rancho cuisine featuring grilled meats and vegetables.

The big flavors, black pepper spice and rustic tannins are also a terrific match with hearty stews. Winemaker Bruce McGuire blended the adjoining Thompson Vineyard and Tres Burro Vineyard in Alisos Canyon, a site he feels is well suited for grapes to make big, rich wines.

Bruce notes, 2006 produced a crop of very small clusters that yielded a very dense wine. Petite Sirah is not known for aging ability and we suggest enjoying this wine before 2011 with late 2009 being ideal.

Suggested Retail: 28.00
To order:

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Gift Baskets

Published
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joanie
on November 29, 2008
in Joanie Hudson
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It’s amazing how fast the Christmas switch gets turned on the morning after Thanksgiving has passed.  It’s like suddenly it’s acceptable to play Christmas music, write your Christmas lists, and decorate the streets with colorful bulbs of light.  I had the experience of going into the same Starbucks in LA on Thanksgiving Day and then again the day after.  Totally different experience once we officially moved into the Christmas season - the baristas were wearing Santa hats, Jingle Bells were playing from the stereo, and gift baskets were arranged next to the cash register for impulse gift buys. 

As you start to put together your holiday gift plans look over the website for wrapped baskets, wood boxes, and chocolates.  We just updated our holiday gift baskets to include a few of our newest local products such as elegantly towering Los Olivos Cafe Bread Dipping Oil, savory American Vintage Wine Biscuits, and intensely flavorful Los Olivos Cafe Olive Tapenade. (Los Olivos Cafe is a Zagat rated restaurant in the Santa Ynez Valley). It’s the perfect Santa Barbara package for the holidays and also includes a bottle of wine.  We stuff, wrap, and ship everything right out of our downtown Santa Barbara Winery.  To cater to your needs our online store has set different price points for the baskets and you can choose a bottle of wine that fits into those categories - red or white.  

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery

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Holiday Magnums

Published
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joanie
on November 25, 2008
in Joanie Hudson and Large Bottles
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A magnum of wine can be an intimidating part of a cellar.  I know I always overlook it when choosing a wine for a dinner or party because it just never seems like the right time.  Really though, a magnum is 1.5 liters, which equals two bottles of wine (2 x 750mL).  How much more special and impressive does it become to pull out the magnums for your holiday dinners though?  Breaking through the wax top with the corkscrew has a distinctly soothing sound.  Each of these bottles have been handled by the winemakers, the special batch that gets hand dipped in wax to enhance their appearance.  

If you’re looking for wines meant for entertaining, then look to our website for our library collection of magnums.  Is there a particular Santa Barbara Winery or Lafond Winery vintage or varietal that you are looking for?  Call us and we can see if we can dig it up for you from our cellars.  We have a selection of 1.5 L, 3.0 L, and 5.0 L bottles available on the website under their own ‘large bottle’ category.  They can be wrapped as gifts in our logo woodboxes with beautiful ribbons and shipped using our flat $9.50 shipping rate.  

So this holiday season, instead of pulling out four bottles of wine, try serving two magnums and take note of your guests’ reactions.  There will never be the perfect occasion to open them until you make it so.  One of my favorite sayings in the wine world is that it becomes a special occasion when you open that special bottle of wine, no matter what night of the year it is.

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery

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Thanksgiving Wines Part 2

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joanie
on November 21, 2008
in Joanie Hudson and Wine and Food Pairing
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Through my research for wines that are particularly suited for Thanksgiving dinner, I came across a couple of great articles that highlight Riesling as a key player for the table.  Apprehensive about having a wine that it is not bone dry with your dinner?  Crisp acidity will balance that out and go seamlessly with roasted turkey.  I have talked to many guests in our tasting room about Thanksgiving wines, and so many that have initially expressed disinterest in purchasing a Riesling as a choice for the table end up taking a couple home after tasting it.  While sweet or off dry wines may not be for you to just pour yourself a glass of and sip in front of your favorite TV show, the right occasion exists to break one out.  

When talking about wines, there is a difference between refreshingly sweet and cloyingly sweet.  Cloying is a term to describe a wine that tastes sweet without an oomph of brisk acidity to balance that sweetness out.  It can become sickeningly sweet when you drink too much of it.  Our Riesling comes from our Lafond Vineyard, located in the cool climate Sta. Rita Hills appellation.  The cool climate, which boasts warm days and cool nights partly due to the coastal influence and occasional fog blanket, allows grapes on the vine to retain their natural acidity.  When it gets too hot, the sugars overwhelm the acids and it can cause a raisiny flavor in the resulting wine, leaving it tasting blah and unbalanced.  This cooler climate is also why the Sta. Rita Hills has become renowned as one of the most ideal areas suitable for growing Pinot Noir.  

But, I digress, back to the articles, and the Rieslings…

Check out these two articles from the Chicago Tribune and the LA Times for more info on Riesling and why it is perfect match for your Thanksgiving dinner. Los Angeles Times Chicago Tribune

Our 2 day shipping means that Monday is the last day to take advantage of our 9.50 flat shipping rate to get your wine to you in time for Thursday’s holiday, but last minute shoppers will still be able to use our Priority shipping options if you realize on Tuesday that you still need your wine.  I encourage locals to come in and taste this weekend as we have all sorts of options open for tasting.  Talk to our tasting room hosts about what you’re serving and they will provide the perfect wines.

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery

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December Tasting at Pierre Lafond Bistro, Santa Barbara

Published
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Pierre
on November 19, 2008
in Grenache, Pierre Lafond Bistro and Wine News
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Passport to the World of Wine will continue at the Bistro December 3, 2008 (the first Wednesday of the month).  November’s event featured Syrah, and now we will move on to another Rhone varietal, Grenache.  

While Syrah is the king of France’s Northern Rhone Valley, Grenache is a major player in the Southern Rhone where it is typically included in the Chateauneuf du Pape blends.  It is a medium bodied wine similar in structure to a Pinot, but with a different flavor profile.  Tannins are soft and flavor is huge. 

Zach Blair, Bistro Sommelier, has selected the wines that will be poured at the tasting.

Grenache  December 

07 Monte Oton, Garnacha, Campo de Borja, Spain 
07 Bodega Zabrin Garnacha de Fuego Calatayud, Spain
05 Telegramme, Chateau Neuf du Pape, Brunier, Rhone, France
05 Hewitson, Miss Harry, GSM, Barossa Valley, Australia
05 Santa Barbara Winery, Grenache, Santa Rita Hills

An opportunity to taste a selection of five wines from exceptional growing areas and different countries paired with a delicious culinary selection
Wine Selection by Zach Blair, Bistro Sommelier
Food Pairing by Nathan Heil, Bistro Chef
Call for reservations 805-962-1455

Hope to see you there!
Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery

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Holiday Gift Idea - Wine Club

Published
by
joanie
on November 16, 2008
in Joanie Hudson and Wine Club
. 1 Comment

Are you looking for the perfect Holiday gift for the wine lovers in your life?  You don’t need me to tell you that a bottle and bow under the tree will make them happy.  But, if you’re looking for something a little bit different this year I encourage you to think about giving your loved ones a wine club membership to stuff their stockings.  This is the gift that gives every other month throughout the year.  With each shipment, the recipient will be reminded of you and be thankful for the always appropriate gift of good wine. 

We have a variety of choices for wine club gifts.  You are able to specify if you would like the recipient to receive all red wines, all white wines, or one red and one white.  The way the club works is every other month we will send them two bottles.  You will be charged for the wines at a 20% discounted rate.  You can specify a certain amount of time that you would like the membership to last (for example, three shipments), after which your friends can sign up on their own if they would like. 

For the duration of the membership, a 20% discount will be applied to all additional wine purchases at the Santa Barbara Winery and Lafond Winery.  Wine tasting at either winery will always be complimentary and you can cancel at any time.  Feel free to call us here at the winery if you have any further questions about wine club memberships.  You can sign up online, by phone, or here in the tasting room.

800-225-3633

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery

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