Mass market American “blush” wines that were popular in the 1970s are a far cry from the dry and refreshing Rosés being produced today in California, Spain, Italy, and southwest France. These pink wines are not to be confused with the cloying sweetness of grocery store boxed wines. The resurgence of dry style Rosés in California has resulted in the production of a variety of styles that are a playful alternative for the summertime.
But what makes these wines pink? How are they different from red and white wines? I hear these questions often. Red wines get their deep color and tannin from being fermented on their skins to extract color and tannin. White wines are produced by immediately pressing the juice off of the skin to minimize contact between the two. The next step is to ferment the freshly squeezed grape juice (aka the must). During Rosé wine production, the juice is left in contact with the red skins for a short amount of time (anywhere from one to three days) resulting in its characteristic pink color. Fermentation continues as a white wine, usually carried out in stainless steel tanks. Rosés can be made from any variety of red grape — Syrah, Grenache, and Pinot Noir are popular here in Santa Barbara County.
Rose wines possess characteristics of white wine, making them popular as temperatures rise. Stainless steel fermentation results in pleasantly light and crisp fruit qualities. They are extremely versatile — popular by the glass as well as to accompany summer meals. I personally think that Rosé wines can e drank all year round, especially in California because they also complement a variety of fall and winter root vegetables.
Our 2007 Rosé of Syrah is the fifth vintage Bruce McGuire
has produced with grapes from the Hilltop Ranch vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills. It is made from 100% Syrah grapes. Plump strawberry and orange peel aromas are emerging with an extremely refreshing mid-palate fruit explosion and crisp acidity.
Joanie Hudson, Assistant Santa Barbara Winery Tasting Room Manager
Santa Barbara Winery 2007 Santa Rita Riesling 7.3
The nobel grape Riesling is enjoying a well earned resurgence of popularity in America as increasing numbers of writers and chefs become enamored with the wine’s flavors and suitability for pairing with a wide range of foods.
As we recall, Riesling was really one of the first grapes that showed the promise of the Santa Ynez Valley for fine wine growing back in the middle 1970’s. Pierre Lafond planted the first block of Riesling in our Lafond Vineyard in 1972 and winemaker Bruce McGuire has crafted several styles of this wine since his arrival to finish the 1981 harvest.
Recognizing that residual sugar (r.s.) marks the style of each Riesling we produce, either the word “dry” or a number representing the amount of r.s. in the wine appears on the label under the AVA designation. The amount of r.s. in each style may vary slightly from year to year as Bruce balances this sweetness with the natural acid level that a particlar vintage achieved.
The “7.3″ style can only be made when a section of our Lafond Vineyard meets Bruce’s criteria for clean, flavorful fruit and firm acidity to balance a higher level of sugar. Good weather for a later harvest helps with the magical flavor intensity found in this wine. Flavors of stone fruits such as peach, apricot or nectarine appear in this Riesling style as well as pear and tropical flowers.
The balancing acid is key in tightening the flavors at the back of the mouth and is responsible for the long, satisfying finish. A very pleasant stand alone sipping wine, it would also be a nice match for a peach tart. This is another wine built for extended aging. Eight to twelve years should prove quite interesting.ineyard and its microclimate.
Suggested retail: 20.00
To Purchase:
Summer is upon us, and as it approaches, my excitement for the beach and barbeques is accompanied by a concern for my wine collection - most of which I keep in a wine rack in my closet. If you have a similar collection at home, keep in mind that proper cellaring conditions not only help preserve the wine for the greatest drinking potential down the road, but making sure to keep the wine out of the heat prevents it from turning into vinegar. Whether you have one bottle that you are saving to drink on that special occasion that never seems quite important enough, or you have your own closet cellar, you must make sure that the wine is kept out of direct sunlight and away from fluctuating temperatures and heat.
Radical temperature changes will cause the cork to expand and contract, which will allow oxygen to sneak into your wine. Ideal cellaring temperatures are between 55 and 60 degrees. Be prepared for those really hot days because even one could be disasterous. If you don’t have a cool, dark place to keep your wine at home, consider looking into a wine storage facility in town that will store your wine for a small monthly fee. I have a friend who splits his storage facility with his Dad and they each pay only $5 a month for peace of mind. This is worth it if you are investing time and money into collecting wine.
One other thing to keep in mind is having wine in the car on a long hot drive. If you go wine tasting and purchase wine, do not leave the wine sitting in the car where it heats up extremely fast. This will ruin the wine that you just bought. If you are planning on buying wine, bring along some ice packs and a cooler.
A note to wine club members - the heat of the summer months is the reason we do not send out a shipment in July. The wine would be compromised, sitting in the back of a Fedex truck while other packages are delivered like a soldier sent into battle without a gun.
Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery
Winemaker Bruce McGuire has made another first for 43 year old Santa Barbara Winery, Pinot Gris. This grape is grown throughout the world, with Northern Italy perhaps getting the most recognition in recent times.
A fairly hearty variety, Pinot Gris is ideally grown in a climate just cool enough to develop the acidity needed to provide structure for the near full-bodied mouth feel. Bruce is very impressed with the Thompson Vineyard in Alisos Canyon, a site he feels is well suited for grapes to make big, rich wines.
This vineyard seems to be in the climate mid-range as it is in neither the coolest or warmest area in Santa Barbara County. The varietals planted here have been thoughtfully chosen and are starting to show the full potential of this vineyard and its microclimate.
Citrus to pear flavors dominate, and while this wine is a very pleasant aperitif, it has ample weight for pairing with young goat cheeses, roasted pork dishes, crab, or Thai sea bass. Enjoy this wine through 2009.
544 cases produced.
Suggested Retail 16.00/750ml
To order:
This week we started planting our new Chardonnay block – a little over 10 acres. We are using 5 different clones — some of these clones are already in some of our older blocks, and a few that are new to us, but have been tested in other vineyards in the Santa Rita Hills.
First the ground is softened by drip irrigation, although this may not really be necessary — the soil is very sandy – which we think ideal for Chardonnay. The Chardonnay has been grafted to a root stock that is well adapted to our soil — disease resistant, not too vigorous and good in sand.
Organic mulch is added at each vine location, hopefully to jump-start the plant’s growth. The vine is then planted and enclosed in a growth tube to protect it from the fierce winds and the blowing sand which are common in the Santa Rita Hills.
The first year is dedicated to establishing the vine — growing a solid root system. The following winter the vine is cut back to two buds — almost to where it started. The growth tube remains during the second year until the vine grows out of the tube and can be trained on the wire. The third year we get a small crop. Maybe.
The thumbnails show the planting sequence. Click to enlarge:
Winemaker Bruce MaGuire periodically checks the red wines from the 2007 harvest for completion of malolactic fermentation. Some varieties will undergo this secondary fermentation, the conversion of malic acid to lactic acid , very quickly. Others especially those varieties harvested late are slower to undergo this process — one reason is that, because it is later in the season, it is colder and cold inhibits fermentation.
There was a time, and not so long ago, when malolactic fermentation was not as understood as it is today – it was discouraged – with the unfortunate result that it sometimes occurred within the bottle and spoilt the wine. The benefits today, of a carefully controlled malolactic fermentation, are well recognized. And aside from a more stable wine it enriches the wine with more complex flavor and balance.
Malic acid is most easily recognized in apples. Some white wines are also encouraged to go through malolactic fermentation especially those rich buttery Chardonnays. If fruit flavors, however, are essential such as in Riesling, Rosé, and Sauvignon Blanc, the wines are kept chilled, until bottling, to prevent this from occurring.
The photo below is of Bruce in the lab, at Lafond Winery, ’spotting’ the different barrels. He puts several drops on each ’spot’ on a special paper. Each spot represents a different barrel, and when he places the paper in a solution it will tell him if the fermentation has been completed, or how far it has gone. He uses a small capillary tube, that he rests on the board at his side, to deposit the ‘drops’ on the paper. Slow but effective.
Santa Barbara Winery Tasting Room Host Chris Fossek has performed Flamenco guitar at a number of Lafond and Santa Barbara Winery Events - including the annual wine club barbeque held during the summer, and most recently at Lafond Vineyards on the day of the Vintner’s Festival. This Friday, May 2, he will be playing at the Bistro on State St. while guests can enjoy wine flights, appetizers, and dinner. The candlelit room and big windows is perfectly situated to watch the energy of a Friday evening on State Street.
Chris has a Master’s Degree in Flamenco Guitar Performance from the California Institute of the Arts. He has performed as a soloist and in ensembles at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, the RedCat Theatre at the Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles, the Getty Museum, and the 
International Guitar Festival locally. With all of this internationally acclaimed experience one of his favorite places to play is still Santa Barbara. Chris has also studied at the University of Bologna, Italy and lived for a period of time in Valencia, Spain. His extensive experiences abroad and wealth of knowledge about music and wine make him one of those people you don’t want to miss having a conversation with in your lifetime.
Tapas Specials:
Ahi Tuna Cucumber Ceviche
Shrimp Avocado Mango Ceviche
Antipasto
Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager
has produced with grapes from the Hilltop Ranch vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills. It is made from 100% Syrah grapes. Plump strawberry and orange peel aromas are emerging with an extremely refreshing mid-palate fruit explosion and crisp acidity.
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