Monthly Archive for April, 2009

Santa Barbara Winery New Release

Published on April 28, 2009 in Riesling and Wine News. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

2007 Dry Riesling

Riesling’s allure over that of other white wines is the necessary precision and attention to detail that goes into making this wonderfully versatile noble grape maintain its racy acidity and interestingly complex flavor profile.

In Alsace and Austria, Riesling is traditionally made into a very dry wine. Winemaker Bruce McGuire has experimented over the years with different levels of sweetness, measured by residual sugar from dry to late harvest style Rieslings. This, our dry style, shows off the body and complex flavors highlighting peach and nectarine backed by a firm, mineral finish to make for a very food friendly wine.

Aging in two neutral French barrels sur lie adds to the fleshy and full weight of the wine. Bright and aromatic, this wine should age beautifully. Often described as a “sipping wine” we recommend trying this Riesling with Asian Cuisine or white meats such as glazed Pork and roasted Turkey. It is also in good company with a greater variety of cheeses than most wines are comfortable with.
Suggested retail: 20.00
To order:

Sensational Seafood Event

Published on April 27, 2009 in Santa Barbara Winery and Special Events. 0 Comments Tags: , .

This Sunday evening, May 3, we will be pouring a selection of Santa Barbara Winery wines at the Sensational Seafood event being held at the Ty Warner Sea Center on the water.  Guests are invited to taste an array of sensational and sustainable seafood dishes created by local chefs. 

Enjoy wine tasting, sunset ocean views, and a little food for thought while sampling some of the best seafood Santa Barbara has to offer.  Explore the new Sustainable Seafood Exhibit and learn about how to make ocean-friendly seafood choices. 

May 3, 2009

Start Time: 6:00PM - 8:00PM 
Location:  Ty Warner Sea Center
Information:  805.962.2526 x110
Website:  www.sbnature.org
Admission:  Pre-registration required. $35 members; $45 non-members
For more information about this event please contact Heather Lahr by email at hlahr@sbnature2.org or by phone at (805) 682-4711 ext. 170.

May Wine Club Shipments

Published on April 27, 2009 in Wine Club. 1 Comment Tags: , , .

As the weather heats up we are increasingly cautious with wine shipments, monitoring the weather daily in hot spots and keeping our eye out for heat waves.  May wine club shipments will include three bottles, instead of the standard two bottle shipment to make up for the fact that we do not send out wine to the wine club in July.  The two bottles that would go out in July are instead split between the May and September shipments. 

Even though we do not send out the July shipment, club members are still invited at any time to order wines with their 20% discount, online, by phone or in the tasting room.

The May wine club shipment will be shipped on Tuesday, May 5 for delivery on Thursday, May 7.  If you know you will not be available to sign for the wine on the 7th, just let us know, and we will happily arrange a different shipping date for your order. 

Another reminder, if you would like to add on any wines to your club shipment we will send those out along with them for just one $9.50 shipping charge.  Start planning ahead for your summer BBQs!  And don’t forget to bring visiting friends in for free spring and summertime wine tastings with your membership.

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery

Green Winemaking

Published on April 26, 2009 in Joanie Hudson and Santa Barbara Winery. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Santa Barbara is a particularly eco-conscious city, and this is particularly evident when Earth Day rolls around.  Three terms are currently evolving into their formal definitions. 

The Washington Post reviews three important environmental terms for winemaking in the below article – sustainable, organic, and biodynamic.

There are three shades of green winegrowing: sustainable, organic and biodynamic, or what I like to call S/O/B wines. Unfortunately, there is no clear definition for any category, so there’s a “buyer beware” aspect to this discussion.

Sustainable, simply put, means the grapes were grown with few or no chemical fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides, so the soil is nurtured and not depleted of nutrients. Sustainable viticulture differs from organic mainly in its lack of a formal definition or certification and oversight by an outside body. Sustainable growers maintain the freedom to use non-organic chemicals in dire situations when their crop is in jeopardy.

Organic is the most problematic category because of confusing legal definitions. When the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued regulations a few years ago defining “organic” agriculture, it characterized organic wine as that grown in organically certified vineyards and made without added sulfites. Sulfites keep wine from spoiling, and the wine industry typically refuses to sell you a product that is likely to go bad before you have a chance to enjoy it. So you are more likely to see a U.S. wine labeled “made from organically grown grapes” than one labeled simply “organic.” Or there will be no mention of the “O” word at all on the label. European agencies such as Ecocert will certify a wine as organic even if sulfites were added. And many Mediterranean wineries have been farming organically for generations because they don’t need chemicals, and don’t trumpet that on labels.

Biodynamic winemaking goes way beyond organics: It views the vineyard as a holistic ecosystem and prescribes vineyard practices according to phases of the moon.

Click here to view the rest of the article.

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery

Resveratrol and Polyphenols

Published on April 20, 2009 in Joanie Hudson. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

What are Resveratrol and Polyphenols? If you’re like me, in the wine world you hear these words thrown around a lot.  Particularly as a way of positive association between heart health, longevity, and red wine. 

Wine Spectator’s current issue focuses on “The Healing Power of Wine.” I of course am drawn to the topic because I like to collect all of the positive data that I can in association with wine.  Here are the magazine’s definitions of these two currently attention headlining compounds.

Polyphenols: A class of chemical compounds found in plants, polyphenols fulfill a variety of functions, from providing color in fruits to fighting off infections; high levels are also found in the skins of grapes and other fruits.  Polyphenols are divided into two classes: flavonoids and nonflavonoids.  Flavonoids, which are abundant in wine, include flavonols, procyanidins (condensed tannins) and anthocyanins.  The levels of these compounds greatly influence the overall taste, color and longevity of finished wines.  Tannins are the most abundant polyphenol among the 4,000 found in the plant world. Several polyphenols, including procyanidins and quercetin, are being studied for their potential health benefits (which are promising).

Resveratrol: A polyphenol that ufnctions as a plant’s primary defense against damage from bacteria or fungi.  Found in grape skins and red wine, resveratrol is the subject of intense study for its potential role in prolonging the human life span and in guarding against dementia, diabetes and cancer.

Bottom line – Moderate wine consumption is a balanced part of a healthy lifestyle. 

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery

Santa Barbara Winery New Release

Published on April 19, 2009 in Lagrein, New Releases and Santa Barbara Winery. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

2006 Joughin Vineyard Lagrein

Lagrein is one of the indigenous grapes grown around the town of Bolzano in the Alto Adige; Italy’s northern most wine growing region. Locally known for its big, rich tannins and very dark color, this is a remarkable food wine.

The key is a richness of fruit character, instead of hard tannins that delights and surprises the mouth at the same time. “This grape yields the darkest, most saturated wine I’ve experienced”, remarked Winemaker Bruce McGuire. Mr. Andrew Joughin, who also happens to be the vineyard manager at our Lafond Vineyard, planted the Joughin Vineyard.

It was his idea to look for unusual grape varieties from around the world that would be suitable for his soils and Los Olivos climate. Of course Bruce was happy to offer some suggestions that would also add to the wide variety of wines he makes for Santa Barbara Winery.

We got Andrew to plant a couple more rows because we continue to be impressed by this varietal. The seven tons of fruit from this four acre section gave us a concentrated, lush, and fruit forward, wine.

Pair with polenta and stewed meats as well as pasta in light tomato garlic sauce. This is also a great wine to taste with cheeses such as Camembert, Fontina, semihard Gouda, or your own selection in the fresh goat’s milk catagory. This wine should age nicely through 2010.

Suggested Retail: 30.00/750ml

To Order:

2009 Vintners’ Festival Recap

Published on April 19, 2009 in Joanie Hudson and Vintners Festival. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , .

I think that my favorite part about being on the pouring side of the table at the Vintners’ Festival is hearing peoples’ “tasting strategies” for navigating through the tremendous amounts of wines available to sample.  An intimidating venue? Maybe. But those who stuck with a strategic plan seemed to be pleased with their journies. 

While Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah are grown most successfully in Santa Barbara County, the variety beyond these wines is impressive.  Winemakers are growing these grapes while also experimenting with lesser known varietals, and this was evident at the festival. 

We had a range of wines to please different palates from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to Negrette, Primitivo, Riesling, and a wax sealed magnum of golden Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc.  A few tasters were only tasting Pinot Noirs, a few only Chardonnay, and a few were seeking out the small number of tables who were pouring a dessert wine or two.  And then there were the smirking faces of those who only wanted to taste the winemaker’s favorite, or flagship wine. 

The Lompoc event, held at River Park, was heavily attended, and the grass park venue was a perfect stomping ground for a beautiful (and unlike last year, warm) day.  The Santa Barbara County Vintners’ Association hosts bi-annual gatherings like this for all of the member wineries to come together and proudly pour their wines for industry friends and guests.  The Vintners’ Festival (Spring) and the Harvest Festival (Fall) should not be missed by Central Coast wine lovers trying to keep up with what’s fresh, new, and delicious. 

I did get a chance to get out there and taste a couple of favorites (Palmina and Flying Goat Pinot Noirs).

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery

Vintners’ Festival Wines

Published on April 15, 2009 in Joanie Hudson, Santa Barbara Winery and Special Events. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , .

Here are the wines that we will be pouring for the Santa Barbara Winery label at the Vintners’ Festival this Saturday, April 18.

2007 Chardonnay

Our Santa Barbara County Chardonnay is a lightly oaked, multi-vineyard blend.  45% barrel fermentation with the remainder done in stainless steel tanks produces a bright intensity of fruit and round mouthfeel.

2007 Pinot Noir

Velvety flavor and aromatic concentration jump out of the glass of our 2007 Pinot Noir.  Yields from our estate Lafond Vineyard and neighbor vineyard Arita Hills were low in this particular vintage due to a late frost.  These sites combine the juiciest berries from select vineyard rows, producing a classically soft textured Pinot Noir.

2006 Negrette Joughin Vineyard

Negrette traces its origins to the warm climate area north of Toulouse in southwestern France where it is known for its dark color and fragrant berry aroma and flavor.  Fans of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon usually are the most pleased when tasting this wine and are always intrigued by its obscure presence in the wine world.

2006 Primitivo Joughin Vineyard

Primitivo has recently been shown to be genetically identical to Zinfandel. Growing well in warmer climates, it has a more “sun kissed” quality than wines that come from cooler areas in Italy, such as Tuscany or Piedmont.  Primitivo is dark red with bold fruity flavors and an intense essence of sweetness while being bone dry.

2007 Riesling 7.3

The “7.3″ represents the amount of residual sugar in this Riesling.  On the sweeter side, its medium body is buoyed by sleek acidity and crisp ripe fruit and honeysuckle.  Very harmonious and leaves a lasting impression.

It’s not too late to purchase tickets for the Vintners’ Festival!

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery

Aging Magnums of Wine

Published on April 15, 2009 in Joanie Hudson and Large Bottles. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Large format wine bottles are useful for quantity and show, but also great pieces for collectors to store in their cellars to age.  These big bottles of wine (magnums, jerobaums, and on up) are known to age better than the standard 750 mL bottles for a few reasons.  I have heard differing arguments for why or if they really do, and below is an article that clearly articulates reasons that it may be beneficial to upgrade your purchase to a magnum.

“It’s partly about oxidation, and partly it’s a mystery.” The oxidation aspect is easy to explain: Wines age through controlled oxidation and that tiny amount of air between the wine and the cork is like a little aerobic factory. While the distance from the top of the wine to the bottom of the cork is slightly greater in a magnum, it’s not doubled and the necks are the same size. So the net effect is there is less air per liter of wine in a magnum and that means a slower evolution.

There are a couple of other things going on as well: Small temperature fluctuations are less dramatic in a larger volume of wine…

Full Article

While there may be many factors that contribute to the ability of of a magnum to age, the received wisdom is that bigger is better.

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery