We are completing a new patio which, for lack of a better name, we are calling our VIP Patio. But stay tuned, we will certainly need to come up with a better name.
We built on the side of the winery as you approach from Santa Rosa Road. In Santa Rita Hills you are almost guaranteed to have wind. It you usually comes up before noon and lasts until late afternoon or until the fog rolls in. We think of it as invigorating but for many it creates havoc with tablecloths and light plastic or paper tableware. The wind brings in the ocean breeze and cools the vineyard and makes possible the fantastic Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that we grow here.
The Patio is connected to the production winery through what we always referred as the VIP room, thus the name of the patio — for now. The Patio is surrounded by a wall and since it is on the leeward side of the winery it affords a great deal of wind protection.
We hope to use it for small groups, that can be catered, of up to 50 people, preferably less.
Call Mirella Valdez, our Tasting Room Manager, for additional information 805.688.7921.
Click the images to enlarge:
A view of the Lafond Vineyards taken today June 7, 2008. In the foreground our older vineyard on the north side of the Santa Ynez river And in the background on the south side of the river the newer vineyard and the winery. By clicking the image and enlarging it you can barely distinguish it up against the hills. In between our neighbor Hilltop Vineyards which supplies us with Chardonnay and some Syrah. The Santa Rita Hills have turned brown, as they always do in June, and the river, although there is a flow, is easy to cross with our tractors and ATVs.
Click image 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
Open House
Saturday January 26, 2008
From 10:00-5:00
2006 SRH Wines
This is an opportunity to try all three 2006 SRH wines — Pinot Noir, Syrah and Chardonnay — together. All these wines come from vineyards in the Santa Rita Hills district (thus SRH) and the majority from our own Lafond Vineyard. The wines are still young and will continue to develop with aging but with six months in the bottle we think they are already fabulous.
Manager Mirella Valdez, as always, will provide cheese, bread and some desserts to accompany the wines. With the recent rains the hills are green, the air is crisp and it should be a great day.
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Lafond Winery 2006 SRH Syrah
The ‘SRH’ designation on the Lafond label signals Winemaker Bruce McGuire’s intent to blend a selection of vineyards located in the Santa Rita Hills AVA (American Viticultural Area). Located in the western end if the Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Rita Hills is a cold climate region where grapes benefit from a very long growing season.
After the bountiful 2005 harvest, the Syrah vines rested a little. Between the smaller harvest and Bruce’s strict selection criteria from within our vineyard and the neighboring Hill Top Ranch Vineyard, the production of the 2006 was down by 550 cases. The wine shows the beginnings of being a big Syrah needing time to integrate in the bottle to show off the concentrated fruit and intense flavors.
Bruce’s selection of seventeen vineyard lots from multiple Syrah clones has really paid off in a powerful expression of fruit from aroma to finish. He then aged the wine in a blend barrels to give the wine layers of complexity and texture. This Syrah shows the “cool-climate” character found in Syrah grown in the Santa Rita Hills. Flavors are marked by forward dark berry, violets, and terrific white pepper spice intensity.
This wine will nicely integrate in the bottle before early 2009 and will continue to be very impressive into 2012. One of our favorite wines for pairing with hearty fare and grilled foods, this wine is also fun to match with cheese such as Taleggio.
To order
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We are finally getting winter — the cold nights – but not the rain. Winemaker Bruce McGuire still has some wines to press, mostly small lots that have been kept for extended maceration. Pruning will begin in a few weeks once the vines are completely dormant.
The photo is of the vineyard and winery and can be enlarged by clicking.
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