Tag Archive for 'terroir'

California Travel – Happy Canyon

Published on November 12, 2009 in Articles on Wine and Vineyards and Joanie Hudson. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

Santa Barbara County’s newest AVA, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara, has long been a source of high quality fruit for us here at Santa Barbara Winery.  Check out this fun article (‘Near Santa Barbara, California’s New Wine Country’) on our newest wine country destination.

From California Travel Girl website

I know why it’s called Happy Canyon. It’s because this little corner of Santa Barbara wine country, in the east end of the Santa Ynez Valley, has just become California’s newest AVA (American Viticultural Area). On the Los Padres side of Highway 154, this broad, sunny cleft is home to horse ranches and hillside vineyards.

To become an AVA, a wine region has to be significantly different from other winegrape growing areas, and Happy Canyon qualifies: hotter temps, less fog, and a mineral terroir (serpentine soil lace with high magnesium content) make it distinctive. It’s also pretty small, with just six major vineyards and two active wineries (a third is due next year), but note: none offer public tasting.

Still, you can make your own tasting tour of their wines (mostly Bordeaux-styles), by visiting winetasting rooms like those listed below. Or visit the better known area Santa Barbara wine regions. And don’t miss Santa Barbara’s downtown Urban Wine Trail, with stops at eleven wine hotspots. Happy now?

What is Petite Sirah?

Published on February 22, 2009 in Joanie Hudson and Petite Sirah. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

As if trying to learn about all of the varieties of wine out there wasn’t confusing enough, consumers are slapped with different names for the same varietal (Syrah and Shiraz) and in the case of Petite Sirah, a similar name as a distinctive yet related varietal, Syrah. 

Petite Sirah is the offspring of Syrah, but they are in fact two distinct varieties (notice also the different spelling of Sirah and Syrah).  Petite Sirah comes from a cross between Syrah and Peloursin, with half of its DNA from one varietal and half from the other.  Recent DNA research at UC Davis determined that Petite Sirah is actually just another name for the varietal known as Durif. 

Today California and Australia are the two largest producers of the varietal whose sturdy vines thrive in a multitude of soil types.  Dry climates are preferred as the tightly packed grape clusters are susceptible to rot and mold if they get wet. 

Visually Petite Sirah produces very dark red wines, frequently described as inky, extracted, almost black.  Side by side comparisons of Petite Sirah and Syrah will really demonstrate this difference in pigment.  Lip smacking tannins are rich and structured, holding the spicy and plummy flavors in place for years in the cellar. 

A wonderful resource to learn more about Petite Sirah can be found at P.S. I Love You, a website devoted exclusively to the “promotion, education, and legitimazation of Petite Sirah as a noble varietal, with a special emphasis on its terroir uniqueness.”

2006 Santa Barbara Winery Petite Sirah Thompson Vineyard, 28.00

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery