Santa Barbara County Wine Country
As previously mentioned, some readers asked me to compile some of my Instagram photos from intensive regional visits here for easier access. This last week I made a three-day return to Santa Barbara County to do follow-up visits with a few producers I have had on going conversations. This summer I also traveled the region for eight days focusing most specifically on the Ballard Canyon sub-zone. With the dynamic intersection of varied soils, climate variation, changing terrain, etc, it is an interesting area for me to spend time tasting and wrapping my head around. I learn a wealth of insight every time I manage to walk a vineyard in Santa Barbara County (SBC).
Following is the Instagram photo collection from my eight days in SBC this summer, followed by photos from the recent three days. The timing also happens to coincide with a collection of tasting notes from Santa Barbara County that were just published on JancisRobinson.com . Between the two — the tasting notes and the photos here — there is a ton of information about SBC.
Thank you to those that have been following along there on Instagram and asked me to make the images available here!
If you’re interested in keeping up with my persistent wine travels and tastings, you can find me on Instagram as @hawk_wakawaka . Cheers!
First Stop Santa Barbara Wine Country: Casa Dumetz & Babi’s Beer Emporium
Deovlet Wines
Duvarita Vineyard: West of Santa Ynez Valley & Sta Rita Hills (that is closer to the ocean)
Great dig into wines made from Duvarita Vineyard, a unique site west of the Santa Ynez Valley + of Sta Rita Hills. Tasting w the farm team for the site + the winemakers including: Storm, Ojai, Dragonette, Paul Lato, Chanin, Enticer, Bellissimo, Tatomer, Carucci, Ampelos + Denner. A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 20, 2015 at 12:33pm PDT
Heading into Ballard Canyon: Tierra Alta Vineyard
Standing at 1100 ft at the top of Tierra Alta Vineyard in Ballard Canyon, within the Santa Ynez Valley AVA, w Mister John Belfy himself, the man who planted it in 1999. The site has served a veritable who’s who of Rhone winemakers in Santa Barbara County since its inception. Originally planted to 60 acres of Syrah, today the site also includes Grenache, Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Arneis, Tempranillo, Sauvignon Blanc + some Verdelho. Ballard Canyon proves too cold to ripen Bordeaux reds + instead has become home primarily to Rhones wines. Mister John Belfy is one of the key figures of the SBC wine industry who helped establish now well respected sites throughout Santa Ynez Valley.
A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 20, 2015 at 6:43pm PDT
Stolpman Vineyard
Beckmen Estate Purisima Mountain
Steve Beckmen established his Beckmen Vineyards label in the early-mid 1990s initially making wine from a 1980s planted site in the recently proposed Los Olivos AVA while also sourcing fruit to get to know other vineyards through Santa Ynez Valley. After getting turned on to fruit in Ballard Canyon + really loving its distinctiveness (especially in the Syrah), he began looking for land to plant in the region. He began planting his Purisima Mountain Vineyard in Ballard Canyon in 1996, establishing it mainly to Syrah but also Grenache, Mourvèdre, Counoise, Marsanne, Viognier, Grenache Blanc + Sauvignon Blanc. Today, Steve leads the farming of the site himself with Demeter certified biodynamic practices. Sitting on the Northside of Ballard Canyon, Beckmen Vineyard (like Stolpman) grows almost entirely from Linne Clay mixed through w limestone gravel + sitting on limestone. Here we look South across Ballard Canyon from the very top of Beckmen Vineyard at 1200 ft elevation.
A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 21, 2015 at 5:21pm PDT
Jonata Estate Vineyard
Jonata winemaker Matt Dees takes me on a walk through Jonata Vineyard in Ballard Canyon. Planted at the start of the new Millennium, Jonata Vineyards proves unique for Ballard Canyon. It is the only Estate in the appellation focused on Bordeaux varieties, while also growing Syrah. The sandy soils of Jonata behave very differently than the Linne Clay north of Jonata. Sand includes significant drainage. In the case of Ballard Canyon, the sand also allows ripening of Bordeaux varieties where the clay would not. One of the advantages of clay also restricts its potential varieties. Because clay absorbs + holds moisture readily, it also absorbs Ballard Canyon’s cold night time fogs from the ocean. As a result, vineyards in clay take longer to warm in the day + also lock in more humidity. The ample drainage of Jonata’s sand allows the vines to receive the ambient temperature change at night without elongating the cold + humidity in the morning after the fog has cleared. With the slightly warmer + drier conditions, Cabernet Franc + Cabernet Sauvignon ripen on the site. The sand gives them ample while melting tannin while the cool nights give them mouth washing acidity. What is fascinating to me tasting Jonata wines is how utterly Jonata while still distinctly Ballard Canyon they are. That is, the site, Jonata Vineyard, has a unique recognizable signature in the wines while still carrying the character of the AVA. Jonata was planted by John Belfy + today is farmed by Ruben Solorzano.
A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 21, 2015 at 6:23pm PDT
Saarloos & Son Watermill Ranch
Rusack Vineyards
Larner Vineyard
Standing at around 700 ft at the highest point of the Larner Vineyard property w Michael Larner we survey the Southern stretch of Ballard Canyon. The Southern portion (which include both Larner + Kimsey Vineyards) are within direct exposure to the cooling afternoon wind that blows off the Pacific across the extended east-west running Santa Ynez Valley. North of Larner, Ballard Canyon runs North-South still receiving an afternoon wind but at a different angle along the canyon floor, which is a bit protected by the Canyon’s more exposed hilltops. Michael’s professional training as an academic geologist served in researching the conditions of Ballard Canyon to prepare a petition for AVA status, which was approved in 2013. As Michael explains, the relatively small AVA shares in calcareous bedrock, which appears as fractures of chalk in the southern portions (more available to vine roots) + becomes more compressed into limestone in the northern portions. On the surface, sand occurs to varying degrees throughout the AVA, with it appearing as virtual beach sand in some sections or mixed w clay in others. Calcareous rock or gravel increases, mixed into the clay, in the northern sections. The result of the calcium rich bedrock + surface soils of Ballard Canyon throughout the wines of the region is a dusty floral lift followed by elongated mouth stimulating palate tension + sapidity across a range of wine styles.
A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 22, 2015 at 9:26pm PDT
Larner Vineyard Producer Tasting
One of the Realities of Summer-time Vineyard Travel
The Vine Whisperer of Ballard Canyon: Ruben Solorzano
Dohmeyer Vineyard
Kimsey Vineyard
Boa Vista Vineyard with Ruben Solorzano & Jeff Newton
The Fog of Ballard Canyon
Sonja Magdevski checks her rows at Tierra Alta
Casa Dumetz Wines
Goodland Wine
Potek Wine
Kimsey Wine
Site Wine Co
Combe
Santa Ynez Valley with Jeff Newton
Samsara Wine
Richard Longoria
Palmina
The Return to Santa Barbara County in February
Byron Wines
In 2014 Jonathan Nagy was able to take Byron Winery’s return to single vineyard wines into the Sta Rita Hills. Raised in Santa Maria Valley, Nagy got his start in wine in the North Coast (after first working in tasting rooms in Santa Maria) + didn’t expect to return to his home region. Eventually though he found himself called back to making wine from Santa Maria. His winemaking career since has primarily focused on finding the elegance possible from the savor-spice of his home valley. However, when he started at Byron 15 years ago, the facility was also working w Sta Rita Hills fruit for another project. Making those wines Nagy saw the intensity offered in Santa Maria’s sister appellation. In guiding the single vineyard program to Sta Rita Hills as well, Nagy + his assistant winemaker Ryan Pace (shown here) are able to work w iconic sites throughout Santa Barbara. The rolling terrain of Sta Rita brings power, tenacity + a black tea flavor to the Pinots of the region. Inundated w a nightly fog + daily cold Pacific wind, the wines of Sta Rita include mouth clenching acidity. Thanks to the varied aspects + protected pockets vs exposed slopes, the vineyard expressions Nagy is exploring w Sta Rita Hills carry a regional expression across a distinctive range. Here the Byron duo stand near the top of John Sebastiano Vineyard, at the Eastern boundary of the appellation, the site is a warmer spot in a cool region. Byron now also bottles single vineyard designates from the iconic challenge of the steep sloped Rita’s Crown + the moonscape variations of La Encantada along the AVA’s Southern boundary.
A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Feb 4, 2016 at 9:19am PST
Bien Nacido Vineyard
True Believer, Hammell Wine Alliance
Casa Dumetz Grenache
Sashi Moorman
Baby Sheep
Solminer Wines
Tatomer
Lo-Fi Wines
Site Wine Co
Habit Wines
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