Hawk Wakawaka Wine Reviews

Chardonnay of the Michael Mara Vineyard

Hawk Wakawaka

Apr 12, 2016

Michael Mara Chardonnay

The Michael Mara Vineyard Tasting

from left: Jill and Steve Klein Matthiasson, Richard and Susan Idell, Birk O’Halloran, Abe Schoener, Chris Brockaway in the Michael Mara Vineyard, Sonoma, April 2016

Last week Richard and Susan Idell hosted a producer tasting at their vineyard along with Steve Matthiasson, who farms the site. The Idell’s Michael Mara Vineyard hosts six acres of Chardonnay, clone 4 grafted to de-vigorating rootstock in an already de-vigorating site. The rocky soils, with their high drainage, not only keep vines from over-producing but minimize growth to such a degree as to create intense concentration in the fruit. Wines from the site consistently offer a glimpse of that stony character.

Planting the Michael Mara in 2006, Matthiasson helped design the vineyard, and continues to farm it, adjusting rootstock and techniques over time as characteristics reveal themselves through the vines. Within a vintage or two of first fruit, Matthiasson believed it to be a special site offering the kind of density through the palate and mineral expression, in his view, usually characteristic of older vine sites.

The concentrating power of the site can be glimpsed through surrounding foliage.

Michael Mara stands in the midst of a mini-plateau elevated by four feet when compared to surrounding properties. Throughout the earthen-swell trees reach almost half-size compared to those growing on lower grounds. Matthiasson believes the minimizing effect on plants comes from the low water retention of the soils, coupled with their mix of closely-packed rocks and volcanic earth.

Vines too grow smaller through Michael Mara, with not only less size increase year-to-year, but also less canopy compared to other vineyards. The combination of reduced growth and lessened natural shade again lead to concentration of the fruit. At the same time the juice-to-skin ratio is changed. Smaller clusters and smaller berries mean more skin to less pulp in the fruit. With the heightened phenolics from the skins, even wines put straight to press from the site carry a stimulating sapidity that washes the mouth with mineral freshness.

Flavors of the Vines

Growing up in Alaska, friends and I would sometimes spend an entire day just running through the mountains. A parent would drop us off an hour or so down the road on the Seward Peninsula at the entrance to a high elevation valley, then we would take the next several hours to simply run North through the belly of the Chugach mountains. Eventually we’d arrive near the edge of Anchorage, where another parent would pick us up. Along the way, if we grew thirsty, we learned to throw a rock in our mouths. The pebble would stimulate our palate making it water as we ran through the still snow-soaked summer range. The experience always tasted just a touch earthy, not quite salty but almost, with the flavor of fog lifting from the wet upland valley. In portions the resin scent of pine or evergreen blended in with the fog.

The stoniness of Michael Mara wines across producers and vintages reminds me of those runs through the mountains with a rock in my mouth – a mouthwatering wash of stones through the midpalate with a bit of earth and a flavor that’s almost salty but not – coupled with a bit of fog, a profound density of fruit, the flavor of which varies by picking time and cellar technique, and hints of forest resin.

The Idell family’s Michael Mara serves as source fruit for a range of producers making wine across a diversity of styles. Still that fruit density and stony wash remain consistent.

Following are tasting notes on the wines tasted at the event last week presented in the order tasted.

* Broc Cellars 2011 Michael Mara Chardonnay 12% $42

With delicate aromatics and a stimulating texture, the broc 2014 showcases a midpalate burst of fresh, clean fruit washed through with a mineral stimulating rush of acidity, and a savory finish. Refreshing, a hint funky, delicious.

* Matthiasson 2013 Michael Mara Chardonnay 12.9% $55

Offering a fresh fruit lift of pear and clementine touched by hints of honey and amber, the Matthiasson 2013 spins simultaneously with fresh and rich accents. Pleasing acidity carries almost lacy flavors married to a sense of lushness. Nice length and complexity. Delicious.

YoungInglewood 2013 Michael Mara Chardonnay 13.7% $60

Floral spiced aromatics followed by a palate of spiced wax, pear, and citrus rind with hints of savory forest-resin, the mid palate weight of the Younginglewood 2013 carries through a long finish. I would prefer a little less oak spice and a little less ripeness here but the wine offers a coherent expression of its style.

Idell Family Vineyard 2013 Michael Mara Chardonnay 13.2% $35

Tight aromatics and a subtle flavor profile with accents of oak spice throughout, the Idell Family Vineyards 2013 is not overly expressive currently but carries the promise of more. Showing light notes of pear and orange rind with a savory finish and persistent acidity, this wine would be worth checking-in on again in a year or two.

* Scholium Project 2014 Michael Faraday Michael Mara Chardonnay 13.49% $80

Savory aromatics and palate with a distinctive, animalistic energy brought into focus, the Michael Faraday from 2014 carries lacy flavors with a savory strength. With an almost implacable core, this wine will age through the apocalypse. It might be the only wine left standing after the Resurrection. (Does that make it heathen wine? If it is, I don’t want to be right.)

Scholium Project 2015 barrel sample Michael Faraday Michael Mara Chardonnay

Still in the fresh-wine phase, the 2015 Michael Faraday shows flavors still in evolution but carries nice energy and persistence worth investigating again later in bottle.

Iconic 2014 Heroine Michael Mara Chardonnay 12.8% $TBD

Subtle and savory aromatics with a fleshier mid palate and a softer finish (that is not to call it either soft or unfocused) than the other vineyard examples, the 2014 Heroine appears to have a little more influence of malolactic fermentation than some of the other wines poured. Carrying a subtle palate of flavor with still good density and a punch of zestiness spun through the finish. Hints of verve, pith, and savor.

Kesner 2013 Rockbreak Michael Mara Chardonnay 13.72% $55

My favorite of the three Kesner vintages poured, the 2013 feels the most cohesive with potential to age. Showing notes of wax-nut burnished by spice the flavors here are rich though nuanced with density and length carrying into a long savory finish. Allow plenty of air upon opening.

Kesner 2012 Rockbreak Michael Mara Chardonnay 14.3% $55

With subtle aromatics and palate, the 2012 is currently showing less complexity than the 2013 or 2011, as well as a softer finish.

Kesner 2011 Rockbreak Michael Mara Chardonnay 14.2% $55

While the 2011 feels more disjointed than the other vintages – simultaneously offering fresh fruit notes with a bit of ripe heat through the close – it also carries a burst of fresh flavor at the front of the palate that is pleasing, before falling into a softer finish.

Walla Walla – early, hot but good

Washington

Hawk Wakawaka

Apr 6, 2016

The Walla Walla Harvest Report

Anna Schafer

Like many wine regions around the world, Walla Walla in Washington state had its earliest harvest on record in 2015. Even so, producers throughout the Valley are happy with wine quality and most especially with the region’s three most-planted varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. Early reports indicate that the vintage’s wines are already showing well overall.

While both 2014 and 2015 were hot years, 2015 avoided the excessive heat spikes of the earlier vintage and allowed vines to adjust to high temperatures and continue a more normal daily respiration cycle. Additionally, cooler temperatures towards the end of the growing season allowed both adequate ripening, and acidity preservation. As Anna Schafer (pictured), winemaker of aMaurice reports, ‘It was just a consistent heat throughout the summer and didn’t spike like it did in 2014. Also it consistently cooled off quite a bit in late August, which was a lifesaver for the vines as during the ripening they didn’t have to shut down and could continue respiration. Bottom line, I am surprised at how balanced the wines were and continue to be.’ While aMaurice farms in the Mill Creek District on the eastern side of Walla Walla, they also source fruit from throughout the region. Schafer has seen positive quality in all of their wines for 2015.

To keep reading, heading on over to JancisRobinson.com where the article continues accompanied by tasting notes for 61 Washington wines. Both of these articles appear behind a paywall.

Subscription to JancisRobinson.com is £6.99 a month or £69 per year ($11/mo or $109 a year for you Americans) and includes searchable access to the new 4th edition of the Oxford Companion to Wine ($65) and the 7th edition to the World Atlas of Wine ($50) as part of the subscription costs, as well as interactive discussions on the Purple Pages. Click here to sign up.

The links are below.

The Harvest Report: http://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/walla-walla-2015-early-hot-but-good

The Tasting Notes with regional overview: http://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/walla-walla-the-tasting-notes

You might also be interested in reading this free access photo (with captions) collection I posted from my intensive week in Walla Walla this summer:

http://wakawakawinereviews.com/2016/03/16/a-week-in-walla-walla-an-instagram-photo-collection/

Cheers!

Adelaida, Site, Seavey: the work of winemaker Jeremy Weintraub

Hawk Wakawaka

Mar 21, 2016

Winemaker Jeremy Weintraub

Jeremy Weintraub in the midst of the vineyards of Adelaida estate

Jeremy Weintraub in the midst of the Adelaida Cellars vineyards, July 2015

Last year I fell in love with the wines of Jeremy Weintraub. Though I’d enjoyed his wines from Seavey before, I’d done so unwittingly, drinking them simply for pleasure without knowledge of the winemaker. Then last summer I had the good fortune of touring Adelaida Cellars in the historic Adelaida District on the western side of Paso Robles, enjoying vintages early in its history, then forward again to the first of Weintraub’s. After the visit I continued tasting newer releases of Adelaida wines, and discovered too his own Site Wines label.

Last month Weintraub hosted me again for a unique opportunity to discuss his work across labels, tasting current releases of Site, Adelaida, and an older vintage of Seavey (2009) side by side. What proves central to Weintraub’s approach to winemaking is a quest for intimacy with the vineyard rooted in an eye towards refinement.

Weintraub began consulting with Adelaida’s Cabernet program in 2012 and became winemaker in 2013, moving from his winemaking position at Seavey in Napa Valley that he’d started in 2008. As he began at Adelaida he also started his own small production Site Wines label, focused on vineyards of Santa Barbara County. Weintraub’s experience is extensive. Prior to his work at Seavey he had already worked in both Paso and Santa Barbara County, interned in Tuscany, Central Otago, Martinborough, and Long Island, and earned an MS in Viticulture and Enology from UC Davis.

Seavey 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon

It is Weintraub’s previous position as winemaker that makes the sense of refinement central to his approach most obviously visible. Prior to Adelaida, Weintraub led the winemaking team at Seavey, one of the most under appreciated estates of Napa Valley. It’s one of those vineyards that reminds us of the very specific value of site, showcasing a quality that surpasses that of its neighbors.

The Seavey’s dry-farmed, hillside vineyards, in the heart of Napa’s Conn Valley, are well-placed to absorb ample sun, delivering dark flavor characteristics and abundant tannin. Yet it sits close enough to the cooling and mineral influences of Conn Creek and Lake Hennessey to also intimate notes of rose, violet, iron and spice, a complexity infused with dusty elegance. Picked to celebrate the wash of acidity possible with the site, vinified for judicious tannin management, and clothed by just a sheer chiffon of oak spice, Weintraub’s 2009 Seavey Cabernet reminds us what Napa Valley does at its best is seamlessness. It’s one of those rare wines that brings a pinching sting to remember, the thought that I might not drink it again.

But, while Weintraub’s time at Seavey clearly showcases the refinement of his approach, it is perhaps in his current work at Adelaida that his talent for it becomes most apparent. When a winemaker is lucky enough to work with a site like Seavey it can be easy to mistake the important synchronicity of winemaker to vineyard as either based all in site quality or all in winemaking. Through his work at Adelaida, a more complicated and varied site than his prior home in Napa, the skill of his craft becomes more apparent.

Established in 1981, Adelaida began farming and planting its own vines in the early 1990s, having sourced fruit prior to then. The site now includes a unique range of varieties from the high elevation Cabernet of their Viking Vineyard, to the steep, rolling knoll of Michael’s dry-farmed, head-trained Zinfandel; the limestone established Rhone varieties that sweep the property, and the swailed chute of historic Pinot Noir, Gamay, and Chardonnay in the 1960s-planted HMR Vineyard. All together Adelaida’s estate vineyards include 145 planted acres, one-third of which is dry-farmed while the rest is being weened over to dry farming, a shift made in response to the recent California drought and in conjunction with hiring Weintraub.

Adelaida HMR Pinot

Adelaida HMR Pinot from 2013, 2009, 2002, 1995; HMR was planted in 1964 in a distinctly cooler microclimate on the western side of the Adelaida estate

Tasting through vintage verticals of Adelaida wines, most particularly the famous HMR pinot, Weintraub’s shift in quality becomes apparent. Established in the mid-1960s, then purchased by Adelaida in 1991, the earliest vintages of Adelaida’s HMR Pinots have aged beautifully, picked for freshness and woven through with accents of American oak. By the early 2000s, the winemaking has shifted entirely to French oak but also to greater extraction and apparently less age-ability. Then in 2013, like an optometrist flipping the lens in an eye exam, the wine moves into clear focus and the vineyard character reads distinctly, a wine fine-boned and persistent with creamy cherry blossom, and spicy crunch, nice tension and length.

The HMR also offers another revelation.

Adelaida 2014 Gamay

Part of the uniqueness of the HMR Pinot rested in its inter-planting of 51-year old Gamay vines, by far the oldest Gamay in California and an unheard of gold mine hidden in the hills of western Paso Robles. Prior to Weintraub’s arrival, the Gamay had been vinified into the HMR Pinot. By 2014, Weintraub convinced the Adelaida team it was time to uncover their treasure and take the Gamay seriously as its own wine. Borrowing a guiding insight from Cru Beaujolais, they foot stomped their Gamay with 50% whole cluster inclusion. The result is an energetic, pleasantly structured, earthy wine with hints of spice, a wash of minerality, and just enough fruit, with the lifted aromatics of a pretty Brouilly.

Current Release Site Wines

Site Wines 2013 Roussanne, 2012 Grenache, 2012 Syrah, 2012 Red blend

Weintraub’s work in his own project, his small production Site wines, makes clear his ability to read a vineyard. The quality of winemaking for his own label thus confirms the promise of his on going work with the Adelaida estate. In sourcing fruit from a range of sites in a region in a committed fashion, a winemaker is given the best opportunity to get to know the distinct overall characteristics of that region, but also to express most clearly his or her own winemaking aims. Here, Weintraub has chosen to focus on Santa Barbara County. The result is a collection of five distinct Rhone wines, two varietal whites and two varietal reds and a red blend.

My favorite of the Site wines proves to be one of the prettiest Roussannes in California in both the 2012, and especially the 2013 vintage, sourced from the Stolpman Vineyard of Ballard Canyon. He also produces a Viognier that, in both 2012 and 2013 by avoiding the exuberant aromatics commonly found in California Viognier, masquerades as delicate until its persistent, while still subtle, expression across the palate becomes apparent. And finally also two concentrated while still mouthwatering Rhone reds, a Grenache from Larner Vineyard of Ballard Canyon, and a Syrah from Bien Nacido of Santa Maria Valley, plus a Rhone red blend from Larner, each with the promise to age.

The Site wines are delicious and freshly energetic but it is also in speaking with Weintraub about each of these vineyards that his perspective shines. The intimacy Weintraub shows with the sites is impressive and detailed, the insights of a winegrower with as much a love for biology as beauty. The same balance shows in his on going familiarity with Adelaida’s vast vineyard holdings.

Adelaida Current Release Wines

Adelaida Cellars new look: 2014 Picpoul, 2014 Gamay, 2013 Viking Bordeaux blend, 2013 Viking Estate Signature Series Cabernet

Weintraub’s winemaking at Adelaida produces a broad range of delicious and drinkable wines, but it is also an enormous estate with a vast range of plantings. In practical terms, such a large site also takes time for any winemaker to know, whatever their depth of talent. It can also mean some of the vineyards’ wines seem to have greater synchronicity from vine to wine through winemaker than others.

While each of the wines of Adelaida today is far more than drinkable, I find that synchronicity most elegantly through Weintraub’s 2014 Adelaida Gamay and Picpoul. While the 2013 Picpoul was a lovely wine, the balance of mouthwatering acidity to pretty fleshiness in the 2014 is inspiring. As paradoxical as it can seem when considering Paso Robles heat, it is the Adelaida whites, especially the Rhone varieties, and lighter reds I find most thrilling. In these I eagerly await seeing how they develop with on going vintages.

Turning to the more robust wines, the recent release of the Viking Estate Signature Series Cabernet, the 2013, is not yet showing what it has to offer – currently feeling sweet and simple on the palate as it finds its way through its first years of baby fat while also promising to become more lithe and agile with age. The Viking Bordeaux blend from 2013, on the other hand, delivers an earthy grace that by the third day open is singing, an early indication of where it will get with age.

Speaking with Weintraub about his ongoing intimacy with the estate, I am excited to continue following the development of the Adelaida Rhone wine and Cabernet program. While the Adelaida Estate will never deliver a wine like Seavey that is also its gift. Paso Robles carries vastly different character than Napa Valley. In the respectful hands of a winemaker like Weintraub its a character he’ll continue to hone with refinement.

A Week in Walla Walla (an Instagram photo collection)

Hawk Wakawaka

Mar 16, 2016

Walla Walla Retrospective

Norm McKibben

Standing at the top of Les Collines Vineyard, one of the valued fruit sources in Walla Walla, with Norm McKibben, one of the important founders and developing forces of Walla Walla wine

As I’ve mentioned here before, some readers asked if I would compile some of the Instagram photos collections from intensive wine trips made on my @Hawk_Wakawaka account there, and share them here on my site to make the information more readily accessible. With that in mind, this week I’m sharing images from my trip this last summer to Walla Walla. (In the next few weeks reviews from the trip will also be appearing over at JancisRobinson.com.)

The first few days I spent with a group of journalists in preparation for the annual Celebrate Walla Walla event, last year focusing on Merlot. After the festivities were complete, I turned to four days of intensive wine visits digging into the particularities and history of the region. The following photos are a compilation of a few pics from the group travels and then more from the final four days. Together they show some of my activities from the trip and give a glimpse of the region.

Walla Walla Wine

Let’s do this…

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jun 16, 2015 at 10:38pm PDT

Myles Anderson

Myles Anderson helped found the Walla Walla Community College Center for Enology + Viticulture in 2000 after serving as part of the local wine industry since the 1970s + making home wine since 1978. “The first release of Merlot from Walla Walla was in 1981 by Leonetti Cellars. The first significant planting of Merlot was made in 1980. That was Seven Hills Vineyard. They call it the Old Block now. Leonetti + Seven Hills still make wine from it. […] In 2001, the Wine & Spirits Guide identified 12 Merlots from the United States that were the best of the best. Four came from Walla Walla. Each of them the fruit came from Seven Hills. […] Merlot from Walla Walla has had astonishing recognition and it’s been one you can count on.”

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jun 17, 2015 at 1:56pm PDT

Tero Estates

“I am of the belief that Merlot can be almost Cab like in terms of intensity + body. Basically, we make no wimpy Merlot. I pick a little on the late side compared to other people in the Valley, which tends to put me on the overripe side but I really like the colors + the intensity of flavors. I do my best to keep my wine below 15% but my biggest decision for harvest is not Brix. That is just one piece of it. Brix tells me when I am in the range. I liken it to a chef. You don’t want to rely on someone else picking all your produce + then expect to make this wonderful meal. I want to be able to make that decision.” – Doug Roskelley owner-winemaker of Tero Estates on the Oregon side of Walla Walla

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jun 17, 2015 at 2:40pm PDT

Seven Hills Winery

“We are standing here in the original Cabernet block in the area [Walla Walla]. The old Cab block was planted in 1980. The old Merlot block in 1982. 4 acres of each. This was the first commercial sized grower, the first intentional commercial size vineyard in the area. It was two farming families that had been out here for generations, mostly farming wheat. That took a lot of guts + vision because it wasn’t obvious back then putting in Bordeaux reds. It was quirky. Now here we are 20 years later + it works. There is a lot of knowledge now but back then there were only a few wineries but we have continued by relying on that same original cooperative nature.” – Casey McCellan owner-winemaker of Seven Hills Winery on the Oregon side of Walla Walla

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jun 17, 2015 at 3:08pm PDT

L’Ecole Ferguson Vineyard

Marty Clubb of L’Ecole stands in front of a wall of fractured basalt on the western edge of his 1500 ft elevation Ferguson Vineyard in the Oregon portion of Walla Walla. At the top right of this photo you can see a peek of where the vineyard starts + how shallow the wind blown Loess soils are on top of the basalt bedrock – a few inches to 2 ft in depth. “I was really nervous about planting here because these are very thin soils on top of fractured basalt. It is a rough growing environment but also extremely windy here. We planted those first rows to Syrah to help. Syrah can take the wind. Many of the wine regions of Washington are built on this series of ridges. They are the lifted buckles of compressed basalt from 15 million years ago. The younger soils are mostly worn off. If magma cools quickly the rock fractures. That is why we always say this is fractured basalt. If you look at this wall it is like a wall of tightly fit puzzle pieces. But what does basalt become when it breaks down? Oxidized red iron dirt. The vine roots can push inside because the basalt is fractured but also the movement from plate tectonics over millennia has created red dirt between the seams of the fractures. So the roots are digging between the fractures + accessing the soils from between the seams.” – Marty Clubb

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jun 17, 2015 at 5:38pm PDT

Woodward Canyon

Rick Small established Woodward Canyon, the 2nd winery in Walla Walla, in 1981. In the last 6 yrs he has planted the North Ridge blocks relying entirely on organic farming. He will make the 1st wines from the site this year. Thanks to the wind blown Loess + silty soils plus cold winters phylloxera has not come to the region. Less than 1% of vineyards are planted to rootstock. “If someone would have said 10 yrs ago that I could grow grapes organically out here I maybe would have argued with them a little bit. But now having done it for 10 yrs I think it’s possible. […] All of this Wente Chardonnay is own root but all of my Bordeaux reds are on rootstock. I think I need at least 10 yrs before I know anything [about how the rootstock is working]. I think climate change is going to be a bigger problem for any of us farmers than phylloxera or leaf role virus or anything like that.” – Rick Small

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jun 18, 2015 at 10:54am PDT

Leonetti Cellars

Freezing conditions at lower elevations through winter in Walla Walla can lead to massive or complete crop loss through bud damage. Some wineries bury canes through the winter to then train up as the new trunk in a year w significant freeze damage. Here a vine at Leonetti Cellars Loess Vineyard shows a healthy trunk + the reserve canes that will be buried post harvest as insurance for next year. All such work must be done by hand. The manpower cost to bury canes averages $1000 per acre but saves against the potential of a multi-year vintage loss.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jun 18, 2015 at 12:55pm PDT

Loess Soils

Walla Walla: the Loess is real (and all over my feet).

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jun 18, 2015 at 2:38pm PDT

Walla Walla Community College Culinary Program

Wanna know one of the coolest things in Walla Walla? Chef-educator Dan Thiessen, Executive Director of the Walla Walla Community College Culinary Program, + the first Community College Food Truck in the country started in 2012.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jun 20, 2015 at 1:21pm PDT

Walla Walla Merlot

Walla Walla Merlot? Here’s a tip: find the best in a cool year, wait 15 to 22 years + enjoy.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jun 20, 2015 at 11:41pm PDT

Heading Out on my Own

I found my Walla Walla rental car wrapped inside a Cracker Jack box.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jun 22, 2015 at 7:33am PDT

Serra Padacci Vineyard

Touring the impressive Sevein Vineyards, which include Seven Hills East, Ferguson + here Serra Padacci (1 of only 2 terraced sites in Walla Walla this one at around 1350 ft elevation), among others, w Sadie Drury, viticulturist + vineyard manager for 5 of the currently planted Sevein sites.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jun 22, 2015 at 11:11am PDT

Cayuse Vineyard

Walking the Cayuse Vineyards in The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater w Trevor + Elizabeth. Check out how low the fruit zone is to take advantage of the radiant heat of the basalt stones during the afternoon. The radiant heat of the basalt especially benefits Grenache, seen here.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jun 22, 2015 at 3:47pm PDT

Gramercy Cellars

How to spend a Monday night in Walla Walla? Four + a half hours talking Syrah of Washington, France + California w Greg + Brandon of Gramercy Cellars is a pretty good option.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jun 22, 2015 at 9:55pm PDT

Norm McKibben

Norm McKibben of Amavi + Pepperbridge wineries started working w + establishing vineyards in Walla Walla at the start of the 1990s. He quickly became one of the largest suppliers of grapes in the region also serving on the board of the region’s Wine Commission + as a founding member of the Oregon Wine Board. “I planted the first grapes at Pepperbridge in 1991. There were 40 acres [of grapevines] in the [Walla Walla] Valley at that time, including Pepperbridge. I was growing apples + decided to plant grapes. I planted on Whiskey Ridge [up in the hills outside of Walla Walla]. It didn’t work. Then I started planting grapes in the Valley at Pepperbridge. I sold grapes to a few wineries – Leonetti, Woodward Canyon, L’Ecole + Andrew Will on Vashon Island. There weren’t that many wineries here at the time. When their wines came out + said, Pepperbridge Vineyard, more people started calling asking for grapes + it grew from there. I didn’t plan it. It probably sounds silly but I learned the most from the vineyard [on Whiskey Ridge] I tore out because I called every expert I could. Everyone said, tear it out, but I got a lot of advice.”

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jun 23, 2015 at 12:12pm PDT

Seven Hills Wines

Discussing regional character + vintage development on Bordeaux varieties w Casey McClennan. Casey has been making Seven Hills wines for 28 vintages w a focus on Walla Walla + Red Mountain fruit.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jun 23, 2015 at 12:34pm PDT

aMaurice

Discussing + tasting Walla Walla’s Upper Mill Creek area, site characteristics in Yakima vs Walla Walla and Syrahs + Bordeaux blends of Washington w Anna Schaffer of @aMauriceCellars.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jun 23, 2015 at 4:58pm PDT

Model A Gathering

Somehow I happened into the middle a Walla Walla Model A show. Cool!

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jun 24, 2015 at 10:06am PDT

Waters

Geeking out on site specificity vs blending w Waters Syrahs, Rhone white + red blends.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jun 24, 2015 at 11:31am PDT

The Famous Camel

Yay. I managed to squeeze in a quick visit w Izzy, one of the region’s local celebrities. Izzy recently played a zombie camel on Syfy’s Z NATION.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jun 24, 2015 at 11:48am PDT

The Walla Walla Notebook

The Walla Walla Notebook: it’s every page full, folks. I’m pooped. Thank you to everyone for such an informative week!

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jun 24, 2015 at 11:51am PDT

Alice Feiring, For the Love of Wine: A Review

Hawk Wakawaka

Mar 7, 2016

For the Love of Wine

Alice Feiring For the Love of Wine

My great grandfather died in the Spring. He was buried in remote Alaska. At his request, we clothed him in the gilded robe he wore as reader for the Russian Orthodox Church, a role he prided himself in, assisting the Priest during service.

His funeral was held in the Orthodox tradition. Incense burned during prayer and filled the air with the scent of amber and smokey beeswax with blossoms. At the graveside, Aleut and Yupik women from the oldest generation sang prayers in a language whose words I couldn’t understand. The tones of grief, and spiritual hope were familiar to me. We lowered his coffin and threw clumps of dirt on top. The first handfuls from the family hit the lidded metal box with echoing thumps.

My grandfather’s part of remote Alaska has long been an intersection of Alaska Native and Orthodox traditions. By now the two are so intertwined I have a hard time telling them apart. Some of my stories of Alaska Native life I cannot distinguish between traditions of the Church or traditions of the people. For my family the two were the same.

This is the way with older ethnic cultures, an inter-braiding of traditions that is the texture and life breath of every day. It’s a layering and complexity that differs from newer cultures like the mainstream United States. In a global economy we are greeted by flavors and imports from around the world. It’s a dynamic process that means our culture can seem complex, but the difference is a matter of what we hold onto and live through daily life, versus what we greet as yet another flash of another something new.

Alice Feiring‘s new book, For the Love of Wine: My odyssey through the world’s most ancient wine culture, offers us intimacy, albeit in the temporary way of a well-invested traveler, with a long-standing culture. Through her writing she shares an intricately inter-braided world, the culture of Georgia in which food, wine, farming, friendship, Orthodox religion, mysticism, a turbulent long-term and recent history, economic struggle, the effect of totalitarian politics, resilience, its grief and its stamina all weave as the textural richness of everyday life. In this way, her writing in this book is brilliant. At the same time, it also feels new.

Feiring brings to her writing on Georgia a simultaneous freshness and refinement that surpasses that of her previous books. Through it she has not lost the self-certainty and sense of righteousness that can flare in her other writing when she stomps against the homogenizing force of industrialized winemaking or the dumbing influence of globalization. It is that here the love that fuels her willingness to fight has deepened and we are seeing Feiring even more honestly than before. It is through her judicious use of memoir to deliver the story that we discover our intimacy with the place of which she writes.

For the Love of Wine follows Feiring through a series of visits in Georgia. Chapters, loosely speaking, showcase a different producer and a different region of her discovery. Each installment, then, becomes a kind of character study of the producers of Georgia, as well as Feiring’s travelogue, at the same time that she delivers facts on the country’s history and winemaking. Finally, each chapter ends with a recipe.

The recipe: it’s a move that in most cases, when used as a chapter endnote like this, becomes the marker of a less serious book. A moment when we find the writing is charming, and leave it at that. But Feiring pulls off the risk. Here in the recipe chapter-close the stories she tells us become tangible. We as readers peer through the distance into the meals she shares with winemakers and their families, and then are invited into the experience by seeing how to make the food they ate. In most cases wines to pair are also suggested, either by implication via the chapter’s content or directly. Whether we choose to execute the dishes or not, Feiring has, in a sense, offered us a way to bridge the gap of distance. The winemakers have not just poured her their wine, and shared their stories, they have given us the warmth of their own traditional recipes. And here I find an implicit tension in Feiring’s writing.

By sharing the culture of Georgia, Feiring seeks to help preserve it. In this way, she mobilizes a kind of cultural jujutsu using the force of globalization — writing a book that will be read internationally, encouraging international distribution of artisanal wines, inspiring international tourism by sharing insights of a unique place — to help make the winemakers’ economy strong enough to support its own local aims and afford its long-standing traditions. Where her writing before has rallied against the homogenizing force of globalization, here she has found a means to use that power for the sake of what she believes in.

Feiring is not naive to the gamble.

Integral to the tone of the entire book is the intricacy of grief. For the Love of Wine is dedicated to her brother, who we discover early in the text has been diagnosed with cancer. Through the course of Feiring’s travels we come to know the story of their relationship, and follow the progression of his illness as she comes to know it herself. At its first introduction, the inclusion of such a private matter comes as a starkly personal incursion in the midst of a book apparently written about wine. But as the story continues, the feeling of Feiring’s grief begins to echo the bass note harmonic that thrums in the background of any such long-standing culture.

A people that have survived wars, famines, epidemics, and colonization by an outside power forever hum in their song the chord of grief. It becomes not a mere burden but an even inspiring part of the culture’s life force. Inspiration — the sixth stage of grief after acceptance, when that bass note harmonic thrums us, not loose, but back into living. Feiring’s willingness to let us grieve with her, then, actually helps us more readily recognize the feeling of Georgia.

Ultimately, it is here in the thrum we find Feiring drinking in her love of wine. For it is the thrum that makes wine more than merely part of a meal. We see this in the Christian tradition where communal wine becomes the blood of Christ thus offering us new life through the forgiveness of sins. Or, as Feiring points out, in Jewish tradition, where wine serves as the blessing in a meal “from weddings to births” (43). Or for Georgians, where “the strength of the Georgian wine” rises from “the blood of […] ancestors” (21). In each case as we raise the cup, or in the case of Feiring and her friends, the Georgian horn, we enjoy not merely wine, but a drink that contains tradition, friendship, forgiveness, blessing, food, history, elixir.

***

For the Love of Wine

My Odyssey through the World’s Most Ancient Wine Culture

Alice Feiring

Hardcover

2016

208 pp

19 recipes, 22 illustrations, 1 map

978-1-61234-764-6

$24.95

This book was received for the purpose of review from the University of Nebraska Press.

“I Am Yup’ik”: A short film about the importance of basketball in remote Alaska

Hawk Wakawaka

Mar 2, 2016

I am Yup’ik

ESPN.com has just shared an excellent short film, I am Yup’ik, about the importance of basketball in remote Alaska.

As some of you know I originate from Alaska. I grew up migrating between Anchorage in the winters to attend a mainstream school, and Naknek on the western coast in the summers to commercial fish for salmon. In the winters, villagers would fly into Anchorage for the basketball tournaments. It was our chance to see our relatives from throughout the state. My father and brother-in-law would also fly back to Naknek for the regional tournaments. They played on our cousin’s team.

For Alaska Natives, basketball isn’t just a sport. It’s a way of life. The western coast of Alaska thrives on basketball.

I am Yup’ik Includes glimpses of village life and the most insightful line I’ve seen anywhere explaining what it means to be Alaska Native. It captures a core principle I was raised with as an Aleut and Inupiat, and that is central to healthy Native life. As an Alaska Native your contribution is the most important aspect of who you are. Whatever you do, “You do it for the community. You do it for the elders. You do it for the ancestors.”

The following short film, I am Yup’ik, is one of the most insightful looks at Alaska Native life I’ve seen anywhere. Enjoy!

Great thanks to ESPN.com for sharing this movie, and to those that made the film. It was healing to see.

The wines of Paso Robles in Tasting Notes

California

Hawk Wakawaka

Feb 18, 2016

Paso Robles

Walking Ambythe Estate with Phillip Hart

walking Ambythe Estate w Phillip Hart, July 2015

While the history of Paso Robles wine sits with Zinfandel and its associated hearty red varieties, such as Petite Sirah, its contemporary fame begins with Cabernet Sauvignon established in large plantings from the 1960s through the 1980s, and turns more recently to the varieties of the Rhône. Across varieties, the region is known for producing ample wines – wines with a profound concentration of flavour almost regardless of cellar technique.

The region’s single-vineyard wines that so clearly offer site expression even at higher alcohol seem a blunt reminder that terroir can make its presence felt even over 14% alcohol. As Turley’s Paso Robles’ winemaker Karl Wicka points out, to achieve an approachable balance of acidity to alcohol to flavour to tannin from any of their single-vineyard Zinfandel sites without having to intervene in the cellar demands additional hang time. Vines of the Central Coast – not only in Paso Robles but also in the other subzones of this part of the state as well – tend to hold on to their acidity. Winemakers are left, then, waiting for acidity to drop to a palatable level even while sugars climb. Wines from the deftest winemakers can offer harmony of expression.

To keep reading, heading on over to JancisRobinson.com where the article continues accompanied by tasting notes for 67 Rhone wines, and then 46 other varieties. Both of these articles appear behind a paywall.

The links are below.

Paso Robles Rhone varieties: http://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/paso-robles-rhne-varieties

Paso Robles Other varieties: http://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/paso-robles-other-grape-varieties

To read more on Paso Robles, check-out this the [free-access] photo (accompanied by in depth captions) collection from an 8-day research intensive visit I made this summer. Between the photo collection + the write-up at JancisRobinson.com there’s a wealth of info on the region.

Here’s the link for the photo collection: http://wakawakawinereviews.com/2016/02/01/8-days-in-paso-robles/

Cheers!

8 Days-plus in Santa Barbara County

California

Hawk Wakawaka

Feb 11, 2016

Santa Barbara County Wine Country

At the top of Tierra Alta with Sonja Magdevski, John Belfy and Greg Brewer

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

Always a first favorite stop in Santa Barbara County: Casa Dumetz + Babi’s Beer Emporium to see Sonja, take a break + listen to music. Here @shanealexandermusic playing.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 18, 2015 at 8:01pm PDT

Meet Melanie. She designs future air craft. (Seriously. Isn’t it cool how if you’re open to it you could just spend your entire life meeting remarkable people?!)
 A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 18, 2015 at 8:28pm PDT

Deovlet Wines

Ryan Deovlet moved from Orange County to San Luis Obispo in the early 2000s + started working w vineyards throughout Santa Barbara County to launch his Deovlet label while living in San Luis Obispo w his family. Living in SLO he developed a strong affinity for + friendships in Paso. This spring when he decided to open a tasting room he realized he wanted to open it in the town of Templeton. His Chardonnay is also available by the glass at both Villa Creek + Bistro Laurent.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 18, 2015 at 5:11pm PDT

Stopping in to meet + taste w one of my ongoing favorites. Ryan Deovlet just opened his Deovlet Wines tasting room in the town of Templeton in Paso Robles. He’s pouring deliciously fresh fruit + savory Chardonnays + Pinots + a Merlot based Bordeaux blend. Nicely done wines.
 A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 18, 2015 at 5:07pm PDT

Duvarita Vineyard: West of Santa Ynez Valley & Sta Rita Hills (that is closer to the ocean)

Rain storm in Santa Barbara County.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 19, 2015 at 8:44am PDT

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

Walking Duvarita Vineyard Pinot w owner Brook Williams. The site sits between 250 + 400 ft elevation near the town of Lompoc. It is one of the few vineyards that is actually closer to the ocean than the Sta Rita Hills as it stands to the west of the Sta Rita Hills AVA + Santa Ynez Valley AVA boundaries. The Pinot here offers unique fruit w distinctive character from sites in the better known SRH appellation. Syrah + Chardonnay from Duvarita are also distinctive though there are also smaller plantings here of each.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 20, 2015 at 2:17pm 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

Peter + Jessica Stolpman standing in some of their Syrah growing at Stolpman Vineyards in the Ballard Canyon AVA of Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara. The earliest vineyards came to Ballard Canyon in the mid-1970s establishing a melange of varieties unsure of what would work. The Stolpman were the first of the second wave to plant in the small + distinctive region beginning at the start of the 1990s. Their plantings helped establish Syrah as the superstar of Ballard Canyon thanks to the work of early winemakers Ojai + Sine Qua Non, who in turned also secured the reputation of Stolpman Vineyard. In 2001, the family decided to also launch their own Stolpman Vineyards label. Today Peter + Jessica lead the management of the project working w Ruben Solorzano as lead viticulturist, Maria Solorzano as Vineyard Foreman + Sashi Moorman as Head Winemaker.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 21, 2015 at 4:49pm PDT

Ruben Solorzano’s farming is highly regarded as much for its success in growing distinctive quality fruit as it is for his highly intuitive understanding of the vines. Here, on a narrow hillside planting of Syrah on Stolpman Vineyard, Ruben explains the benefits of their planting the vines w meter-by-meter spacing w the vines head trained, every other at an opposite angle leaning towards its neighbor so every two vines meet at the top to form a point. The unusual planting produces dappled sunlight while also creating a more insulated canopy since the vines effectively protect + shade each other. Only leaves face outward w the bulk of the vine inside the two-vine pyramid. As a result, the vine as a whole gets less direct sun exposure but with still ample photosynthesis. The result is less water stress thanks to less heat stress + more flavor development at lower sugars. Brilliant.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 21, 2015 at 5:03pm PDT

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

Farming Grenache can be an incredible challenge. It likes to throw tight, very big clusters + lots of fruit but it also has rather sensitive skin compared to other Rhone varieties. Its tight clusters make it easy to get rot. It’s big clusters and lots of fruit make it harder to ripen but if a vine has too little fruit it likes to develop high sugars (which means high alcohol). Its sensitive skins make it prone to sunburn or color bleaching. As a result, vine balance + farming Grenache can be incredibly tricky. Even so, some of the most beautiful wines in the world are from Grenache. Here, Steve Beckmen has found Grenache on his Ballard Canyon Beckmen Vineyard thrives head trained w a low fruit zone. The bushy canopy shades the fruit + the challenge of growing in low vigor limestone w a daily cooling wind keeps cluster sizes generally low. Lower fruit zones in the right conditions also mean less stress on the vine + less water need.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 21, 2015 at 5:31pm 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

Jonata Vineyard’s low vigor soils + daily cooling wind lead to naturally small, open clusters + moderately low yields. Without very much fruit drop the vines at Jonata produce lower yields leading naturally to tannin density + flavor concentration. The smaller berries + clusters reduce the juice to skin ratio increasing the amplitude of the tannin while the high drainage sandy soils generate melting tannins. The Bordeaux Reds of the site are currently about half way through veraison. Once it is complete (likely at the end of this week) crews will double check if any green thinning is needed this year, or any more leaf pulling. Then it is 5 to 6 weeks till harvest.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 21, 2015 at 6:28pm PDT

Saarloos & Son Watermill Ranch

Touring the Watermill Ranch, Saarloos + Sons’s terraced, dramatic hillside Ballard Canyon site, on ATV-quad (my favorite) w Keith Saarloos. The Saarloos family purchased the property originally to be Apple farmers as the site was previously planted w apple trees but after discovering the challenges of the apple industry they switched over to wine grapes in 1999. Farming the site themselves, the Saarloos have chosen to cultivate Syrah + Grenache. The vineyard grows between 750 + 1150 ft with a cold air drainage along the bottom that pulls cooling wind coming over the hills at the Northern boundary of Ballard Canyon through Saarloos + into the Southern half of the small AVA. Being in the Northern portion, their site rests in Adobe type clay, which carries tons of water holding capacity + cools the fruit further into the day. Windmill Ranch includes the most dramatic rolling hills of the appellation, which Keith describes as “like farming on a roller coaster.”

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 22, 2015 at 2:32pm PDT

Standing at the top of Windmill Ranch at around 1200 ft looking just over the appellation boundary East into the wide open expanse of inland Santa Ynez Valley w Keith Saarloos. Los Olivos sits just below us.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 22, 2015 at 2:35pm PDT

Tasting Saarloos + Sons w Keith Saarloos in their Los Olivos tasting room. These are wines like a beautiful secret – deceptively approachable carrying the hallmarks of their place, delicious purity, an edge of tenacity + plenty of freshness. Yet they are also largely unwritten about by media.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 22, 2015 at 2:41pm PDT

Rusack Vineyards

Steve Gerbac has been part of the winemaking team for Rusack in Ballard Canyon since 2003 + leading it since 2012. Rusack Vineyards grows at the upper boundary of the Southern half of Ballard Canyon just below where the appellation becomes more predominantly sand. The vineyards grow between 600 + 700 ft in elevation well within the cooling fog + potential for spring frost or winter freeze. As a result the site has proven not quite warm enough for Sangiovese or Cabernet Franc but very good for Ballard Canyon’s signature grape, Syrah. The site does also still grow Merlot, Petit Verdot + Petite Sirah, as well as a fresh balanced Zinfandel. The Rusack site was previously home to the first vineyard in this area of the Santa Ynez Valley, Ballard Canyon Winery established in 1974. That first vineyard in the area was planted to a melange of varieties both warm + cool climate. When Rusack was established the vineyards were replanted. However, thanks to the historic winery location, today Rusack offers the only winery + tasting room in Ballard Canyon.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 22, 2015 at 8:18pm PDT

Steve Gerbac, head winemaker of Rusack, has been keeping a steady hand at Rusack while also doing small scale experiments to shift the style towards greater freshness + clarity w still plenty of flavor. I asked him to talk about how he has approached exploring the change while finding balance w making a change over time. He offered some examples in the winemaking process. Here is some of what he had to say. “We’ve been shifting the wine style [at Rusack] in the last couple years to doing less to the wines. We’re bottling our first unfiltered Chardonnays now. You have to really change everything from how you grow the grapes to when you pick them to not filter the wine. You kind of have to rethink everything from the beginning or you run into trouble. You just do what you can + clarify the wines as you can [before bottling]. We’ve started fermenting Syrah [differently]. I don’t really like fermenting one clone at a time anymore. I pick [a few together] + co-ferment. I think it adds complexity. We’ve been playing w stems in Zinfandel + Petite Sirah. It’s a lot of little things that aren’t that much on their own that add up to a lot. I’d always been against stems coming from a [particular view of a] Pinot background. Now just a little bit here + there. I still don’t want to be able to pick it out in the finished wine but I don’t want to pick it out any more than I do any other thing either. It is just to add a little range + aromatic lift.” – Steve Gerbac

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 22, 2015 at 8:54pm PDT

While Rusack’s primary Estate rises from the soils of Ballard Canyon, they also farm, own + bottle wine from the one + only vineyard on Catalina Island of the coast of Los Angeles County. The site grows utterly distinctive Chardonnay, Pinot Noir + especially unique Zinfandel grown against the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Recently Rusack has been able to harvest fruit from cuttings of Zinfandel taken from Catalina Island now grown in Ballard Canyon. Tasting the two Zinfandels side by side is remarkable for how utterly distinct they prove to be. One concentrated, dense, + charismatic w the power of a life on the Pacific Ocean. The other dusty, mouthwatering + zesty like the terrain of Ballard Canyon. The Catalina Chardonnay is deceptively delicate, an almost lacey body of flavor somehow still powerful + mouthwatering w tons of length. The Pinot all savory + wild w windy freshness + saline crunchy length.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 22, 2015 at 9:07pm PDT

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

Lucky me. Getting to sit down to taste w several of the winemakers that have long worked w Larner Vineyard fruit including Blair Fox Cellars, Jaffurs, Kunin, Tercero + Larner Wines. Larner Vineyard was all cattle pasture before being established to vine beginning in 1999. Until 2009, the property was strictly vineyards selling fruit to a range of winemakers producing wine from both Rhone + Italian varieties. Michael Larner launched the Larner wine label in 2009 focusing primarily on small production Rhone wines + a fresh super aromatic Malvasia Bianca.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 22, 2015 at 9:34pm PDT

Getting to taste a mix of primarily red Rhone wines from across vintages (as well as some crisp aromatic whites) of Ballard Canyon over the last few days + previously, it is fascinating + delicious how clearly Ballard Canyon distinguishes its wines. While many of its varieties successfully grow elsewhere in Santa Barbara County + of course beyond, the Ballard Canyon signature appears across winemaker + wine type whether white or red. That said, each site too seems to prove distinctive from its neighbors while still recognizably Ballard. On red wines, the sandy soils + cooling winds of Larner seem to offer a concentrated, often opaque, core of earthy fruit flavor rubbed through w resinous forest notes in a structure of supple to melting while persistent tannin + a wash of balancing acidity.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 22, 2015 at 9:43pm PDT

One of the Realities of Summer-time Vineyard Travel

I decided to go for a fresh tartan look.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 23, 2015 at 9:04am PDT

The Vine Whisperer of Ballard Canyon: Ruben Solorzano

Dohmeyer Vineyard

Standing in the North of Ballard Canyon next to Dohmeyer Vineyard looking South across the Vineyards of the region w Ruben Solorzano. From the spot it is possible to look the full length of the Santa Ynez Valley from Happy Canyon to the East to Santa Rita Hills in the West + here Ballard Canyon in the middle. It is hard to over estimate the role Ruben Solorzano has had in shaping the quality of wines from Ballard Canyon. He has farmed all but a couple of sites in the appellation. More than any other viticulturist I have been lucky enough to travel with, Ruben’s work is consistently lauded + admired by the producers he farms with as well as other viticulturists of the region. He began farming in Santa Barbara County in 1989, starting at Stolpman in Ballard Canyon in 1994. Since he has helped establish Larner, Kimsey + Boa Vista while also farming Jonata, Rusack, Dohmeyer + others. While his work is centered in Ballard Canyon it also extends to sites throughout the county.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 23, 2015 at 4:52pm PDT

Kimsey Vineyard

Overlooking Kimsey Vineyard in the Southern most stretch of Ballard Canyon w Ruben Solorzano. Kimsey grows a little bit cooler than vineyards to the north in Ballard Canyon. The site sits between 400 + 500 ft in elevation, lower than other vineyards of the region. In the southern most reach of the canyon it is perhaps the only current planting not partially protected by a hill to the west. As a result, the daily ocean wind blowing east through Santa Ynez Valley moves through the vines of Kimsey w regular direct influence. Thanks to the lower elevation, ambient temperatures are lower + thanks to the wind, vines are cooled even further. Planted in 2006, the vineyard architecture has benefited from the accumulation of viticultural knowledge gained through all of the previously established sites throughout the Canyon. Planted primarily to Rhone varieties, particularly Syrah, Kimsey includes a selection massale field blend of each of the clones of Syrah planted throughout Ballard Canyon.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 23, 2015 at 5:02pm PDT

Boa Vista Vineyard with Ruben Solorzano & Jeff Newton

Checking out Boa Vista Vineyard in the middle length of Ballard Canyon w Jeff Newton + Ruben Solorzano. Jeff started the farming company Coastal Vineyard Care, focusing primarily on the Santa Ynez Valley in 1985. At the time there were only 3 vineyards in Ballard Canyon, including the site now called Dohmeyer, which Jeff then farmed. Ruben began as a crewman working w Jeff + over time worked his way to becoming one of the three partners of Coastal Vineyard Care along w Jeff + Ben Merz. The team planted Boa Vista in 2011 to 10 acres of primarily Rhone varieties. The site is unique in that the lower portions are planted almost entirely to sand while the upper blocks grow in shale mixed through clay loam.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 23, 2015 at 5:15pm PDT

The Fog of Ballard Canyon

Fog enters Ballard Canyon from its Southern opening along the East-West running Santa Ynez Valley, which is open to the ocean. The Santa Ynez Valley’s unusual orientation pulls maritime wind inland across the extended Santa Ynez Valley every afternoon + fog every evening. As the fog fills the Valley it rolls into Ballard Canyon settling into it at night, then burning off the Northern portions first thing in the morning + the Southern parts around 9 or 10AM. Here in the Northern, higher elevation Stolpman Vineyard of Ballard Canyon I am looking South to the fog hovering over the Canyon around Rusack Vineyard + further South.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 24, 2015 at 9:42am PDT

Sonja Magdevski checks her rows at Tierra Alta

Sonja Magdevski, owner-winemaker of Casa Dumetz walks the rows of the upper portions of Tierra Alta Vineyard in Ballard Canyon near 1100 ft.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 24, 2015 at 9:45am PDT

Casa Dumetz Wines

Tasting the current releases of Casa Dumetz Rhone wines made w Ballard Canyon fruit. These represent my favorite release portfolio of wines from owner-winemaker Sonja Magdevski so far. There is an introspective grace + thoughtful prettiness to these that surpasses what I have seen in previous vintages while still being recognizably Casa Dumetz. Nicely done. Delicious.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 24, 2015 at 5:04pm PDT

Goodland Wine

The Goodland Wines project is wine country’s version of the 1980s Super Group Rock music phenomenon bringing together the best of the best w fans of their own into one talent packed band. With Matt Dees + Dave Potter each on lead vocals + guitar, Ruben Solorzano composing + playing bass + Chris Snowden on drums, Goodland wines deliver pure expressions of each of Santa Barbara County’s AVA’s. Here Ballard Canyon undeniable for Syrah.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 24, 2015 at 5:13pm PDT

Potek Wine

Potek Winery Grenache + Syrah from Tierra Alta Vineyard == Delicious. Enough said.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 24, 2015 at 5:19pm PDT

Kimsey Wine

On a quest to understand the complexities of Ballard Canyon, Matt Dees makes Kimsey Syrah + Grenache from Kimsey Vineyard in the southern-most part of Ballard Canyon. The vineyard hosts the coolest growing conditions of the region primarily in sandy loam bringing mouth washing acidity + supple tannin to its vineyard’s wines.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 24, 2015 at 5:36pm PDT

Site Wine Co

Paso boy does good. Winemaker Jeremy Weintraub lives in Paso Robles + sources fruit from the iconic Stolpman + Larner Vineyards to make his Site Wine + extend his expression of Rhone finesse through the Central Coast. This Roussanne really shows off the pretty flavor + mouthwashing acidity of Stolpman Vineyard + the Syrah the flavor concentration + supple tannin of Larner.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 24, 2015 at 5:40pm PDT

Combe

What do you really want to know? Combe Trousseau from Stolpman Vineyard: mouthwashingly fresh purple fruit + flower. All fresh, lifted, pretty + feral lightness + lots of flavor. This is what we call purity. Utterly distinct expression from the North Coast sites.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 24, 2015 at 5:46pm PDT

Santa Ynez Valley with Jeff Newton

The Santa Ynez Valley proves to be one of the most nuanced + diverse regions of any I have visited. I’ve returned to it again + again over the last several years + always find more to learn + appreciate. This trip I have focused primarily on the Ballard Canyon AVA, an incredibly tiny appellation half between Sta Rita Hills on the western edge of the Santa Ynez Valley + Happy Canyon on the eastern. What Santa Ynez Valley as a whole shares is tons of fruit clarity w mouthwashing acidity. Whatever style a producer takes to their winemaking, that acidity is there to water + water + water your palate. It allows a huge range of styles to work. Coastal Vineyard Care, started in 1984 by Jeff Newton (shown here), farms sites throughout the Santa Ynez. Earlier this week Jeff Newton + I were able to spend a day driving sites the length of the Valley from the town of Lompoc (west outside the AVA) all the way to Happy Canyon. What a fantastic experience + perspective. Here, Jeff + I walked the rolling hills of Lindley Vineyard on the western boundary of Santa Ynez Valley + Sta Rita Hills. The site (like much of the area) sits in a bird fly over zone + so is kept netted. We walked the rows + checked fruit bent over as shown here. With its proximity to the ocean + wind, the site produces tiny berries + clusters giving lots of natural fruit concentration well framed by its structure. It’s a site at the edge of ripening – it’s the edge where many of the best wines are made.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 25, 2015 at 8:11am PDT

Samsara Wine

Chad Melville started making wine under his Samsara label in 2002, initially focusing on Rhones from what is now Ballard Canyon + now making Syrah + Pinot from Sta Rita Hills + Grenache from Ballard Canyon. In his 20s, Chad spent a year on the road in Africa + India making his way essentially through the kindness of strangers, staying in the homes of people he met along the way. The experience deepened his appreciation for community + connection through those sorts of direct experiences. Through Samsara, Chad produces small lot wines each foot stomped + slowly basket pressed for a sense of vibrancy, energy + incredible purity. The wines are special. The name Samsara comes partially from his experience traveling + the renewal process that happens again + again in the cycle of vines.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 25, 2015 at 8:36am PDT

The first two wines Chad Melville ever made. These Samsara wines show off how well Syrah in the right spot can age – here Beckmen’s Purisima Mountain + Larner Vineyard both in Ballard Canyon. Delicious + youthful w mouthwatering acidity.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 25, 2015 at 8:41am PDT

Richard Longoria

Rick Longoria has worked w over 50 vineyards throughout Santa Barbara County from the length of both Santa Maria Valley, Santa Ynez Valley + between. He has been the first to work w fruit from a huge list of iconic sites including Stolpman in Ballard Canyon, Buttonwood in Santa Ynez Valley, Sweeney + then later his own Fe Ciega in Sta Rita Hills + so many more. His intuition on the marriage of variety to site has helped encourage new plantings through the region + he has helped start + develop now well known labels throughout the region. It is hard to over emphasize the role he has played in Santa Barbara County wine serving as one of the region’s first winemakers + making wine still today through his own Longoria label. Beginning his work in wine in 1974, Longoria began his work in Santa Barbara County wine in 1979 serving as winemaker at both J Carey Cellars + Rancho Sisquoc simultaneously. Later he would help bring acclaim to Gainey, consult at Rusack + finally turn his attention full time to Longoria Wine in 1997 after starting it in 1982. Longoria wines begin w tenacious purity in their youth + age into some of the most beautiful wines I have had anywhere. Here Rick shows me his Fe Ciega Vineyard off Santa Rosa Rd in Sta Rita Hills. Today only Qupe + Ojai also make Fe Ciega Pinot Noir. For both it is among the best of their vineyard designate Pinots.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 25, 2015 at 2:08pm PDT

It isn’t every day I spontaneously weep at the first taste of wine. Longoria 1990 Cabernet Franc started me crying immediately upon tasting (I think wine writers aren’t meant to cry in front of winemakers but hopefully the rare occasion when it happens can be seen as the compliment it is). Both of these wines – Longoria 1990 Cabernet Franc from Buttonwood’s 1st fruit + Longoria 1994 Merlot from Stolpman’s first fruit w a little bit of Gainey Vineyard Merlot as well (both 100% varietal wines) are among the most beautiful wines I have tasted anywhere. Thank you.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 25, 2015 at 2:14pm PDT

Longoria 2000 Pinot Noir made w the first fruit of Fe Ciega Pinot (originally named Blind Faith Vineyard). Beautiful.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 25, 2015 at 2:17pm PDT

Palmina

Having spent time in Northern Italy Steve Clifton felt he recognized conditions in the Santa Ynez Valley hospitable to a range of Italian grape varieties. By 1995 he was able to find growers willing to plant Italian varieties in Santa Ynez for him to launch his entirely Italian variety focused label Palmina. In doing so, Palmina became the first Italian-variety-only label in California post-Prohibition. Eventually he would also instigate the first post-Prohibition Italian-only vineyard in the state. This summer Palmina celebrates 20 years having not only succeeded as a winery for 2 decades but also effectively paving the way for newer labels also focused entirely on Italian varieties to succeed. While the earliest vitis vinifera plantings in California included high proportions of Italian vines, after Prohibition vineyards shifted to a French focus. The Cal-Ital movement of the 1990s consisted entirely of producers that only dabbled in varieties like Sangiovese while primarily making wines like crowd pleasing Cabernets. In only few parts of the world do the two grape types grow happily side-by-side. Cal-Ital wines from the 1990s faced at least 2 significant issues: (1) the Sangiovese was planted in the wrong place + (2) producers didn’t know how to work w the grape on its own terms. Critics skewered Cal-Ital wines as a result + consumers turned away from Italian wines made in California. By the year 2000 it became almost impossible to sell wines of California made w Italian descent fruit. Steve persisted developing new ways to connect w buyers + somms around the country hosting blind Nebbiolo tastings w top Italian producers included. Palmina stood up. In the meantime he also happened to befriend highly respected Barolo + Barbaresco producers from Piedmont that mentored him while also lauding his work. Over time, Palmina successfully built strong relationships w wine lovers, winemakers + members of the wine industry effectively eroding the barrier to US grown Italian varieties. (He’s also just fucking cool. Congratulations, Steve + Chrystal on 20 years. So psyched for you.)

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 25, 2015 at 8:27pm PDT

At its core, Italian wine is about a culture of food, family, friends + appreciation. All flavors become more delicious w such a focus at heart. Palmina wines are beautifully executed but they also carry that sense of culture, appreciation, love of the meal + love of community. It is that attitude that has defined Palmina + helped set it apart. These are wines full of delicious complexity, mouthwatering length + wonderful ability to enjoy at the table.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 25, 2015 at 8:33pm PDT

The Return to Santa Barbara County in February

Byron Wines

In 2001 winemaker Jonathan Nagy began making wine at Byron Winery in the Eastern side of Santa Maria Valley. At the start, Byron made single vineyard wines from sites throughout the Santa Maria. In a few years the Byron program would shift to an appellation focus. In 2013 Byron relaunched their single vineyard program beginning w iconic sites of the SMV. Here Nagy describes the unique growing conditions + best blocks of the historic Nielsen Vineyard. Planted in 1964, Nielsen is a founding site of Santa Barbara County wine, the first commercial vineyard in the region. It sits on bench land above the Santa Maria River + here in Nagy’s favorite block is fed colluvial soils, decomposing rocks + elder-series soils from the foothills that border the vineyards Northern side. The persistent cold Pacific breeze through the Valley intensifies flavors, thickens skins + encourages smaller, concentrated clusters. The nightly fog helps keep a guaranteed wash of mouthwatering acidity in the wines. Santa Maria Valley offers a hallmark savory spice character in not only its Pinot but also its Chardonnay. In returning to a single vineyard focus Nagy is getting to showcase the unique character of the Valley’s iconic sites, here at the Nielsen, down the road in Julia’s Vineyard + at the also-historic Bien Nacido.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Feb 4, 2016 at 8:07am PST

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

Goats + sheep taking care of the cover crop growing through head trained Grenache at Bien Nacido Vineyard in Santa Maria Valley.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Feb 4, 2016 at 4:22pm PST

Geese + ducks also help w controlling the cover crop at Bien Nacido Vineyards in Santa Maria Valley. (Seriously.)

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Feb 4, 2016 at 4:49pm PST

True Believer, Hammell Wine Alliance

Talking through head-training Rhone varieties + the process of growing the young vine into shape year after year via pruning choices w Chris Hammell at Bien Nacido Vineyard in Santa Maria Valley. Chris farms 6-acres of a Grenache-based Rhone field blend that he co-ferments for his wine True Believer. The site is farmed organically + maintained in the winter months by sheep, goats, geese + ducks.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Feb 4, 2016 at 6:25pm PST

Tasting through a vintage vertical, 2011 through 2014, of Chris + Dayna Hammell’s Hammell Wine Alliance Grenache-based wine True Believer, along w the 2015 True Believer rosé + 2014 Syrah. Chris has been managing the Bien Nacido + Solomon Hills Vineyards in Santa Maria Valley for 2-plus decades working w the top winemakers in Santa Barbara County + beyond to deliver farming excellence for a huge range of winemakers’ goals. Over the years he continually returned to a spot at Bien Nacido that he believed would be perfect for Grenache. When he + Dayna decided to launch their own label they planted the site to a head-trained Grenache-based Rhone field blend that they now coferment to make their wine True Believer. (Insider secret pro-tip: the 2013 is something special. It carries a harmonious complexity of savory herbs, earth + spice w profound density on a body of supple tannin + mouthwatering length. The rosé is the savory freshness you enjoyed in your dreams.)

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Feb 4, 2016 at 6:39pm PST

Casa Dumetz Grenache

Tasting a site-rainbow of Grenache from Casa Dumetz. In 2014 Sonja Magdevski bottled small lots of Grenache from 5 vineyards of Santa Barbara County as well as a 5-site blend. Vinified the same way, the 6 wines offer a view of how expressive Grenache is of the place it is grown: the ethereal lift of Thompson to the completeness of Tierra Alta, the exuberant aromatics of John Sebastiano to the earthy savor of Larner + the prettiness of Flower + Vine.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Feb 5, 2016 at 9:03am PST

Sashi Moorman

Walking the steep slope of Domaine de la Côte w Sashi Moorman in the far western portion of the Sta Rita Hills on the Southern side of the appellation. Santa Barbara County continues to call me back again + again seeking to understand the complexities of the region for just that reason, the complexities. More than any other region I have studied Santa Barbara County offers massive variation of soil, of climate, of slope, of elevation, of aspect. As w wine in all of the United States, the region is young but in its intersection of profound variation across so many factors it includes the possibility for true distinctiveness. As Moorman explains, it is such distinctive he believes shows in the Sta Rita Hills. His + Raj Parr’s Domaine de la Côte project one such example, a high density planting in the extreme portions of a cool climate w soils that seem to give the happy mid-zone of reducing vigor while offering enough life to avoid hydric stress.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Feb 5, 2016 at 9:42pm PST

Working through a conversation on site expression + variation w Sashi Moorman while barrel tasting vineyard distinctions in Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir, Syrah + Mourvèdre as well as bottle tasting site variation in Chardonnay. (Insider secret pro-tip: keep an eye out for the 2015 vintage of Piedrasassi Mourvèdre. It is one of the most finessed Mourvedre’s I have had from California, a truly beautiful wine. His upcoming Syrahs are also among the most refined of his I have tasted. Wonderful.)

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Feb 5, 2016 at 9:55pm PST

Baby Sheep

It’s a pretty good day that starts like this. The sheep helping w cover crop maintenance at Solminer’s deLanda Vineyard have been having babies. This little guy’s about a month old.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Feb 6, 2016 at 8:02am PST

Solminer Wines

David + Anna deLaski w their son Linus have been farming their 3-acre deLanda Vineyard biodynamically also producing compost w the help of sheep that maintain the cover crop. The vineyard was established in the 1980s w Syrah grafted over in the 1990s. The deLaski’s have been steadily grafting over the Syrah to Austrian varieties to produce energetic, mouthwatering wines grown from gravelly soils in the Los Olivos area for their Solminer label.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Feb 6, 2016 at 8:14am PST

Tasting through vintage verticals + not-yet released wines from across the Solminer portfolio. David + Anna deLaski have been making their wines w Steve Clifton as consulting winemaker. With a focus on mouthwatering acidity + a crunchy, textural mineral line the wines offer a unique take managing to pull off Austrian character w a wash of flavor on lighter bodied wines. In particular keep an eye out for their deLanda Syrah (dang does it open beautifully second day) + their Gruner Veltliner. The Blaufrankisch too offers ample structure in a turn of flavor that uncurls over time in the glass.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Feb 6, 2016 at 8:24am PST

Tatomer

Tasting Tatomer wines w Graham Tatomer: upcoming release Gruner Veltliner + Rosé of Pinot Noir, current releases of Riesling + Pinot, plus the first Tatomer, a 2008 Kick-on Ranch Riesling. Tatomer has led the charge focusing solely on Austrian varieties from California, adding Pinot Noir from cool climates too in 2013. Great acidity throughout w a real textural focus. Keep an eye out especially for Tatomer’s bone dry Rieslings. As the 2008 + previous tastings illustrate, they age straight into delicious.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Feb 7, 2016 at 12:59am PST

Lo-Fi Wines

Mike Roth + Craig Winchester, best buddies making Lo-Fi wine together. The truth is it’s hard not to love it. Fresh-focused, delicious wines w a devotion to a drink-now sensibility + a lot of mouthwatering lightness w length. Keep an eye out for their Lo-Fi Chenin Blanc, as well as their Pinot-Gamay blend. From 2015 the Lo-Fi Cabernet Franc.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Feb 7, 2016 at 1:11am PST

Site Wine Co

My second time tasting the @sitewineco 2013 Roussanne from Stolpman Vineyard. Let me say only this: this wine is so very beautiful.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Feb 7, 2016 at 2:11pm PST

Habit Wines

Doing follow up tastings to the look at SBC Gruner Veltliner: hunted down the @habitwine 2014 example from Santa Ynez Valley.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Feb 10, 2016 at 9:36am PST

Wines of Santa Barbara County in Tasting Notes

Hawk Wakawaka

Feb 8, 2016

The Santa Barbara County Collection

From JancisRobinson.com… This is the first of a series of articles about the exciting wines of Santa Barbara County.

Santa Barbara County (SBC) wine country lies within geographical features unique to North and South America. A coastal mountain range runs north-south along the entire west coast of the Americas. However, in one location, halfway down the length of California, the range makes a brief turn east. The vines of SBC, then, sit within the only transverse mountain ranges of the two continents. One frames the wide, open Santa Maria Valley and the other hugs the north and south borders of Santa Ynez Valley, within which also sit the Sta Rita Hills, Ballard Canyon, and Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara appellations. Santa Maria and Santa Ynez Valleys, as a result, face the Pacific Ocean open-mouthed, unprotected by a mountain barrier. Both therefore receive a wash of maritime influence through nightly fog and a regularly timed afternoon wind. The combination also keeps SBC wine country relatively cool. In most of the county, then, cooler climate varieties do better, though the further east (or inland) one goes, the warmer it gets. As a result, some warmer-climate varieties dot the region as well. [See Elaine’s beautifully drawn map below.]

Santa Barbara Wine Country

Over on JancisRobinson.com, this piece continues in a series of three articles that survey the wines of Santa Barbara County via (1) Chardonnay, (2) Pinot Noir, and (3) the Rhones of Ballard Canyon. You can check out each of the articles in full there at JancisRobinson.com. The links to each of the three articles are below.

Santa Barbara County: kicking off with Chardonnay: http://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/santa-barbara-county-kicking-off-with-chardonnay

Santa Barbara County: Pinot Noir: http://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/santa-barbara-county-pinot-noir

Santa Barbara County: Ballard Canyon’s Rhone varieties http://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/santa-barbara-county-ballard-canyons-rhne-varieties-wip-tc

Later this week I’ll also be sharing the Instagram collection from the in-depth trip I did to Ballard Canyon this summer as we saw here last week from Paso Robles.

Cheers!

8 Days in Paso Robles

California

Hawk Wakawaka

Feb 1, 2016

Paso Robles

In July I spent 8 days doing intensive wine research and tasting in Paso Robles. Along the way I shared updates from my visits with producers via Instagram.

Some readers asked if I would please compile the collection and share it here on my blog in order to make the information more readily accessible. With that in mind, following are the Instagram photos from my 8 days in Paso Robles, minus a few short videos shared there. The captions as posted to Instagram are typed here directly below the associated image to make them easier to read.

I update my wine travels and local tastings regularly to Instagram, as shown below. If you’re interested in keeping up with it there, you can follow me on Instagram where I post as @hawk_wakawaka.

Cheers!

Let's do this…

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 11, 2015 at 6:00pm PDT

Eberle

"I made my first Barbera in 1978. I planted it myself. I got the cuttings from UC Davis. I really don't know what clone it was but it is what is mostly planted around here. It was planted, indexed and heat treated at Davis so it is clean. That was at the Estrella [River] property [the vineyard + winery Gary Eberle started in the late 1970s before then planting Eberle in the 1980s.]. […] Mr Mondavi, certainly in this business, was my biggest mentor. He taught me how to sell wine. I couldn't tell you why but we just hit it off. I learned so much from that man. You can make the best damn wine but you better be able to sell it if you want to have an impact in this industry." – Gary Eberle of Eberle Winery is considered the Godfather of Paso Robles wine having been one of the early founders of fine wine in the region and an instigator of the original 1983 AVA. Though his flagship wine is Cabernet Sauvignon he has won multiple awards for his Barbera. This summer he was recognized with a Wine Lifetime Achievement Award by the California State Fair, an honor he shares with his mentor, Robert Mondavi, the award's first recipient.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 11, 2015 at 9:44pm PDT

Ambythe

"This is two years of growth w no pruning. In a normal year these plants are touching each other. If and when it rains again, because it will rain again, will they bounce back? I now classify us as the grand experiment. Can you dry farm in the eastern hills of Paso Robles? I just think it's all part of a learning curve." – Phillip Hart discussing the drought while walking me through his Ambythe biodynamic, dry farmed, head trained Vineyard. As we walk the hills wildflowers are still growing of their own accord + clusters hang on the vines. The vines are just very small + in a few cases struggling, mostly by variety.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 12, 2015 at 11:29am PDT

Pomar Junction

Father + son team Dana + Matt Merrill farm vineyards all over Paso + make wine under the Pomar Junction label from their vineyard of the same name. "My dad is part of the Central Coast Vineyards team. We were one of the first 12 wineries in the SIP sustainability pilot program built by the Central Coast Vineyard Team. It's recognized by the TTB + means you've been checked by a third-party auditor." Matt explains. I ask Dana about his work on Paso water concerns in relation to the drought. Dana has spearheaded efforts to create a collaborative board of agricultural + residential members to work on long term solutions for water conservation. He responds. "We don't have really big water problems right now. We do have a general trend of wells dropping. We don't know if the drought is going to continue. We have enough constructive notice + time to do something."

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 12, 2015 at 2:41pm PDT

Clayhouse

Driving around Red Cedar Vineyard in the San Juan + Estrella Districts on the Northeastern side of Paso w Blake Kuhn, winemaker of Clayhouse. Here in the Eagle's Nest block at 1400 ft licking calcareous rock. Grippy.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 12, 2015 at 4:45pm PDT

The First Wine Labeled with the Paso Robles AVA

Drinking Eberle 1980 Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon w Gary + Marcy Eberle: the first wine to ever carry the Paso Robles AVA; selected by UC Davis as 1 of the top 6 Cabernets in California for the university's 75th anniversary; selected as 1 of 2 wines brought by President Reagan to China to present to the Chinese Emissary. Still a sense of fresh fruit + healthy acidity on a rose cream palate. A very pretty example of how Paso reds can age.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 12, 2015 at 6:25pm PDT

Kenneth Volk

Discussing the different growing regions of the Central Coast cannot be done more thoroughly than w Ken Volk. I ask him when he moved to the region + how he got started in wine. He answers. "I moved to San Luis Obispo in 1977 to attend Cal Poly. I made wine from Rancho Sisquoc grapes in 1977 as a home winemaker. Then I had the opportunity to do an internship w Edna Valley Vineyards in 1978 + 1979. After, I started Wild Horse. I purchased the property, planted vineyards, then bonded the winery + had first crush in 1983. We were mostly working w red grapes from Santa Maria Valley + Paso Robles. At Wild Horse we did a lot of blending warm + cool climate grapes. That worked well for us. People liked it." – Ken Volk served as the first president of the Paso Robles Grape Growers Association, which started in 1981. He was also one of the signatories on the original Paso Robles AVA that was recognized by the TTB in 1983. In his winemaking career he has made wine from around 74 varieties from throughout the Central Coast. As he explained, he recognizes the idea of noble varieties but it is in people being willing to work with grapes + travel w them that we found those. Today the Kenneth Volk winery is located in Santa Maria Valley where Pinot + Chardonnay are his flagship wines but he also works w Italian + French varieties from throughout the central coast.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 12, 2015 at 10:36pm PDT

The Falcone Family

The Falcone Family, John + Helen, have been farming Syrah + Cabernet in the Southeastern stretch of Paso Robles since 2000. Their site is covered in calcareous rock + receives a persistent cooling breeze from the Templeton Gap. Yields on their site show good balance this year w enough crop + little to drop. That is in contrast to sites in the Northern parts of Paso, which were hit w just enough rain during Cabernet bloom that yields are half what's average.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 13, 2015 at 11:04am PDT

Luna Matta Vineyard

"We're certified organic because we really believe in it. We believe the property should be better when we leave it than when we got it. All the hilltops here [on Luna Matta Vineyard] are a little different. There are so many soil changes. That's part of what's exciting about [farming in] Paso. You can kind of do anything." – Stephanie Terrizzi manages Luna Matta Vineyard in the Adelaida District of Paso Robles, which has 36 planted vineyard acres, 40 acres of walnuts, 2 acres of olives, 1 acre of sage + a pear tree. John Ahner + Jody McKeller planted the site in 2001 to Rhone + Italian varieties (+ just a smidgen of Tempranillo) with a focus on biodiversity. Their bees this summer are busy making honey from indigenous plants such as Toyon.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 13, 2015 at 7:45pm PDT

Giornata

"In Italy, there is enough heat the focus is really not on extraction. In France there are techniques for more extraction [because of the differing climate + varieties] but in Italy I have never seen anyone cold soak. The climate [in parts of Italy] is more like California. [It has the heat and sun. Our goal is] to express the site, the variety + the vintage. The best way to do that is to pick when the fruit is in balance + really on the early side. I look a lot at acidity numbers in fruit. This isn't just a low alcohol/high alcohol debate. We really want the grapes to hit that perfect edge of ripeness, the window, and it's a really small window. Stephie [Terrizzi] has done a lot of studies on physical ripeness. When to pick is the biggest decision that we make cause we use all natural yeast + no enzymes." – Brian Terrizzi owner-winemaker of Giornata w his wife Stephanie focuses entirely on Italian varieties grown in Paso Robles. Their first commercial vintage was 2006.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 13, 2015 at 8:00pm PDT

Clos Selene

Guillaume + Solene Fabre made hand crafted, small production Rhone blends from vineyards throughout the westside of Paso Robles. As a third generation vintner in Southern France, Guillaume grew up in wine but when his family decided to sell their property he came to Paso, asking Solene to move with him, to make the wines he loved in California where they now raise their family + their winery.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 13, 2015 at 8:09pm PDT

Aaron & Aequorea

"People talk about petite sirah being so blocky + square, only one dimensional, no character. That's why I blend multiple vineyards to give it more dimension + character. I started the Aaron label to make multi-vineyard blends. I think some of the best wines of Paso Robles have come from blending from multiple sites. We can do good single vineyard wines too. Aequorea is all single vineyard wines. Aequorea is Latin for "of the sea." I have always lived on the shore." – Aaron Jackson started his Aaron label in 2002 making only Paso petite sirah. In 2012 he also started Aequorea making coastal wines from San Luis Obispo.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 13, 2015 at 8:19pm PDT

Adelaida Cellars

"They seen what was coming. They got hooked up w John[Munch to start the Adelaida label]. I was just out here clearing land + doing what I needed to do. John came to me + said, what's the worst piece of ground you got? And I thought of that piece [that is now Adelaida's Lower Viking Vineyard] cause I hated that piece down there. [laughing] It was all poison oak. We didn't rip it. We didn't even have a tractor. And then we were worried about how many rocks we'd pull up. You know, it [vineyards in the Adelaida District of Paso] was all new. This one guy took great care to plant a vine right on top of a big rock. [laughing] He placed soil carefully up all around it. That vine is still there. That was 1991." – Mike Whitener has served as the Adelaida Ranch Manager for 40 years. His father was Ranch Manager before him. Mike was born, raised + has lived his life in the Adelaida District. As he explains, he's left several times but always wanted to come back.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 14, 2015 at 9:43pm PDT

Tasting older vintages of Adelaida Pinot from the HMR Vineyard, planted in 1964 in the Hills of the Adelaida District. The 1995 is still singing w vibrant acidity + bright red fruit.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 14, 2015 at 9:45pm PDT

Alta Colina

"I got this concept that I was going to grow wine + make wine back in 1970. It was a long hill ahead but fortunately when I retired I had this little bundle I could use to get started to do it. But in that time period I had these phases where what I was drinking changed. In the 1970s I was a Cab guy. Then I got into Grenache + for about ten years I was a Zin guy + then I moved to the Central Coast + discovered Rhones. At the time I started planting this vineyard that's just what I was drinking. It also seemed like the Rhones were the best fit soil + climate wise + some of the best wines I drank from Paso were Rhones." – Bob Tillman shares how he fell in love w growing + making Rhone wines in the Adelaida District of Paso. Here we sit near 1700 ft beneath an oak tree at the top of the Grenache + Syrah block tasting older vintages of his Alta Collina red wines.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 14, 2015 at 9:56pm PDT

Lone Madrone

Neil Collins traveled to Paso Robles at the age of 20 for a 6-week visit. Then never left. He worked his first harvest with Ken Volk at Wild Horse in 1992. Then served as assistant winemaker next to John Munch at Adelaida, did a harvest at Beaucastel in France, then returned to Paso to make wine for Tablas Creek, which he still does today. In 1996 he started buying Cabernet from the utterly unique Carver Vineyard on York Mountain + his own label, Lone Madrone, was born. He makes Rhone wines, Nebbiolo + the Cabernet from dry farmed, head trained + organic vineyards on the westside of Paso + on York Mountain. In his spare time he makes Bristols Cider.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 14, 2015 at 10:09pm PDT

Tasting an 8 vintage vertical, 2000 to 2007, of Lone Madrone Cabernet from York Mountain just west of the Paso Robles AVA.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 14, 2015 at 10:10pm PDT

The Oldest Coastal Live Oak on the West Coast

Visiting the Largest Coast Live Oak on record from BC to Mexico at Halter Ranch (note: the man standing beside it is 5' 11.5").

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 15, 2015 at 10:23am PDT

Halter Ranch

Tasting through the Halter Ranch portfolio + vintage verticals – predominantly Rhone wines + a Bordeaux red blend, all Estate fruit in the Adelaida District.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 15, 2015 at 11:53am PDT

Resource Conservation

Tablas Creek saves from distributing several-10 thousand plastic bottles of water per year w their reusable water canteen program. Cool.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 15, 2015 at 6:11pm PDT

Tablas Creek

Walking Tablas Creek w Jason Haas. The site grows all Rhone varieties (plus some friendly Tannat) in calcareous soils of the Adelaida District of Paso Robles at an elevation from 1400 to 1600 ft. At the top you look down at Hawks + Turkey Vultures swooping the hills for prey.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 15, 2015 at 6:17pm PDT

Tasting through the current release of the Tablas Creek portfolio + older vintages back to the inception of their flagship white + flagship red – the Esprit de Tablas Blanc + Rouge (both of which were originally named de Beaucastel).

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 15, 2015 at 6:22pm PDT

Full on bragging: just drank the first bottling of Terret Noir in the United States + one of the very few in the world (quite plausibly the only or one of less than a handful in recent history since there is very little growing anywhere). It was a wine of contradictions: somehow both fun + serious, refreshing w some fleshiness, untamed w a sense of focus. Dried alpine strawberry, bramble w herbal accents, nice acidity + the weight of Poulsard. Delicious + not for sale. Bwahwahwahwah-ha! Mine.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 15, 2015 at 6:28pm PDT

James Berry Vineyard

Justin + Luna Smith touring me through the James Berry Vineyard. Originally planted almost entirely to Chardonnay by Justin's dad (who the site is named for), Justin grew up farming the site as well as others w his family, then, after studying at Cal Poly, Justin + his wife, Heather, returned to Paso so Justin could join his father growing wine in the Willow Creek District of Paso Robles. Over time Justin has grafted over + replanted the Chardonnay to a mix of predominantly red + some white Rhone varieties. The last of the Chardonnay was replanted this year. Today most of the site's fruit goes into Justin + Heather's Saxum label.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 15, 2015 at 6:43pm PDT

Saxum

Outer-space-clean-line-retro-futuristic deep inside Saxum 2.0. The new Saxum winery (in the process of being built) includes a beautiful cut of Willow Creek's Monterey Series Shale + its inter-layered calcareous rock w salacious pockets + occasional bands of clay. The cement fermenters visible here were made using the shale harvested from the James Berry Vineyard while digging the caves in which the fermenters now sit. Dude. Duuude.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 15, 2015 at 6:53pm PDT

Tasting through Saxum's Rhone Reds w owner-winemaker of the boutique winery, Justin Smith. Justin has helped establish + farms Rhone sites throughout the Willow Creek + Adelaida Districts on the westside of Paso Robles. All but one of his wines are vineyard designates from sites he has helped establish, including the Bone Rock (from the first site he planted himself on terraces of the James Berry Vineyard) + the James Berry Vineyard (from fruit on the rest of the site). The Broken Stones is a blend of sites.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 15, 2015 at 7:01pm PDT

The Feet of Vineyard Travel

For @clarecarver: feet darker than my face from summer vineyards + filthy from the decomposed rock of west Paso Robles.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 15, 2015 at 7:04pm PDT

Fossilized Whale Bones

Today + yesterday have been days of fossilized whale bones found in the raised calcareous shales of the Templeton Gap + Willow Creek. Here a vertebrae found in the vineyards of Zenaida.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 16, 2015 at 11:32am PDT

Zenaida Cellars

Eric Ogorsolka grew up in Paso, then after studying at Cal Poly expected to leave the then largely undeveloped + remote region to make wine elsewhere. After a few years working for wineries in other parts of California he realized in the 1990s it was time to return + make wine in Paso Robles. Today, Eric's oversees sustainable farming of Cabernet, Zinfandel + Syrah + makes the wine at Zenaida Cellars in the Templeton Gap District of Paso Robles.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 16, 2015 at 2:29pm PDT

Pelletiere

Janis Denner's new winery, Pelletiere in the Willow Creek District of Paso Robles, named for her father, makes all-Estate wines from Italian varieties planted in the 1990s. (Though the winery is new it is based on a vineyard already established.) Janis works w winemaker Amy Butler to make 7 varietal wines inspired by Italy – Viognier, Zinfandel, Syrah, Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Nebbiolo + Lagrein plus a fresh rosé.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 16, 2015 at 2:39pm PDT

Brilliant tasting menu in Pelletiere showing "food + mood" pairing icons for each wine. A fun + accessible way to share information w tasters.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 16, 2015 at 2:45pm PDT

Ranchero Cellars

Amy Butler had to decide years ago between moving to Willamette Valley or Paso Robles. In the end, she decided to stay in California. While making wine for regional wineries she started her own label, Ranchero Cellars. Through Ranchero Cellars she makes flavorful, textural whites + refreshing, flavorful reds; her new Grenache-Mourvèdre blend + Carignan particular stand outs.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 16, 2015 at 2:50pm PDT

The Templeton Gap

A quick drive towards the Pacific through the Templeton Gap. Such a refreshing stop in the ocean wind.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 16, 2015 at 2:57pm PDT

A Little Goat

Monte is busy telling me all about life in the Willow Creek District of Paso Robles.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 16, 2015 at 6:57pm PDT

York Mountain Winery

Just west of the Paso Robles AVA sits the York Mountain AVA, both recognized in spring 1983. The high elevation York Mountain appellation today includes only one winery, Epoch Estates, + a handful of vineyards. However, the York Brothers, who the AVA is named for, established a winery near the top of York Mountain in 1898. The wood beams they harvested from the old Cayucos Pier. The bricks they made by hand on the mountain. Their York Mountain Winery stood + operated until the 2003 San Simeon earthquake that shook Paso Robles. Today, Epoch Estates own the original York Mountain Winery property + is in the process of restoring the original winery building using the old wood beams + bricks + stone fireplace through restoration + reuse efforts as shown here. The building once finished will be used as the Epoch tasting room w museum + educational components on the history of the region included throughout.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 16, 2015 at 10:56pm PDT

Epoch Estates

Tasting through the current portfolio of Epoch wines as well as a vertical of Epoch Ingenuity red Rhone blend 2009 to 2013.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 16, 2015 at 11:00pm PDT

Paderewski Vineyard

Looking across the Pederewski Vineyard in the Willow Creek District into the Templeton Gap from 1400 ft elevation. It grows mostly Rhone varieties as well as some Zinfandel cultivated from feral plants Ignacy Pederewski planted in the early 1900s that were rediscovered in the early 2000s. Ignacy Pederewski was a musician + composer who became the Prime Minister of Poland, signed the Treaty of Versailles + eventually settled in Paso Robles on the westside in what is now the Willow Creek District. 2015 will be the first vintage for fruit on the Pederewski clone Zinfandel. Epoch Estate owns the property + planted it to vines in 2005. The Pederewski clone cuttings were planted in 2011.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 16, 2015 at 11:12pm PDT

Ignacy Pederewski left behind a barn full of his picking bins from the early 1900s for harvesting Willow Creek Zinfandel. Remarkably the bins still exist in the original barn now down the hill from the Vineyard established by Epoch Estate. Here they are: 100 yr old Zinfandel picking bins still in Pederewski's barn. (Shhhhh… We snuck in.) Dude. Duuude.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 16, 2015 at 11:17pm PDT

So many Hawks soaring the foothills on the westside of Paso. One of my favorite things to watch them circle + soar.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 17, 2015 at 7:58am PDT

Pesenti Vineyard

In Paso Robles Turley owns the historic Pesenti Vineyard, head trained + dry farmed since 1922 when the Pesenti family planted it. The Pesenti's survived Prohibition selling grapes for home wine, which was legally allowed under a certain volume per family. By selling grapes during Prohibition, the Pesenti family had enough to build their winery as soon as Prohibition ended. The Pesenti Winery was 1 of only 3 in Paso Robles until the 1960s. Today the site still includes original 1922 planted Zinfandel, Carignan + a few massive Mission vines. Turley's Paso Robles winemaker, Karl Wicka, here stands next to a 1922 planted Mission vine.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 17, 2015 at 4:39pm PDT

Ueberroth Vineyard

This shit damn steep. Karl Wicka took me to the top of Turley's Ueberroth Vineyard in Willow Creek where they dry farm head trained Zinfandel planted in 1885. Though the site is warmer than the Pesenti Vineyard it produces Zinfandel w bracing acidity + delicious freshness. At 1200 ft the site is generally above frost concerns but the aspects + exposures of the site are so varied it is harvested in at least 5 picks. The hill climb angled over 40 degrees. When we got to the top it was time to pant + sweat over the killer view.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 17, 2015 at 4:46pm PDT

Amadeo Martinelli Vineyard

The Turley's newest property in Paso Robles, the Amadeo Martinelli Vineyard (no direct relation to the cider or the Sonoma gang), hosts dry farmed, head trained Zinfandel planted in the early 1920s in what is now known as the Templeton Gap District of Paso Robles. The vines are inter planted w a mix of cherry, pistachio + even a pear tree. The site includes a historic winery + the unique features of what was once clearly a self-sustaining farm: chicken coops, a root cellar + more. Though the site receives daily cooling breezes from the ocean it sits above the frost zone common to Paso Robles. 2014 is the first vintage from the site for Turley. From barrel it offers the great promise of a Turley Zin with a creamy fresh mid palate, dusty persistent tannin + enlivening acidity. Showing notes of fresh + dried cherry w chocolate + pepper accents on a snappy spine it's a delicious addition.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 17, 2015 at 4:56pm PDT

Ancient Peaks Vineyard

Checking out the GIANT + EVERYWHERE fossilized oyster shells of Ancient Peaks's Santa Margarita Ranch District Vineyard. At the southern most tip of Paso Robles the site carries a distinctive character – 5 distinct soil types across 1 vineyard including rocky alluvial, volcanic, calcareous, granitic + ancient sea bed (shown here) with warm temperatures midday + a strong cooling wind from the ocean every afternoon.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 17, 2015 at 11:33pm PDT

Tasting through a mix of current + older vintage wines from Ancient Peaks. With the diversity of aspects, soils + microclimates, the vineyard offers a range of varieties as well. As a result Ancient Peaks is able to offer good quality wines at a steal of a price + high end wines well made + still of good value.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 17, 2015 at 11:36pm PDT

Getting ready to zip line a series of 5 lines on Santa Margarita Ranch w Doug Filipponi. Super surprising + fun add into the afternoon. The first 4 lines race across a series of small peaks, then for the 5th + longest + fastest you hike to the top of a hill to then leap off a platform + zip over the vineyard.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 17, 2015 at 11:48pm PDT

Villa Creek Maha Vineyard

Standing at the top of young vine Grenache on Villa Creek's steep sloped, head trained Maha Vineyard in Peachy Canyon of Adelaida District. This year will be the site's first fruit.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 17, 2015 at 11:51pm PDT

Digging on the Villa Creek tasting room. Owners Cris + JoAnn Cherry produce primarily Rhone wines from the westside of Paso Robles as well as Fiano, Aglianico + a York Mountain Cabernet. In 2012 they began planting their own vineyard of Rhone varieties in the bracing acidity, calcareous rocks of western Paso Robles. Today they make wines from iconic sites in the Willow Creek + Adelaida Districts of Paso Robles.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 17, 2015 at 11:57pm PDT

Soren Christensen

Soren Christensen has been making wine in paso Robles for over 15 years focusing on Rhone + Bordeaux varieties. Today he serves as winemaker for Hearst Ranch Winery getting to work w fruit from East Paso. He also makes his own small production label, Anonimo, an Italian red blend focused on freshness, texture + length.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 18, 2015 at 10:17am PDT

Anonimo

Tasting Anonimo 2011, a small production Italian red blend from Soren Christensen. It's a perfect food wine w the flavor to hold up + marry w your meal plus the acidity + focus to quench + stimulate your palate.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 18, 2015 at 10:21am PDT

Hearst Ranch Winery

Tasting the reds of Hearst Ranch wines. The project is a collaboration between Steven Hearst (great grandson of William Randolph Hearst) w Jim + Deborah Saunders. The wines are made from vines planted in the mid-1990s on the Saunders Ranch on the eastside of Paso Robles. Together, Hearst + Saunders started their wine label in 2010. Jeremy Leffert served as winemaker through the 2014 vintage. Today, Soren Christensen serves as winemaker.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 18, 2015 at 10:31am PDT

Ledge Vineyard

Driving around the Ledge, the Adams Ranch Vineyard, w Mister Mark Adams himself in the Willow Creek District of Paso Robles.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 18, 2015 at 1:51pm PDT

Tasting through wines from Ledge w Mark Adams + his wife Ciera w piano accompaniment by their daughter Elizabeth. Great show of Paso purity here.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 18, 2015 at 2:05pm PDT

Bella Luna

Checking out Bella Luna in the Templeton Gap District of Paso Robles. The family owned, small production winery was started by best friends Kevin Healy + Sherman Smoot who grew up in Paso Robles. After serving in Vietnam, Kevin found his way into wine growing + making wine in Paso, including the historic Pesenti Vineyard + Winery. Sherman continued with work in aviation, having trained as a Navy pilot. After traveling the globe in flying, Sherman decided to shift into being more local while building on his love for wine by starting Bella Luna w his best friend Kevin focusing on Italian varieties + dry farming.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 18, 2015 at 2:19pm PDT

Getting ready to taste through the red wines of Bella Luna.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 18, 2015 at 2:23pm PDT

A Full Week

There it is folks. The Paso Robles notebook completely full. Can't say thank you enough to everyone I met, + all who helped, for a great week. You have a special sense of community in your region. I am grateful to have even briefly been a part of it.

A photo posted by Hawk Wakawaka (@hawk_wakawaka) on Jul 18, 2015 at 5:14pm PDT

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