Founded in 2000, Flying Goat Cellars is technically, legally old enough to drink its own wine. While 2021 marks this local winery’s 21st year in business, birthday wishes aren’t the only cause for recent celebrations at its tasting room in Lompoc.
Among some big wins in multiple wine competitions over the past few months, one particular award pitted the winery side by side with an iconic musician’s label.
“We’re thrilled to be in the company of 50 Cent’s $160 champagne,” said Flying Goat’s co-proprietor Kate Griffith, referring to the results of the 18th annual Critics Challenge International Wine and Spirits Competition.
Flying Goat Cellars tied with Chemin du Roi (owned by rap artist and entrepeneur Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson) for Best in Show (Sparkling Wine) during this year’s contest, winning for its 2016 brut cuvee, priced at $44 a bottle. Entries from around the world were judged blind by a large group of wine and spirits journalists.
“We feel like we’ve got international validation,” said Griffith, who added that this was the first year the winery had ever entered the Critics Challenge, which was founded by prolific wine critic Robert Whitley in 2003.
Flying Goat does however have a long history of competing in the Orange County Fair’s Commercial Wine Competition, including in this year’s event. One of the winery’s pinot noirs (2017 Pinot Noir Dierberg) took home double gold, while two of its other wines (2017 Blanc de Noirs Ampelos and 2017 Rosé Solomon Hills) each scored silver this year.
After the winery won its first Best of Show award at the fair back in 2002, founder and winemaker Norm Yost (Griffith’s husband) was invited to serve as a judge for the following year’s competition, a position he enjoyed reprising occasionally over the next two decades.
“He really likes the way the Orange County Wine Society makes all the judges feel special at the competition,” said Griffith, who married Yost in 2010. “Plus, he enjoys the camaraderie of connecting with a lot of old winemaking buddies from Northern California.”
Aside from reconnecting with old friends and peers in the winemaking community, Griffith said her husband also appreciates taking part in blind wine tastings when he’s asked to be a judge in the competition.
“They taste over 160 wines in two days, which is great practice to hone wine tasting skills,” said Griffith, who first moved to Lompoc in 2002, originally to work for the city as an experienced marketer, and later a planning commissioner.
For the past 11 years, Griffith has worked with her husband as Flying Goat’s co-proprietor, helping him sell and brand his handcrafted wines. Prior to launching Flying Goat Cellars in 2000, Yost had worked as a winemaker for several vintners, including wine producers in California, Oregon, and Australia. After he decided to start a label of his own in Lompoc, Yost began focusing on vineyard-designated pinot noir and sparkling wine.
Out of the four wines recently recognized at the Orange County Fair and Critics Challenge, Griffith said the one she and Yost feel most proud of recommending to patrons is 2017 Blanc de Noir Ampelos Vineyard.
“We think this is the closest expression of French Champagne that we produce at Flying Goat. We are very proud of that,” Griffith said of the award-winning wine, available by the bottle, glass, or tasting during Flying Goat’s regular hours.
Guests of the tasting room can look forward to more than just wine, as the venue is currently hosting a free art exhibition for visitors to enjoy. The showcase premiered in June and features several acrylic paintings by Vicki Andersen, a Lompoc resident and founding member of the Cypress Gallery.
Andersen’s work will remain on display in the tasting room’s gallery through September. A special closing reception will be held that same month, and guests will have the opportunity to meet the local artist herself.
“All are invited to meet Vicki, toast her with a glass of wine, and purchase her original artwork or giclees,” Griffith said of the event, scheduled to take place on Sept. 10.
Even if the art and wine isn’t enough to spark a trip to Flying Goat’s wood-paneled tasting room (which also features outdoor patio seating), the chance to meet the winery’s “official greeter and top salesman” is hard to pass up.
“Just come by to relax and hang out with Cooper,” Griffith said, referring to Flying Goat’s official tasting room dog, Cooper, also known by his alias, the Pinot Puppy. “If you’re in need of a puppy fix, swing by the tasting room and meet him.”
Arts Editor Caleb Wiseblood is always in need of a puppy fix. Send comments to [email protected].
