People usually join wine clubs for the 20 or 25 percent discount on their favorite wine.
That’s all well and good, but when I sign up, I especially want to know about the extra perks—the exclusive events planned throughout the year for club members; wine dinners, blending sessions, tours, barrel room tasting, and access to the winemaker.
I recently attended one such shindig at Stolpman Vineyards in Santa Barbara County. Their annual Dinner in the Vineyard is reason enough to join the club!
Aug. 4 was a gloriously sunny afternoon in Ballard Canyon. I found myself smiling as I followed the signs, winding my way deep into the 220-acre estate, in search of a giant, centuries-old tree, under which dinner and wine would be served.
Guests were greeted not only by that statuesque mature oak, but also by vineyard director of operations Peter Stolpman.
“It’s a 400-year-old fabulous valley oak. And it will be a sad day if that thing ever falls over,” said Peter, who is a partner of Stolpman Vineyards with his parents Tom and Marilyn Stolpman.
That evening, Peter led hayride after hayride through his family’s scenic ranch, which lies on three limestone ridgelines between Los Olivos and Solvang. He described their organic farming practices to his dinner guests riding along, and he pointed out where each varietal is planted.
“We’re definitely part of the Rhone Rangers movement. About 92 acres or about two-thirds of the vineyard are planted to Syrah. So if we’re known for anything, it’s definitely Syrah,” he said.
Any given year, Stolpman Vineyards will produce five to seven different Syrah cuvées, in addition to Sangiovese and Sauvignon Blanc. But Peter seems most proud of the difficult-to-grow Roussanne.
“I think we’re the best in California at it. We don’t pick that grape until November, which is unheard of. So a month after anyone else picks it, that Roussanne goes into a wine—L’Avion, French for ‘the airplane.’ To me, that’s just the coolest kind of ‘talking-point wine’ because nobody in the world is doing anything like it,” he said.
Back under the oak tree, 140 guests were poured any and all of the excellent wines produced by Stolpman, while they selected from a smorgasbord of appetizers before an extraordinary dinner was served al fresco.
“Tonight is an opportunity for us to bring a lot of our customers out to the vineyard to really feel the vibe out here. You feel the weather. You feel the breeze. You feel the dryness in the air. You look at the rolling hills of the vineyard. It’s a chance to really experience the vineyard, because we think of our wines as ‘vineyard crafted,’ and that’s sort of meaningless unless you understand what we do out here in the vineyard,” Peter said.
Grapes aren’t the only things growing here: There are five acres of olives and 14 acres of vegetables, all of which are organically farmed.
All of the vegetables at this locally sourced Dinner in the Vineyard came from their land; lettuce, heirloom tomatoes, bell peppers, squash, potatoes, and much more. They also served a stunning salad, wild-caught salmon, and sirloin steak, expertly prepared by JR’s Gourmet Catering, based in Solvang.
“We do a ‘Feast in the Field’ every year, usually in June, where everything is from the property, including the protein,” Peter added.
Dinner attendees are usually a mix: friends from all over California, local media, members of the Stolpman Vineyards wine club, or their mailing list.
“You don’t have to be a member of our wine club, but if you sign up for our mailing list on our website or in our tasting room in Los Olivos, we’ll let you know,” he said.
Any event like this in the Stolpman Vineyard is also a benefit for a local charity. A previous dinner raised money for People Helping People, and the Aug. 4 feast benefited Arts Outreach.
It was a perfect way to showcase wine, with the freshest of food, surrounded by vine-covered hills, at sunset in the shadow of a magnificent old oak, and they’ll do it again next year. To be a part of it, visit stolpmanvineyards.com.
Sun food and wine writer Wendy Thies Sell could eat heirloom tomatoes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Send story ideas to wthies@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Aug 30 – Sep 6, 2012.