As harvest begins in earnest, Santa Barbara County wineries want to remind us what all the fuss is about. While workers gather grapes for the next vintage, local vintners gear up to celebrate California Wine Month this September by showcasing a selection of new releases.
From Zaca Mesa comes liquid history in the form of the 2007 Black Bear Syrah, a dense, purple-black offering with a tempting nose of blackberry and smoke. On the palate, this robust wine displays notes of pepper, cedar, and cassis that make it a winner with just about anything off the grill.
The Black Bear Syrah comes from a 3.5-acre vineyard planted at Zaca Mesa in 1978—the first Syrah in the county—and named for the numerous black bears that roam the area. The cuttings, which came from the Northern Rhone region, were planted on their own roots, and today represent the oldest Syrah growing on the Central Coast.
On Saturday, Sept. 18, Foley Estates Vineyard hosts a pre-release party at the Rancho Santa Rosa Estate winery to welcome their line-up of 2008 offerings. These wines, which include Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, mark the first vintage that winemaker Kris Curran has shepherded from harvest to bottle during her two-year tenure at Foley Estates.
Curran grew up in the Santa Ynez Valley and is well-known for her quick wit and keen palate. She completed her viticultural degree at Fresno State University and became assistant winemaker at Cambria Winery before hiring on as general manager at Koehler Winery.
In 2000, Sea Smoke Cellars tapped Curran to set up their winery and lead the winemaking team. While there, she made memorable Pinot Noir from the Santa Rita Hills appellation, an experience that prepared her to work her magic with Foley’s estate fruit, which also comes from the Santa Rita Hills.
In addition to tasting wines under the Foley Estates label, guests at the party will get a chance to sample the 2008 Two Sisters Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, named in honor of Bill and Carol Foley’s daughters, Lindsay and Courtney. These are limited-edition bottlings and generally available only in the Foley Tasting Room.
At large tents set up in front of the tasting room, staffers will pour the various wines in separate serving areas. As live music fills the air, guests can experience the profound pleasures of sipping the new releases with perfectly paired edibles.
[image-2] “We are matching up with local restaurants,” said Jesse Barter, southern regional manager for Foley Family Wines, “and they are each going to pair an hors d’oeuvre with the Pinot that we give them. So there will be four stations showcasing the four different Foley Pinots that we are releasing.
“The restaurants that we are using,” he continued, “are Hadsten House, Route 246, Elements, and Petros Restaurant from the Fess Parker Hotel in Los Olivos.
“We are letting the restaurants come up with the pairings,” he added, “so that is a big draw for the crowds, to see what the experts feel is the best dish for each of the unique pairings.”
Foley Estates Vineyard has earned a reputation for throwing lively parties, as underscored by past events.
“Last year we held a Pinot Release party similar to this,” Barter said, “and it was a huge success. The major draw for this year will be the fact that these wines are Kris Curran’s first full vintage from harvest to bottle.”
At the event, wine lovers can sample all of the winery’s 2008 Pinot Noir and buy their favorites to take home. Afterward, the wine will go back into storage and not be available for tasting or purchase until their individual releases sometime next year.
“This is the first and only time,” Barter said, “that all of the ’08 Pinot Noir will be available to sample and purchase until the end of 2011.”
Perfectly timed, these wine debuts and pre-releases come during the heart of California Wine Month. This year marks the sixth consecutive celebration of a statewide industry that supports 820,000 jobs throughout the United States and accounts for an estimated $26 billion in wages.
California ranks as the fourth largest wine producer in the world, makes 90 percent of all wine in this country, and each year sells $18.5 billion worth of wine (retail!) nationally. Santa Barbara County plays a large part in those sales, and with all the parties and new releases coming up, oenophiles can buy some wine, support our local winemakers, and have a whole lot of fun in the bargain.
K. Reka Badger certainly supports local winemakers. Join her at rekabadger
@hotmail.com.
This article appears in Sep 9-16, 2010.