Zaca Mesa Winery in Los Olivos has a lot of history. And it should; it’s one of Santa Barbara County’s premiere pioneer wineries. Established in 1972, Zaca Mesa developed its own unique method of wine production, since there weren’t many other wineries to learn from at the time.
The winery eventually figured out that its land was best for producing wines of the Rhone variety, such as Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Viognier, and Roussanne.
Over time, Zaca Mesa has perfected its winemaking process, and Kristin Bryden, the new assistant winemaker, looks forward to contributing to the winery’s rich history with her passion for creating wine.
Originally from Redding, Bryden graduated from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo with a degree in food science. She admits that after graduation, she wasn’t quite sure what she wanted to do with her degree until she entered her first job.
“My first job was at Wild Horse Winery in Templeton,” she said. “It ended up being a lucky opportunity, and I fell in love with winemaking.”
Bryden is fascinated by all aspects of winemaking: the history of wine, the culture, and the art.
“There is so much to the winemaking process that you will never know everything,” she said. “There is so much to learn.”
Even before her arrival at Zaca Mesa winery, Bryden was already on the fast track to success. At Wild Horse in 2006, she worked her way from production technician to enologist to assistant winemaker, a position that required her to aid in the planning and execution of wine production, as well as enforcing quality control.
Despite her success at Wild Horse, Bryden decided she wanted a change of scene—so to speak.
“I was looking for a change, a chance to work with new appellations, and I had never worked in Santa Barbara County,” she explained.
Bryden felt that Zaca Mesa Winery would be a wonderful opportunity for a change of scenery, and would afford her the chance to work in a great program with a talented winemaker.
According to president, CEO, and winegrower Brook Williams, Bryden’s familiarity with estate programs and her extensive knowledge of the vineyard system made her a key candidate.
“Kristin brings a lot of professional experience here,” Williams said. “She has a very nice palate, and we are very excited that she has joined us.”
Williams also noted that while some winemakers walk into a vineyard thinking they can make the greatest wine ever, it’s important at Zaca Mesa to let the vineyard speak and that the winemakers work with what the vineyard provides.
With Bryden’s experience and understanding of the vineyard calendar, Williams expects her to work with the vineyard and contribute to the winery’s already sterling reputation.
As assistant winemaker, Bryden will be helping the head winemaker, overseeing the laboratory and production, and providing an extra set of eyes at the vineyard.
Bryden, who began work at the winery on Aug. 15, intends to bring her excitement and enthusiasm for winemaking to the wines at Zaca Mesa.
“This is a cool place to work. The people are passionate and it is full of history,” she said. “I’m glad to be a part of that team.”
Everyone is glad to have freelancer Kristina Sewell as part of the team. Contact her through Arts Editor Shelly Cone at scone@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Sep 29 – Oct 6, 2011.