It’s always a treat when you stumble into something that’s been right in front of you the whole time. That was the case recently with myself and an impressive local winery that’s carved out a niche on the Central Coast.
Don’t let the size of Los Olivos fool you. Within its 2.5 square miles there are more than 30 wineries packed into the various streets and winding roads that shoot off from the central shopping district. Just off the intersection of Alamo Pintado Road and San Marcos Avenue, where tourists casually roam the quiet shop-filled streets, sits Dragonette Cellars, one of many tasting rooms within a short walk from one another.
Dragonette has the feel of a rustic inn, chic but not overstated, with a good view of the town outside. On the day I happened to venture in, it had somehow become a hotspot with a crowd of tourists taking up almost every seat at the bar, a rarity on a Tuesday late in the morning.
The winery has a diverse selection on their tasting menu, which includes six wines that range from sauvignon blanc to pinot noir for about $15. The first thing that struck me about the wine list at Dragonette is how deceptively simple it is. It doesn’t feel overburdened with too many dramatic offerings, but after a closer look I noticed that the wines are intricate, sophisticated, and cleverly elevated.
Dragonette is the brainchild of brothers John and Steve Dragonette and their friend Brandon Sparks-Gillis. They source from 12 vineyards throughout Santa Barbara County (their website has some wonderfully detailed educational material if anyone is inclined to learn more about the region).
I started with one of my favorites that Dragonette offers, a 2016 sauvignon blanc from Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara. According to the winemakers, “this bottling represents an appellation blend of lots we feel express the characteristics of Happy Canyon; explosive but bright yellow and tropical fruits and melons balanced by fresh, clean, and present acidity.”
The sauvignon blanc is a blend of grapes from both the Vogelzang and Grassini vineyards, which impart the wine with hints of melon, kiwi, mango, guava, and pineapple. Yes, it is “fruity,” but I never felt overwhelmed by any of the flavors. I would call it sweet, but that would be a lie because the taste never steps over the line to being saccharine.
Another standout on the tasting flight is the 2015 pinot noir from the Santa Rita Hills. Again, the wine was extremely flavorful with a lot of complex notes going on. For the 2016 pinot, Dragonette concocted a blend of grapes from six vineyards and aged it for 15 months in French oak barrels. Once again, it’s a wine with powerful notes of fruit from plums to cherries, balanced with a kind of warm spiciness with hints of cumin and smoke. It’s a surprising pinot but also one that is (dare I say) exceptionally drinkable. To put it bluntly, I wanted to chug the whole bottle down with a pint of gelato and watch reruns of CSI, but that would not be very professional, would it?
I’m not typically a chardonnay drinker (stop yelling at me, chard-heads), but Dragonette’s is a must-have. The grapes are sourced from some of the highest elevations in the Santa Rita Hills. The landscape is a very hard place to coax a chardonnay grape out of, but Dragonette has pulled it off, with a wine that resonates with the rugged mineral quality of the land. There are hints of melon and spice and a flavor of flowers like camomile. I enjoyed it because it was smooth and crisp without feeling too acidic.
But the experience is not about picking one favorite at Dragonette. Their wines are all special and stand out in their own way and are best sampled at their storefront in Los Olivos, where you can get a taste not just of the wines but of the community that surrounds them.
Arts and Lifestyle Writer Rebecca Rose was aged in 100 percent new French oak. Contact her at rrose@santamariasun.com.
• If you’re in the mood for a burger outside conventional definitions but you’re not ready to embrace banana and kale with raw oysters burger, Chomp’s Kyzer burger (pictured) is a great option. Made with ground pork, Swiss cheese, caramelized onions, on a toasted bun (their buns are so good), it’s a welcome break from red meat for those looking for one. Visit them at 1693 Mission Drive, Solvang.
• I believe I spotted a food truck at the Crossroads Shopping Center in Santa Maria hosting Taco Tuesdays in front of the AT&T store. You might want to keep an eye out there on Tuesdays to see if it becomes a trend (hopefully it will). The shopping center is located at 2220 S. Bradley Road, Santa Maria.
• The former Bell Street Farms is now Bell’s, run by Daisy (Per Se, Gramercy Tavern, Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare, Line Hotel, Austin’s McGuire Moorman Hospitality) and Greg Ryan (Per Se, Tribeca Grill, Polo Lounge at The Beverly Hills Hotel, Jeffrey’s in Austin). The menu plays around with traditional French bistro food including Parisian gnocchi with sauce fonduta and fines herbes as well as a rotisserie chicken dish with bread salad including currants, shallot confit, bitter greens, and sherry vinegar. Check out the revamped venue at 406 Bell St., Los Alamos.
This article appears in Mar 29 – Apr 5, 2018.