The Sta. Rita Hills, the red-hot wine region between Buellton and Lompoc, is sizzling with excitement over the wine events planned for the weekend of Aug. 17 to 19.
Passions burn bright in one of the colder grape-growing regions in California. Local wine pioneers warmly welcome the next generation of young wine producers choosing to put down roots here in this cool, foggy, breezy valley.
Winemaking legends such as Richard Sanford, Rick Longoria, and Bryan Babcock—who helped put the Sta. Rita Hills on the map—are producing some of the best vintages of their careers.
Pinot Noir coming from this area achieved movie star status during the Sideways craze, when the 2004 indie film launched the grape varietal into the stratosphere for quite a few years.
Pinot Noir isn’t the only grape that flourishes in the Sta. Rita Hills, though. Chardonnay shines here too, even when it’s socked in with morning sea fog. Some producers believe that in the long run, Chardonnay will be the region’s true star.
Newcomer Liquid Farm is all Chardonnay, all Sta. Rita Hills (minus a tiny amount of Mourvèdre Rosé).
“For us, there is no better place in California to make the style of Chardonnay that we crave drinking day after day,” said Nikki Nelson, who co-owns Liquid Farm winery with her husband Jeff.
They have a mutual love of the minerality and texture of white Burgundy. Now, they’re madly in love with the Sta. Rita Hills and the wines that they can make here.
“The energy of the people make it that much more extraordinary. They are warm, unpretentious, and seem inextricably connected to why they started to do what they do in the first place,” Nikki said. “I think it’s easy to get separated from that childlike spark of passion that fired up at some point in our lives. Here, things are kept simple and focused.”
The Nelsons don’t have a tasting room; their production is tiny. Consumers find their wines through the website, liquidfarm.com, and at events like the Chardonnay Symposium, where I first tasted their beautiful Chardonnays. Another opportunity is the upcoming Wine and Fire weekend.
“Most of our members are really small, and a lot of them don’t have their own tasting room,” said Barbara Satterfield, executive director of the Sta. Rita Hills Winegrowers Alliance, which has 48 members, including 30 wineries. “A lot of the people who make wine in this area are really small producers.”
That makes Wine and Fire an incredible chance to not only taste rare and hard-to-find wines, but to talk with the person who actually handcrafted the wine, while you swirl it in your glass (a crystal wine glass, which you may keep as a memento).
“There are so many small producers, whether known or unknown, that are not easily found, who will be sharing their wines at Wine and Fire. The setting is outdoors and the vibe is super casual and welcoming, just like wine should be,” Nikki said.
The Wine and Fire celebration begins with receptions and tastings on Friday, Aug. 17, at Avant Tapas and Wine in Buellton and D’Vine Wine Bar in Lompoc.
Saturday, Aug. 18, starts with a morning seminar, “The Fire Within,” an in-depth tasting at the Barn at Fiddlestix Vineyard. Ten winemakers will explain why they’re so passionate about the Sta. Rita Hills and will assess the characteristics of the region’s star grapes and vineyards. Liquid Farm’s Nikki Nelson is among the Chardonnay panelists.
Following the seminar tastings, guests will enjoy a “Santa Rita-style BBQ” from the Hitching Post II in Buellton.
The Grand Tasting will be that Saturday from 5 to 8 p.m. The casual evening event happens in a beautiful sunset locale: the courtyard at La Purisima Mission in Lompoc.
“You just can’t go wrong doing an event there. The event [last year] was just really magical,” Satterfield said.
Thirty member wineries will be joined by local restaurants: Hitching Post II, the Ballard Inn, Rooney’s Irish Pub, Floriano’s Meat Market, D’Vine, Avant, Chef Alvin Cabral, and Babé Farms.
The chefs will serve generous portions of their signature dishes.
“People actually get their dinner. It’s kind of a walk-around dinner party,” Satterfield said.
An added bonus: A three-day VIP wine tasting passport is included in the ticket price of the seminar and lunch or the Grand Tasting—a perfect time to explore the wineries and tasting rooms in the Sta. Rita Hills.
“It’s an especially exciting time for all of us,” said Norm Yost, chairperson of the alliance. “The vines will be laden with grapes, and both winemakers and growers will be in that heightened state of just- before-harvest excitement. We’ll definitely be all fired up to celebrate!”
Nikki added, “We love sharing the wines with folks for the first time. People seem to really connect with the project and our mission. Most importantly, their eyes usually light up when the wine hits their palate, which is the greatest compliment of all.”
For Wine and Fire tickets and event details, go to staritahills.com.
Sun food and wine writer Wendy Thies Sell always remembers a wine when it makes her eyes light up. Tell her about your favorite wine at wthies@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Aug 2-9, 2012.