The ongoing celebration of homegrown food, freshly baked bread, and artisanal cheeses heralds a renewed appreciation for long-held traditions. And those lucky enough to remember visiting the local little old winemaker to fill an empty jug right out of the barrel can rejoice at the latest blast from the past.
In an odd blend of innovative thinking and old-school practices, several Santa Barbara County wineries have re-introduced wine taps to their tasting rooms. Now, they not only sell wines by the glass, but in refillable bottles; a low-cost, eco-sensitive alternative to the regular packaging.
“It’s been great!” said Jessica Carr, marketing and sales director for Carr Vineyards. “People really enjoy it, and they love the fact that they can bring back the bottle and get a discount on their refills.
“It’s environmentally friendly,” she continued. “The bottles are not only recyclable, but also refillable, so they’re not even going into the trash. And we’re not using foils or corks or labels or any of that.
“We’ve had the wine on tap since last year,” she added, “and earlier this year, we started doing our refillable bottles. We call them our wine ‘growlers.’”
These “growlers” (an old English term for a pitcher or pail used to fetch beer from the local pub) are one-liter bottles made in Italy and fitted with Grolsch-style, swingtop stoppers that effectively exclude outside air.
“The wines are made to be consumed right away,” Carr said, “but they can last just like any other bottle of wine, too. When we fill up the bottle, we gas it with nitrogen like we would a regular bottle, so you could hold on to it for a long time.
“The whole concept behind the growler,” she continued, “is to take it home, take it to a barbecue, bring it back, and get it refilled. But you can treat it like any other bottle of wine.”
Carr’s husband, Ryan Carr, owner and winemaker at Carr Vineyards, came up with the idea to use taps in the tasting room after seeing them used in local micro-breweries. He figured they would be perfect for dispensing wine by the glass or bottle, and indeed, the Pinot Grigio and Quonset Hut Red (a blend of Cabernet Franc and Syrah named for the Quonset hut the winery calls home) are quickly flowing out of the tanks.
The Carrs make special blends and batches that they designate for their wines on tap.
“They’re not barrel samples,” Carr said. “They’re blended, aged, and then kegged up specifically for the program.”
Another local producer that has embraced the wonder of wine taps is Palmina, a winery and enoteca owned by Chrystal and Steve Clifton. Located in Lompoc, this friendly winery offers its tap wines by the glass and by refillable bottle, available in both 64-oz and .750ml sizes.
“Wines on tap are a great opportunity to educate people on the simplicity of wine,” Chrystal said, “and how, by having it ‘fresh’ on tap, it can be enjoyed right away and without any wine snobbery. It also allows people to reuse and recycle, and cuts down on the packaging waste of cork, label, and capsule.
“Steve and I have focused on Palmina being a winery that brings wine back to the basics,” she added, “a beautiful product for the table to enjoy with food, friends, and family.”
On tap, Palmina offers Tavola Bianco and Tavola Rosso, table white and red blends based on Italian varietal grapes and created in the cellar. The wines are fresh and easy to drink, and as the blending varies according to what’s ready in the cellar, they will change slightly throughout the year.
Municipal Winemakers, based in downtown Santa Barbara, also offers refillable bottles with the persuasive tagline: “Reuse, don’t recycle, drink local (and bring the bottle back!).” Winemaker Dave Potter offers a rotating list of fresh-from-the-barrel wines flowing freely out of what he happily calls the Wine Fountain.
Wines for Municipal Winemakers’ ongoing Special Refill Deals may include Bright White (dry Riesling), Syrah, Bright Red (blend of Grenache, Cincault, Syrah), or Grenache, Dark Red (Syrah/Cabernet Sauvignon blend).
Today’s tasting rooms offer so much more than just a few samples of their current releases. With the advent of wines on tap that are poured by the glass (or refillable bottle), they rival a warm home or community center as a welcoming place where people can gather to enjoy food, friends, conversation, and old-fashioned fun.
K. Reka Badger has her growler at the ready. Contact her at rekabadger@hotmail.com.
This article appears in Sep 23-30, 2010.