Red wine. White wine. Cupcakes.
That’s the mantra of Saarloos and Sons, a Los Olivos-based winery known for its wine and cupcake pairings. You’ve never seen a cuter place: Wine bottles donning handwritten labels commemorating the growers’ family and friends; sun-faded tables and chairs set up on the patio out front, shaded by a large oak at the right times of day; small, flavorful cupcakes fit snugly in small egg cartons.
Keith and Heather Saarloos opened the place seven years ago, aiming for a family-centered wine tasting experience. A year later, Enjoy Cupcakes approached the Saarlooses seeking a retailer, and it wasn’t long before the two companies joined forces for pairings.
According to Cecily Furlong—self-proclaimed resident artist and “tasting room gypsy”—when Saarloos and Sons started selling Enjoy Cupcakes, customers kept taking the treats up to the bar to eat alongside their wines. Saarloos and Enjoy rolled with it, and now you can shell out $10 for a flight of five or six wines and $15 for six corresponding cupcakes, with the tasting menu changing each week.
The Saarlooses are deeply involved in their business, with Keith infusing the tasting room with his laid-back, humorous personality and Heather incorporating her artistic talents into the venue’s design. As a patron of Saarloos and Sons’ tasting room, you won’t find snobbery, exclusion, or even tasting notes in sight—simply a house full of friends who want to experience fantastic flavors.
Each wine put out by the company is in some way dedicated to a Saarloos family member or friend—the sauvignon blanc, for example, goes out to Keith’s and Heather’s daughter, and the wine’s current bottle sports a handwritten love note from Keith to his child. Other bottles’ labels give nods to great uncles, family friends, and grandparents’ anniversaries. At Saarloos, it truly is a family affair.
The concept is warm, homey, and unique, but let’s not forget the taste—which I’d rank as phenomenal. Enjoy Cupcakes has cranked out hundreds of individual flavors for its partnership with Saarloos, and from what I’ve tasted, the results will not disappoint. Take the trip down to Los Olivos and see for yourself.
Brenna Swanston can’t wait to polish off her leftover cupcakes. Send your favorite wine-and-dessert pairings to bswanston@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jun 9-16, 2016.