Though their own tasting room is just a few weeks old, Ben Gonzalez and wife Lucy Laurel-Gonzales are no strangers to the wine business.
Gonzales, a third-generation grape grower from Fresno, got his start at Mondavi Properties, moving on to run Sierra Madre, Gary Ranch, and Byron vineyards in the Santa Maria Valley. His wife has 25 years of experience providing labor to local grape growers, and helped Gonzales harvest grapes at Pacific Vineyards in Edna Valley. Together, they developed a business idea.
“We liked wine so much at the time that we decided we wanted to make our own wine,” Gonzales said. “We kept missing the opportunity to buy grapes and figure out where they were going to be processed, or exactly how to go about it.”
The couple finally purchased their own grapes in 2009 from Sierra Madre and Premier Vineyards in Los Alamos, and collaborated with a local custom grape-crushing facility, C2 Cellars, to make the wine. From there, they spent a year trying to get it into local restaurants.
“It was really tough because a lot of the wineries are already established, so if you’re a new person getting in, they want the wine very inexpensive,” Gonzales said. “So we decided we were going to open a tasting room.”
After looking high and low for a location, the Gonzaleses landed a place smack dab in burgeoning Old Town Orcutt, between Elmer’s bar and Kay’s Country Kitchen. Lucia’s Wine Company opened its doors for tastings on Dec. 10, the day of the Old Town Orcutt Christmas parade, just as they had planned.
“I just thought it was an up-and-coming place to be,” Gonzales said. “We’re glad we waited.”
Lucia’s currently offers three whites (Muscat Canelli, chardonnay, and a Gewurztraminer) and three reds (pinot noir, syrah, and Sangiovese). The pinot won a silver medal at the Central Coast Wine Competition in July and has quickly become the winemaker’s most popular blend.
“They say it’s not your regular pinot,” Gonzales said. “It’s got more body, it’s got more fruit, and it has no aftertaste. It’s a nice finish.”
All the wines produced by Lucia’s are premium, and Gonzales said his background in growing the grapes himself is what sets his wines apart from the rest.
“When you taste these wines, you can tell a difference from the other wines in the area,” he explained. “Now I’m going back to actually purchasing the grapes I planted, so I think I have an edge as to the quality of grapes I’m getting, and the experience to make a top-end type of wine that people like.”
Lucia’s will have its grand opening and ribbon cutting in January, and has started a wine club with 15 members already. Gonzales said he’s pleased with the local response so far and feels the tasting room will be a hit for a long time to come.
“The locals say it’s a great place because they can walk from their homes right over to the main street and have a glass of wine or a flight,” he said. “It’s a relaxing type of place with a little music, a little lights, good conversation, and great wine.”
Lucia’s Wine Co. is at 125 E. Clark Ave. and is open for tasting from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. In addition to selling their wines online at lucias-wine-co.com, Lucia’s can also be found at Dino’s Delicatessen in Santa Maria and the Historic Santa Maria Inn.
For more information, call the tasting room at 332-3080.
Highlights
• Discount clothing chain Marshalls
announced that the company has signed a lease with Brixmor Property Group for a 24,050-square-foot store in the Lompoc Shopping Center on North H Street and West Pine Avenue.
The store is expected to open in fall of 2012.
• Adventures Out West is now accepting reservations for Segway tours of Solvang after city councilmembers unanimously approved a license for the company to use city streets for its excursions.
The one-hour tours include a trip across the Santa Ynez River Sanctuary, a stroll through the Mission, and an adventure through Hans Christian Anderson Park. The cost is $85 per person.
The Adventures Out West office is at 453
Atterdag Road in the Atterdag Square.
For tour times and availability, call 637-1289 or 1-800-755-0935.
Biz Spotlight/Highlights are written and compiled by Staff Writer Jeremy Thomas. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, e-mail, or mail.
This article appears in Dec 29, 2011 – Jan 5, 2012.