Lunch is Served: Margerum Meal is Simple but Effective Perk

by Gabe Saglie, Senior Editor, Travelzoo
story published in the Santa Barbara News-Press on 12/3/15

As I enter the Margerum Wine Company building in Buellton, I’m welcomed by the tantalizing aroma of sizzling bacon.

This is one of the perks of working here during harvest – the fact that Doug Margerum, himself, stops what he’s doing, rolls up his sleeves, and creates a culinary spread for everyone.  “It’s a serious lunch,” he tells me as I see him move quickly between the spice rack and the stove top.  The day’s delivery of fresh local produce – along with Margerum’s  share of a pig that was locally raised and slaughtered – arrived just hours ago, so the fridge is packed.

I look up and see that the white board that hangs on the wall, with a menu hand-written in green marker, tells of the deliciousness to come: heirloom tomatoes with Burrata, grilled sausages with peppers, chile with rice, salad greens with blue cheese dressing.  Spaghetti carbonara is also on the menu.  “It’s a family recipe that I haven’t made in a while,” the winemaker-chef tells me, “but I thought it would be a good one to bring out today.”

My lunch plate

An active kitchen is not a reality at most any other local winery, but it seems to make perfect sense here.  “It’s the French model,” Margerum tells me, adding that the midday meal in wineries throughout regions like Bordeaux and Burgundy is always a time for the staff to gather and mingle.  “But it’s also the ABC model,” he adds, referring to his formative winemaking years at Au Bon Climat; indeed, the daily lunches by ABC winemaker Jim Clendenen are veritable folklore within the Santa Barbara wine community.

For Margerum, the ability to feed his crew a substantial meal matters on multiple fronts.  It rewards quality work, for one.  While his full-time staff numbers about six throughout the year, it can more than double during late summer and fall, when the laborious demands of the oft-grueling harvest season requires more hands on deck.  They’re mostly young men and women who come to hone their own skills as budding winemakers, or curious fans of the process who’ve agreed to dabble in the process for the day.

The homemade meals also allow for a meeting of the minds – a focused moment for the winemaking crew and the office staff to discuss production schedules, orders and a variety of insider odds and ends.

And then there’s morale, of course.  The simple act of sitting down to eat together adds relevant layers of comraderie to these employee relationships that, undoubtedly, enhance everything from overall productivity to overall quality of work.

I’m here on a Thursday in early September to tour this facility, which Margerum Wine Company took over four years ago, and to sample Margerum’s latest label, Barden.  He’s making cool-climate wines from Sta. Rita Hills under this new flag, including a white blend dubbed Fonte, pinot noir and syrah.  It’s the Barden chardonnay that’s been creating the biggest buzz, though, since it marks the winemaker’s return to the Burgundian white after more than 15 years.

As I sip, I notice the crew of about 12 gathering quickly in the kitchen and, in buffet style, piling a sampling of each of the five dishes onto their plates.  At the communal table across from the kitchen, Margerum is at the head, making sure the open bottles get passed around.  Winemaker Michael Miroballi and assistant winemaker Lucas Meisinger sit side by side, flanked by the office staff, including general manager Brooks Van Wingerden.  And as the meal ensues, so does the convivial conversation, switching from question about production schedules to memories from harvests past.

The food itself is delicious, and filling.  A few of us get up for seconds.  But cabernet franc grapes have recently arrived, and sorting them is pressing.  The crusher-destemmer is right outside the door; it cannot be ignored.  So, after a hearty 45-minute meal, and satisfied as much by the grub as with the comradery, the crew delivers their plates to the sink and sweep out as quickly as they swept in.

My tour continues, and I follow Margerum into the barrel room.  But I can still taste the carbonara.  And now I’m wishing I’d had thirds.

By the way, Margerum Wine Company ended the 2015 harvest in mid-October – the earliest harvest in its 15 year history.

 

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Changing Hands: Santa Barbara's Winehound Sold

by Gabe Saglie, Senior Editor, Travelzoo
story published in the Santa Barbara News-Press on 12/1/15

Winehound owner Bob Wesley (photo by Bob Dickey)

The Winehound, one of Santa Barbara’s most popular wine shops, is changing hands.  Due to non-disclosure clauses, the new owner has not yet been named.  But the store’s parent company, Adams Wine Group, “is getting out of the brick-and-mortar business,” confirms owner Bob Wesley.

The Winehound was founded in 2008 and, aside from its current La Cumbre Plaza location, also occupied a storefront on the corner of Victoria and Chapala Streets, downtown, for several years.  It carries one of the city’s most comprehensive inventories of both local and international wines.  It has also topped consumer polls, including the Santa Barbara News-Press annual Readers’ Choice Awards, multiple times.

The popularity of the Winehound has hinged, in large part, on the admiration Mr. Wesley holds in Santa Barbara’s wine drinking community at large.  He developed an avid following during the 12-1/2 years he spent, before Winehound, as wine buyer at Lazy Aces Market, on the Mesa.  “That’s where I was able to build trust,” says Wesley, 56, “and to develop friendships along the way.  Steering people toward great wine has always been very satisfying.”

The wine shop's interior (Winehound photo)

Mr. Wesley, a native of Buffalo, New York, attributes his move to California in 1983 with sparking his passion for wine.  “Having this incredible bounty, and tasting these epihanal wines, was amazing,” says Wesley, who’d go on to spend several years in the restaurant industry.  In the two decades as a wine merchant in Santa Barbara, he has marveled most at the growth of the local wine industry.  “The coverage we’ve had from the pros – from Robert Parker, Stephen Tanzer, Antonio Galloni – has done local wines a great service,” he says.  “But of course, if the wines weren’t exceptional, we wouldn’t even be on the map.”

Mr. Wesley expects to stay on board during the ownership transition, which should take 45 to 60 days, and then expects to be “somewhere in Santa Barbara, selling vino.”   For now, he’s focused on thinning out the Winehound’s inventory as much as possible.  When asked to recommend one standout bottle that was still in stock as of Monday afternoon, he pointed to the Marc Sorrell Le Greal Hermitage, a French syrah.  “It’s $155, and worth every penny.”

The Winehound, 3849 State Street, Suite I-163, Santa Barbara. 805-845-5247.

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Overnight Sipper: Santa Barbara's Carhartt Vineyard Partners with 4-Star Canary for Its First Hotel Wine

by Gabe Saglie, Senior Editor, Travelzoo
story published in the Santa Barbara News-Press on 11/27/15

Canary Santa Barbara, the 4-Star boutique Kimpton hotel in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara, just unveiled its own premium wine.  The 2013 Estate Syrah is made by winemakers Brooke and (son) Chase Carhartt of Carhartt Vineyard.  This marks the Santa Ynez Valley-based winery's very first private label for a hotel, and it makes the Canary the very first Kimpton property in California to have its own custom-made wine.

"This is an exciting collaboration for us, as the Canary and Carhartt share the same principles of quality, customer service and delivering a world-class product," says Joe Ramos, who runs Carhartt's Wine Club.  "The opportunity to work hand in hand with one of Santa Barbara's premier hotels has been extremely rewarding."

The syrah will be featured in the Canary's wine-themed packages.  For example, guests who book the "Syrah and Suites" package for travel between February and May, 2016, will find a complimentary bottle of the '13 Syrah in their Mediterranean-styled suite.  The offer, which is bookable starting in December, also includes wine tasting for two at the Carhartt tasting room in Los Olivos, an easy 45-minute drive away.

"We see this really as an invitation for guests to come out to wine country and experience a true, local, family-run winery,” adds Ramos, who’s also been working with Chase Carhartt to educate Canary’s restaurant and concierge teams on the merits of Santa Barbara’s wine country.

"Wine is an important part of Santa Barbara's culture," says Canary GM Ryan Parker.  "Many of our guests travel specifically here for the wineries, so we are always looking for authentic ways to capture the local flavors and create that quintessential Santa Barbara experience."

Wine curious guests at the 97-room Canary Santa Barbara also get an invite to the nightly 5pm complimentary wine hour in the lobby.  The wine list at the popular onsite Finch & Fork Restaurant also features various local labels, including the Carhartt sauvignon blanc and sangiovese.

Carhartt Vineyard is family-owned and operated, and it sells all its wine direct to consumer through its wine club and tasting room.  It produces 22 different wines, several of which are grown on 14 acres of proprietary land, including Rancho Santa Ynez.  The Canary 2013 Syrah comes from the Carhartt estate’s original vineyards, planted 18 years ago, and is the same wine that retails under the Carhartt label for $34.

For more on Carhartt Vineyard, visit their 99-square-foot tasting room – widely known as the world’s smallest – at 2990-A Grand Avenue in Los Olivos, or check out the Carhartt website.  For more information on Canary Santa Barbara, located at 31 W. Carrillo Street in Santa Barbara, go to the Canary website.


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Thanks for the Wine: What Santa Barbara Winemakers Will Be Sipping this Thanksgiving

by Gabe Saglie, Senior Editor, Travelzoo

photos by Bob Dickey

story published in the Santa Barbara News-Press on 11/19/15

If you’re like me, there are at least a couple of rare or expensive or unique wine bottles that have been awaiting a special occasion all year long.  Invitations and invitees have come and gone.  But it’s not until the holidays that we find a supper special enough to open these reserved sippers and share them with those we love.

Many of our local winemakers are no different, it turns out, and I asked a few about the special bottles they’ll be what they’ll be popping on this Thanksgiving.

Dave Potter (my pic)

Dave Potter, Municipal Winemakers and Potek

“Since we are usually sharing the table with family and friends, it’s a nice time to share special wines,” admits Potter.  Next Thursday, he’s opening up bottles he picked up on a trip to Burgundy and Bordeaux in 2011, where he got engaged.  “Firstly, with five years in bottle after release, those wines are really hitting their stride now,” he tells me.  “Also, all this insanity in Paris has really got me thinking about how wonderful France is and how special our trip was, and wine is a great way to transport us back there.”  The Potters are especially thankful for their daughter, who was born just six weeks ago.

Drake Whitcraft

Drake Whitcraft, Whitcraft Winery

“Well, I actually always just pick any of my dad’s wines,” says winemaker Whitcraft, whose father, legendary winemaker Chris Whitcraft, passed away last year.  ”They are all very special and very limited now.  And he always said wine is made to drink, preferably before it goes over the edge.  So this year, seeing as there is a turducken involved, I will reach for a high acid, early vintage Bien Nacido Vineyards or Hirsch Vineyards pinot. And for whites?  No offense pops, but I'm going with my current stuff.”  The younger Whitcraft’s own 2014 Presqu’ile Vineyards Chardonnay, vibrant and sophisticated, would be a perfect pick.

Aaron Walker, Pali Wine Co.

Aaron Walker

“I will most likely open up a 2003 Syrah from Sine Qua Non called "Papa,” Walker (himself a proud papa of two) tells me.  He’s been hanging on to this bottle for 10 years, since his server days in San Diego, where his love for syrahs was sparked.  “This is a wine that I have wanted to open for some time now, and this Thanksgiving will be the perfect opportunity, with my family and loved ones nearby.”  For a versatile Thanksgiving white, try Walker’s 2013 Pali Wine Co. Huber Vineyard Chardonnay, with fruit-driven flavors and lively minerality that will match the entire feast.

 Jonathan Nagy, Nielson by Byron

“We will probably open a Delamotte Rosé as inspiration for the chefs,” says Nagy, who's also husband of Riverbench winemaker Clarissa Nagy.  “Clarissa loves rosé Champagne, and that makes it special to me.”  Nagy’s own specialty is pinot noir, and, for Thanksgiving, his 2013 Byron “Nielson” Santa Maria Valley pinot would be a versatile and very food-friendly wine.

Aaron Watty, Big Tar Wines

Pink bubbles also appeal to Watty, who's saving a Bliard Rosé Champagne for Thanksgiving.  It hails from Hautvillers, France, where Dom Perignon is buried.  “I smuggled a bottle back after visiting this amazing family,” Watty says.  “They’ve been producing biodynamic Champagne since 1970.”  For another perfect Thanksgiving red, try the 2012 Big Tar La Encantada pinot, with cherry fruit, smoky earthiness and bright acidity.

Ben Silver

Benjamin Silver, Silver Wines

"My Thanksgiving wine choice is a spontaneous decision and involves multiple bottles," says Silver.  "I'll look in my wine cellar for red fruit-driven wines with some structure: masculine-styled pinot noirs, Barolo or Barbaresco, medium-bodied Cabernet Franc, or medium-bodied sangiovese-based wines.”  Consider Silver’s own 2010 Nebbiolo, with a lively mouth feel and with enough acid and structure to hold up lots of Thanksgiving flavors.

Michael Larner, Larner Vineyards & Winery

Larner is going back to 1997 both because of the past and the future.  “Among a few European selections, we’ll be pouring a ‘97 Chateau La Nerthe Chateauneuf Du Pape,” he says.  “We purchased our ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley to start our estate vineyard from scratch in that vintage.  My family traveled many times to France and specifically the Rhone Valley seeking inspiration, and I can remember the excitement my parents felt meeting the General Manager for La Nerthe.  Their philosophy is the task I charged myself with and still hold today -- focus on the vineyard, and the winemaking is easy.”  The 1997 vintage also marked California’s last visit by El Nino, and with the stormy period’s apparent return, Larner feels that “there is hope of relief from the drought we have experienced for the last three years.”  The Larners will also be sipping their own estate wines – all fantastic Thanksgiving matches – like robust yet refined 2011 “Elemental” blend of syrah, grenache and mourvedre.

Jeff and Nikki Nelson

Nikki Nelson, Liquid Farm

Nelson is reaching back to her birth year and opening up a 1982 Chateau Palmer.  She and husband Jeff won it at a Santa Ynez Valley charity auction last year.  “The projected decline of it is coming very soon, so no better time to open her up and see what she’s all about, after 33 years!” she tells me.  “Hopefully awesome, fingers crossed.”  Liquid Farm’s 2013 Golden Slope Chardonnay, with its citrusy minerality, would be a perfect sipper while this fancy Bordeaux breathes.

Geoff Rusack, Rusack Vineyards & Winery

For Rusack, the focus is on the wine for the end of the feast: a 1955 Dow’s Port.  “I acquired it even before I met my wife Alison, and that was well over 30 years ago!” he says.    The man behind Rusack Vineyards fell in love with Port in college, during a skiing trip to Idaho that included a serendipitous pairing of port, apples and Stilton cheese.   “I learned, for the first time, what true synergy in food and drink was,” he recalls.  “Back then, I was working at a fine wine and liquor store in Santa Monica – Pearson’s Brentwood.  I noticed they had a couple of bottles of 1955 Dow’s, and I was able to convince the owner into selling them to me.  I’m not sure I was even 21!”

A few Rusack reds by winemaker Steve Gerbac – including the 2013 Ballard Canyon Estate Reserve Syrah, with its buxom tannins and chocolate tinges, and the 2013 Ballard Canyon Estate Zinfandel, made from Santa Cruz Island cuttings and showcasing spice rack aromas and blueberry flavors – will grace my own Thanksgiving table next week. 

No matter what you’ll be popping open next week, just remember to count your blessings.  And don’t hesitate to splurge.  Happy Thanksgiving!

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Santa Barbara's Historic Zaca Mesa Winery & Vineyards Up for Sale

by Gabe Saglie, Senior Editor, Travelzoo
story published in the Santa Barbara News-Press on 11/15/15

Zaca Mesa lineup (photo by Bob Dickey)

One of Santa Barbara County’s most esteemed vineyards is on the market.

Zaca Mesa Winery & Vineyards is being sold for $32 million.  The historic property along Foxen Canyon Road is comprised of mostly open, undeveloped land.  The site includes about 150 acres of estate grapevines, though it’s expandable to 250 acres.  There’s also a 24,000-square-foot barn-style winery that currently produces 40,000 cases a year, with a capacity of 100,000 cases.

Zaca Mesa was one of Santa Barbara’s earliest vineyards.  It was established in 1972 by a group of oil and land moguls, including real estate magnate John Cushman.  In 1988, Mr. John Cushman, along with his twin brother, Lou Cushman, gained sole ownership of the land, and Zaca Mesa has been family-owned ever since.

The Zaca Mesa tasting room (courtesy Zaca Mesa)

“My commercial real estate interests dictate that I can no longer devote the time and energy to the proper oversight of Zaca Mesa,” says Mr. John Cushman, who recently divested his interest in Cushman & Wakefield, the real estate firm founded by his grandfather.  However, his continued global role within the company, which recently merged with real estate services firm DTZ, and his continued active role as board member, director or trustee of companies like Callaway Golf, the Boy Scouts of America and the National Park Foundation, has him traveling more than 8000 miles a week.  “After 40-plus years as the steward of this property and the Zaca Mesa brand, I am ready to pass it on to a new steward who can take it to new levels of success and preserve its unspoiled beauty."

Zaca Mesa spans 750 acres of mostly undeveloped land, with 150 acres planted to Rhone grapes (courtesy Zaca Mesa)

Aside from some 750 acres of land, the new owner of Zaca Mesa will also inherit a legacy that’s well known in the wine industry.  In 1978, under the direction of its first winemaker, Ken Brown, the estate was the first to plant syrah grapes in Santa Barbara County.  In 1990, President Ronald Reagan poured a Zaca Mesa pinot noir at his 80^th birthday party.  Zaca’s 1993 Syrah, made by winemaker Daniel Gehrs, took the #6 spot in Wine Spectator Magazine’s Top 100, the first time a Central Coast wine ever appeared on that coveted list; President Bill Clinton would pour that wine for French President Jacques Chirac during a White House visit in 1996. 

"An interesting aside about that," Mr. Gehrs' wife, Robin, wrote me via Facebook as soon as this story broke.  "The award-winning syrah was sold out at the time of the State Dinner so John Cushman provided it from his personal cellar!"

Winemaker Eric Mohseni leading a winery tour (courtesy Zaca Mesa)

The list of winemakers who’ve trained at Zaca Mesa over the years reads like a who’s-who of some of Santa Barbara County’s best, which is why many insiders often refer to the winery as Zaca U.  Jim Clendenen, Bob Lindquist, Adam Tolmach, Chuck Carlson, Benjamin Silver and Clay Brock have all held winemaker titles here.  Zaca’s current team includes head winemaker Eric Mohseni and assistant winemaker Kristin Bryden. 

Zaca Mesa is home to seven Rhone grape varieties, including 91 acres of syrah and smaller plantings of grenache, mourvedre, cinsault, viognier, roussanne and grenache blanc.  There’s no home onsite, but the three parcels that make up the ranch are all zoned for residential development.  The property is listed with Katie Somple of WineryX Real Estate.

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Last Vintage: Winemaker Greg Brewer to Leave Melville

by Gabe Saglie, Senior Editor, Travelzoo
photos by Bob Dickey
story published in the Santa Barbara News-Press on 10/28/15

Greg Brewer

One of Santa Barbara County’s premier wineries is parting ways with its star winemaker.

“There’s evolution at Melville and there’s evolution in my own life,” says Greg Brewer, 45, who this week inked a deal to leave Lompoc-based Melville Vineyards & Winery by December.

Mr. Brewer is one of the most celebrated winemakers in California, having garnered industry accolades and a loyal consumer following ever since he launched his wine career at Santa Barbara Winery in 1991.  After a stint at Sunstone Winery, and after launching the cult-status Brewer-Clifton brand with fellow winemaker Steve Clifton, he met businessman and vintner Ron Melville in 1997.

“We got to work right away,” recalls Mr. Brewer.  “I designed the winery, oversaw construction, and 1999 was our first harvest.”

A popular stop for wine country visitors, the Melville estate is located along E. Highway 246, in the celebrated Sta. Rita Hills appellation.  The property spans more than 80 acres and grows premium-quality pinot noir, chardonnay and syrah.  The fruit is used primarily for the Melville label, though some of it is also contracted to other wine producers.

Melville Vineyards & Winery

“Greg has been an integral team member and we wish him all the best,” says Chad Melville, 45, who’s also been part of his father’s viticultural project from the beginning.  He’s found success with his own boutique label, Samsara, which specializes in pinot noir, syrah and grenache.  With Mr. Brewer’s departure from Melville Winery, Chad Melville will assume head winemaker duties and oversee an annual production of about 25,000 cases.

“We’ll see what happens,” says Mr. Brewer about his immediate future, though this father of three will continue his work with the Brewer-Clifton wines and will remain in Santa Barbara County.  “I’ll never leave Sta. Rita Hills.  I’ve dedicated 25 years of my life to this eight-mile stretch of land, and I love the purity of molding one’s style to one place like that.”

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