Two More Stops in Santa Barbara
Wineries of the middle and southern Central Coast of California are mostly casual visits and offer a very down to earth experience. Many are small family operations with simple tasting rooms. This may well be attributable to the late development of wineries in the area. It was not until the 1980s that viticulture took off here. In 1970, there were only 171 acres of grapes in Santa Barbara County. By 1998, there were 16,500 acres generating great revenue.
Last week, I talked about our visit to Jonata. During our day of wine tasting, we also visited Stolpman Vineyards and Beckmen Vineyards. Both are examples of family wineries making a mark in the Santa Barbara area.
Stolpman was a very pleasant surprise! Knowing the climate and the varietals that do best in that area, they have a great line of Sangiovese. The line-up includes three different bottles that vary in price and complexity. Inspired, we bought all three for different occasions. They also produce some deep and rich Syrahs, which I also purchased. Chris, whose business card title is “Passionista,” orchestrated our visit. He stated that this title best describes his work at Stolpman, because he loves the wine and enjoys talking to folks about it every day.
Beckmen Vineyards was a bigger property with a very extensive line of wines, yet they are also family owned. The wine maker is Steve Beckmen whose original training was in archaeology. The tasting room was big, bright and airy with an outside patio area. I wanted to visit since I had previously enjoyed their Grenache. On this day, we were greeted and served by Neil, who is the Tasting Room Manager. He walked us through their line of wines from the estate. The wines showed depth and richness with excellent fruit. I was impressed with the Syrahs and walked away with several wines to add to my collection.
While the Santa Barbara area is young, it shows great promise for the future. Many talented wine makers are calling this area home. It is worth your time to visit this beautiful area. If you’re looking to really treat yourself, you could stay at the Bacara Resort for a peaceful time to relax and enjoy the area, which includes quaint towns like Solvang and Los Olivos. While we were there, we had a chance to explore Los Olivos and enjoyed lunch at Sides Hardware and Shoes, where I had the best hamburger I’ve ever had! But, I digress…
Cheers!
