Another little baby child is born in the ghetto...Touring the Lompoc Wine Ghetto

Neither Elvis Presley (nor lyricist Mac Davis) were talking about the Lompoc Wine Ghetto when they released their socially-conscious hit song in 1969, later covered by Dolly Parton, Natalie Merchant and, oh yes, Cartman (of Southpark fame). Linguists, historians and the religious can debate the appropriateness of using "ghetto" to refer to an industrial park that serves as an incubator for established as well as up-and-coming Santa Barbara wineries. This locale, however, is producing some mighty fine wines.

On a recent weekend, a good friend out from Chicago declared that he'd never gone wine-tasting. Since his preference ran towards Pinot Noirs, this seemed the perfect excuse to check out the Lompoc Wine Ghetto. A map is available, but you'll hardly need it. While not bucolic tasting rooms with vistas of vineyards, it offers a perfect one-stop shop for Pinot, featuring more than a dozen vintners, including Evening Land, Fiddlehead, Flying Goat, Longoria, Loring, and Samsara. All within walking distance in an office park of corrugated blue and white buildings located behind Home Depot. Most tasting rooms are open only Friday thru Sunday, although a couple are also open on Thursday. 

Driving there from Los Angeles is fairly straightforward: take 101 north past Santa Barbara, and exit at Santa Rosa Road in Buellton. Head west, perhaps stopping at Alma Rosa for the scenery and Richard Sanford's Pinot and Pinot Blanc, on to Route 1, where you take a right (north). Route 1 intersects itself and Route 246 at Home Depot; continue straight (veering slightly right) to the right of Home Depot, which takes you to 12th Street, and then turn left on Industrial Way to enter the Ghetto.

Tastings are $10 a person at each winery, but you can share a glass. Look for passport weekends where you can sample all of the wineries for $30. My friend's tolerance put a limit on my tastings, but we still managed some stellar stops:

Fiddlehead Cellars was crowded with tasters, but in good spirits. I particularly enjoyed Kathy Joseph's Happy Canyon Sauvignon Blanc ($25), her Pink Fiddle (Dry Rose of Pinot Noir - $22 - for which one good-hearted man credited me with cojones for serving at a recent get together) and, of course, her signature, somewhat austere Seven Twenty Eight Pinot (named for the mile marker of the vineyard - $42). We also liked, and my friend purchased, Kathy's Oldsville Reserve Pinot sourced from Oregon's Willamette Valley in Oregon ($50), which offers more earthiness as well as a lot of fruit. Kathy is one of the queens of Santa Barbara, and specializes in hand-crafted Sauvignon Blancs and Pinot Noirs.

Flying Goat Cellars is Norm Yost's playground. His 25 years of winemaking seems to have kept him perpetually youthful, and while the label is playful, the wine is quite serious, crafted from small batches from individual vineyards, each with their own characteristic. I've talked up Norm in my Santa Barbara futures post, and am happy to report that I've just been notified that my allotment of 2008 Dierberg Vineyard Pinot Noir ($44) had arrived. Happier still, upon tasting the Pinot in the Ghetto, it was still my favorite, an opinion shared by other tasters. Still, I am very fond of all of Norm's Pinots, and encourage you to check them out.

Samsara is the child of Chad Melville, who in turn is the son of Ron and Donna of Melville Winery. I featured Chad in my Santa Barbara futures post, because he is turning out some marvelous Pinots. For what ratings are worth, his vineyard designate 2008 Pinots garnered scores averaging in the 90's from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate. All of these wines sell in the mid-40's, and are feminine, silky and mouth-filling.  By the way, Chad also makes award-winning Syrah. 

Palmina - an Italian love story. Truth is, I didn't visit Palmina's tasting room on this trip, having recently sampled their Italian varietals. Founded by winemaker Steve Clifton in 1995, Palmina is named in honor of his great friend Paula (Palmina in Italian), who taught him to love cooking, wine and the Italian lifestyle before she succumbed to breast cancer. Serendipity intervened in 2000 when Steve sought someone who could speak Italian to visitors from Italy and was introduced to Chrystal Seals, who not only provided the needed translation but shared his passion for wine and food and all things Italian. Chrystal soon became involved in all aspects of Palmina. They were married in Friuli, Italy in Spring 2004. Palmina is not trying to emulate the Italian versions, but rather interpret the styles to the growing conditions unique to Santa Barbara County. Try their Barbera, Nebbiola, Savoia (blend of those grapes plus Syrah) or my favorite Undici (made from Sangiovese, the grape of Chianti). All reasonably priced.

Before I leave you, I would be remiss if I didn't remind you to get your tickets for the best annual wine and food event in Los Angeles: Wally's 8th Annual Central Coast Food & Wine Celebration, from 1-4 PM, Sunday, July 31. The tickets are a bit pricey, at $95, but include food from such wonderful restaurants as Hitching Post II, Spago, CUT, Bouchon, Lucques/A.O.C./Tavern, The Hungry Cat, Osteria & Pizzeria Mozza, Artisan, Brothers’ Restaurant at Mattei’s Tavern, The Wine Cask, Jar, Mélisse and Wilshire.  Plus, 150 wineries, including ones that I've touted in this and prior blogs as well as must-tries Brewer-Clifton, Herman Story, L'Aventure and Tantara. And, it's for charity, supporting the Michael Bonaccorsi scholarship fund for the winemaker who died too young from a heart attack. I'll be there; say hello.