Great Tasting Opportunity at the Peninsula, Beverly Hills
For those of you who know me or follow my blogs, you know that I'm often jonesing about about Santa Barbara wines. There are three reasons for this: (1) the region is within a two-hour drive from home in LA; (2) the wines are really good; and (3) both the winemakers and the wine-tasting are fun, easy-going and approachable.Ian Blackburn and Learn About Wine (L.A.W.)
You know how some folks come up with a great idea, and you wonder, "Why didn't I think of that?" Well, I am envious of Ian. For years now, his wine-related events have done more than just provide a convivial atmosphere for people to mingle, he should be credited with creating a forum where you can learn about wine. Especially noteworthy are his regionally-based events, such as tomorrow's Stars of Santa Barbara tasting from 7pm to 9:30pm at the Beverly Hills Peninsula Hotel. Not only do these events give patrons the opportunity to get to know the variety and specialties of a region, they also allow patrons to get acquainted with the winemakers, who are often pouring their wines. These are the stars of Santa Barbara.If memory serves me, years ago it was Ian who hosted a movie preview and wine-tasting event at The Grove. Although for me the movie was just an extra bonus, and I wasn't expecting much, it was Sideways, which became a cult hit and paean to Santa Barbara. The post-movie wine-tasting was poured by the winemakers featured in the movie. Now, it doesn't get much better than that.
What to taste and who to seek out
From Santa Barbara, you can expect some great Pinot Noirs and some superb Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs, with other varietals sprinkled in. Wednesday's line-up is a veritable A-to-Z, from Alma Rosa (the new winery of Richard Sanford of Sanford Benedict fame, the progenitor of Pinot Noir in Santa Barbara) to Zaca Mesa.Pinot Noir fans should check out Alma Rosa, Bonaccorsi, Brewer-Clifton (Greg Brewer, also Melville's winemaker and Steve Clifton, also Palmina's winemaker), Clos Pepe (winemaker Wes Hagen), Dierberg, Dragonette (winemaker Brandon Sparks-Gillis), Flying Goat (winemaker Norm Yost), Kessler-Haak, La Fenetre (winemaker Joshua Klapper), Riverbench, Tantara and Thorne Cellars (winemaker Ken Brown), as well as the very affordable and highly rated Cambria.
Sauvignon Blanc aficionados should check out Buttonwood Farm, Dragonette and any wines from the Happy Canyon vineyards.
Chardonnay lovers should check out Bonaccorsi, Brewer-Clifton, Clos Pepe, Dierberg, La Fenetre and Riverbench.
Women winemakers and their particular perspective are well represented by Jenne Lee Bonaccorsi of Bonaccorsi wines, Karen Steinwachs of Buttonwood Farm, Clarissa Nagy of Riverbench, Chris Curran of D'Alfonso-Curran and Denise Shurtleff of Cambria Winery.
Wild cards: Part of the fun of wine-tasting events is to discover new wines or varietals, so instead of just going to the established names, check out some that are unfamiliar. While Andrew Murray is an established name, famous for his Syrahs, see if he has a Viognier with him. All of D'Alfonso-Curran's wines are interesting, but see if Chris Curran has her Grenache Blanc. Larry Schaffer of Tercero Wines features a number of Rhone varietals and always draws a crowd because of his warm personality; Palmina features a number of Italian varietals and famed winemaker Steve Clifton. Check out Silver Wines, Shai Cellars, Lafond and Jaffurs, all offering a unique take on Santa Barbara and some great stories. If you like a particular wine or winemaker, ask whoever is pouring to suggest others that you might enjoy. Treat the event as a search for unknown treasure; you never know what you might find or who you might meet. I'll be there.
