My friend and business associate, Author & World Traveler Elaine J. Masters covered a very special Sta. Rita Hills Winegrowers Alliance Wine & Food Event for me this past Sunday. (I would have been there but the flu got me yet another time)! If you missed it, like me? No worries! It’s a traveling road show. Here’s a couple of events coming up within an hour or two of us:
APRIL 27, 2014 – BARSHA IN MANHATTAN BEACH:
Twelve Sta. Rita Hills producers will be popping in to share their wines and stories of the Sta. Rita Hills with Trade and consumers.
APRIL 28, 2014 – THE WINE HOUSE LOS ANGELES:
A great opportunity to not only taste but to purchase wines from the Hills.
I think you will find Elaine’s review packed with information about who this Alliance is, giving you insight and showing you what these particular growers are all about. She even provides pictures to bring you right into the day of the event.
Much thanks to Elaine for taking the ‘hit’ of having to taste wine and eat delicious food provided by the Marina Restaurant at a beautiful Sunday afternoon outdoor event! lol
Whether you are a foodie or fan of fine wine, San Diego’s Marina Kitchen, at the Marriott hotel, was the place to be on Sunday afternoon, March 30th.
It was the kickoff event of the Sta. Rita Hills Winegrowers Alliance 2014 Road Trip Tasting Parties. Given the response, the kitchen was filled to overflowing so the winegrowers set up shop on the Coronado Patio two floors above.
Rooftop View
Nearly a dozen wineries poured their best, while fielding questions and offering directions to their tasting rooms scattered from the Lompoc Wine Ghetto to Solvang, Buellton and Los Olivos in the Santa Ynez Valley.
Good Wine
Fortunate sippers claimed their wine glasses and strolled between the different wineries belonging to the unique American Viticultural area (AVO) with microclimate conditions offering a cool morning marine layer and afternoon ocean breezes. The soil rises from deep marine sediment deposited during the Miocene Epoch over 20 million years ago. Today it’s the perfect environment for growing Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and other cool climate grape varieties.
Ken Brown
No surprise then that the afternoon tastings featuring
many variations on those grapes. Participating wineries included:
Ken Brown proudly poured his complex and elegant 2011 Rita’s Crown Chardonnay. The small winery is one of the highest, as it sits along the ‘crown’ facing southwest and only 67 cases were made of this vintage.
La Fond winery has had the same winemaker for over 33 years and it’s a family affair as daughter, Michelle attests, having raised her 4 kids while tending to the vineyards with her father.
Pioneering winemaker, Rick Longoria, has been growing grapes in the region since 1976 and was busy pouring Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Newest Native American Winery – Kita
The only Native American winery in the area, Kita wines are being shepherded by Tara Gomez, a member of the Chumash tribe. The tribe helped her go to college in Europe and the 256 acre vineyard today still reminds her of working in Burgundy.
At the Fiddlehead table, Rob Fry poured the Rose Pink Fiddle, drawn from Pinot grapes the wine is a light-hearted reflection of the fun loving winery that takes craft seriously. On the table was a photograph of from their 2013 picture party based on their highway 7.28 mile marker for the winery location. The 728 Pinot Noir label inspired the contest, ‘Drink 728 on 7/28’. Pictures were sent from around the world and in many categories. Rob brought the picture “Aged to Perfection,” which won the Most Clever Award.
It all starts with dirt….
For those curious about the mineral rich soils of the region, Joey Grummere (Transcendence Winery) brought a wide variety of samples. Lined up along the tabletop, the jars made it easy to visualize how the soil can influence the qualities of variety of Pinot over another.
As the afternoon came to its’ end a tent was readied for the evening dinner and soon hungry sippers dipped into BBQ and commiserated as the sun slipped low across the San Diego. The Sta. Rita Hills Alliance truly ‘dalied well!
