Wine With Micah

This may sound a bit odd, but I often times feel like I am dating the wine industry. Every time I open a new bottle of wine or check out a new tasting room it’s as if I am going on a first date. Sometimes the first date is the only one, but other times relationships develop and the sparks of romance begin to fly. Romance isn’t always the same.  Often times it sneaks up on us and it is these surprises that often lead to some of the most fulfilling experiences.

 

I was nervous as I approached the industrial park in Lompoc known as the Wine Ghetto.  After all, concrete and steel aren’t usually what one looks for in the aesthetics of a wine tasting experience. Of course, like Mom always says, “It’s what’s on the inside that counts.” So I resisted my temptation to turn around and head back towards Buellton and the beautiful Santa Rita Hills.

 

Turns out the Wine Ghetto is home to over twenty local wineries. As we all know rent is expensive on the central coast and keeping costs low is a good way to keep profits up.  Because of this, wineries have flocked to this less expensive industrial park and set up camp. Nestled alongside auto mechanics and supply depots, talented winemakers work hard producing beautiful works of bottled art.

 

Although its tight quarters in the ghetto, the moral is high. Unlike the wine industry in some other regions, the central coast’s wineries have created a very tight nit family.  When life gets crazy during big times of the year like harvesting and bottling, meals are shared as often as equipment. Smiles abound and stories are shared as the seasons change.

 

I stepped into two wonderful tasting rooms on my last visit. Palmina specializes in Italian varietals. These can be a great change of pace from the central coast specialties like Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah. They use very little oak in their wines so the flavors of the grapes take center stage. Winemakers Chrystal and Steve Clifton believes that wine is best treated as an extension of the plate. This is very apparent in their tasting room where tasters sit around a large dinner table tasting together while snacking on Italian antipasti.

 

Rose’ lovers will enjoy the 2006 Botasea “Rosato di Palmina”. Made from a blend of Dolcetto, Nebbiolo and Barbera, this is yet another impressive bone dry complex Rose’. Pomegranate, spice, citrus zest and framboise all dance together beautifully. Palmina also donates a portion of their sales from this wine to breast cancer research.

 

Sangiovese seems to becoming more popular on the central coast and Palmina is offering one of the best I’ve had. Their 2005 Undichi Sangiovese is a great example of what can be done with this grape in Santa Barbara County. Undichi means eleven in Italian, and this wine packs the punch of a guitar amp turned past ten to eleven. Big tannins are balanced by big acids and lots of spice. Although it tastes great without food, this one will do well with many classic Italian dishes.

 

Fiddlehead Cellars may only produce wine from two varietals, but every one of their terroir driven Sauvignon Blancs and Pinot Noirs are exciting and very unique. Kathy Joseph has been making wine for over 17 years through Fiddlehead. She selects her grapes very carefully and takes pride in making wines that come from very select and unique vineyards from the Central Coast and Oregon.

 

The 2001 Honey Suckle Sauvignon Blanc is aged in 100% new oak. The oak interacts well with the floral aromatics producing a great creamy mouth feel that can only be described as honey like. This is much different than the usual quick, crisp, and sometimes one dimensional Sauvignon Blancs that some of us have grown accustomed to.

 

Another nice treat was the 2003 Oldsville Reserve Pinot Noir. The Oregon grown grapes in this wine create very earthy aromatics of soil, sage, and black cherries. Oregon grapes can sometimes be overly acidic, but the extended aging process that this wine goes through rounds out the acid.  The end product is a very complex Pinot Noir that feels wonderful on the palette.

 

Palmina and Fiddlehead are both open to the public from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Alternate hours are available by appointment.  Many of the other wineries in the Wine Ghetto are open for tasting by appointment only so definitely plan ahead and give them a call. The Wine Ghetto is located in Lompoc just off of North 7th St. The 20 minute drive from Buellton is gorgeous this time of year. The weather is great, the wild flowers are in full bloom and there’s some great fruit stands to stop at along the way. One trip will undoubtedly not be enough.