Before it fades completely I should jot this all down. In May a friend and I visited the region. We spent half a week each in Buellton and Santa Barbara.
Lodging:
Buellton - Hotel Hygge - not a hotel at all. A dilapidated old motel owned by the Sideways Hotel. It’s been given a trendy name and a nice coat of paint, but it’s still junk behind the walls. No water if others are showering (like, you know, in the morning). WiFi kept going out, few outlets, no storage at all. It’s clean and does have a nice bed & linens and a wine fridge, and was quiet for a motel with car parking right outside the window. It was the cheapest place around and still not cheap.
Santa Barbara - Casa Jardin - very nice modern style “mhotel” (my word). Rooms exit directly to the outside but the parking is in back via a walkway in their dedicated lot. Very well kitted out, would absolutely stay again.
Los Olivos Wineries:
Tomi Cellars - people moving from the movie industry (special effects) to wine, they’re done a fantastic job. My faves were Fill Light Pinot, Circle Take Pinot, Persistence of Vision Grenache, Follow Focus Syrah, and Hue Sangiovese.
Bien Nacido - a new tasting room, very nice property with outdoor seating and a great host, but for such a notable vineyard, the wines were surprisingly just ok, and the tasting was a blistering $138 for 2, after our industry discount.
Riverbench - nice outdoor backyard tasting area, wines were very good.
Foxen - they had 2 tasting rooms. One for lighter wines and one for heavier. Very rustic setting, fun people. I bought 4 of their Pinot Noir and a Syrah.
Andrew Murray - another good large outdoor tasting area with big tables, would be a nice place to spend an afternooon. Ended up with a mixed case of their Étranger vertical, Espérance rosé, and Watch Hill syrah.
Dierberg - very very nice winery, good wines.
Brick Barn - Oof. Super loud, filled with parties, very busy. Wines seemed ok but could not concentrate from all the cacophany. Very friendly staff.
Melville - oddly cold reception from 2 hosts, though our pourer warmed up (or realized they were at work) and was professional afterwards. All wines had a very overpowering pyrazine flavor, I found them undrinkable.
Ken Brown - got there towards closing but was given a full tasting. Outstanding wines. Brought home Francesca vineyard Chard & Pinot, Sanford & Benedict Pinot, and the “A” cuvée Syrah.
Tasting rooms in downtown Los Olivos:
Dragonette - fine wines (asterisks on their rosé and Grassini (vineyard) Saiv Blanc), great host, we sat outside which I think distracted me too much.
Liquid Farm - thanks to recommendations here set up a meeting with Jeff and enjoyed his company and wines very much, especially the chardonnays, which usually don’t excite me.
E11even - a side project of Andrew Murray, none of the wines here did anything for me.
Samsara - I visited their Goleta room 2 years ago and liked the wines a lot, but this year I didn’t care for them.
Tensley - wines were ok, host was nice but kinda signed off, not an engaging vibe
Lompoc Grotto wineries - we were here on Memorial day and only 2 rooms were open.
Flying Goat - I’m not a bubbles guy but ended up with some Goat Bubbles. Pinot Meunier, Brut Cuvée, Blanc de Noir. Mike picked up a Pinot vertical for our group.
Camins 2 Dreams - she was closed but had popped in to grab something and we met at the door. She graciously opened and gave us a full tasting. The wines weren’t to my style but I would like to explore again.
Santa Barbara wineries:
Whitcraft - Mike arranged a special tasting and it was a nice, super informative, but very basic “office in front of the shop” event. I liked the wines and need to revisit.
Silver wines - we hit this place on our last day as we were getting a bit done but I’m glad we did. Benjamin is definitely a character and I really liked his wines. Had a young Nebbiolo that stunned me with its lack of punch; could have had it with a salad. Also got a Sangiovese, a Cab Sauv, and a 2010 late harvest Viognier he forgot about that’s like maple syrup.
Carr - looked a bit flashy and I was not expecting much but ended up with quite a bit - case of their Sauv Blanc, a mix of Pinots, and some late harvest Viognier that’s a nice after dinner drink you don’t have to think about.
Grassini - hidden away in a courtyard, they also had an outstanding Sauv Blanc, two very good Cab Sauvs, and a red bland “Articondo”. Very surprising.
Kunin / The Valley Project - I don’t know how these are connected but there are two separate tasting rooms. I didn’t care for the Kunin room or wines, but the VP wines were excellent and I got their rosé, Petit Sirah, and regular Syrah.
Au Bon Climat - another disappointment from such a known name. An odd experience in the room, there was a large, fragrant bouquet of flowers on the tasting table which significantly affected the tasting.
Frequency - had to keep switching from being burned in the sun to freezing in the shade, welcome to California. I liked their GSM but nothing else did it for me.
Margerum - another room where the vibe was off enough that I don’t remember much about the wine. They have 2 labels, the eponymous one and Barden. I think I liked the Barden wines better, would be worth another visit.
Jaffurs - definitely the most “any more intimate and I’d be working here” experience, with the forklift behind us and barrels all around us as we at at a makeshift table with 5 seats. Very nice wines in a very distracting setting. We spoke with a couple also tasting who were buyers for some retail chain in Bend OR, which was an interesting perspective. I’d like to hit this one again when I can focus better.
That might be it. I need to take better notes of the places and my thoughts instead of relying on memory. One honorable mention is from a side trip to SF before heading back down to SB - Sixmilebridge Winery in Paso Robles. Outstanding wines, some of the best I’ve ever had, and when my wallet recovers I’ll be getting some as they are one of the few $100+ wines I feel are worth that price.
jim