The
Early Years in Santa Barbara Wine Country
at Museum of Natural History
The
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural history introduced the autumn
symposium "In the Beginning: The Early Years in the Santa
Barbara Wine Country" in Fleischmann Auditorium at the
Santa Barbara Natural History Museum, where a huge crowd of
wine connoisseurs and area wine enthusiasts gathered to learn
the personal history and secrets of the early
winemakers in Santa Barbara County.
On
the panel of renowned winemakers were Jim Clendenen (Au Bon
Climat), Fred Brander (Brander Vineyards), Ken Brown (Ken Brown
Wines), Lane Tanner (Lumen Wines), and Rick Longoria (Longoria
Wines); all pioneers in the industry. Antonio Gardella, a local
fine wine specialist, moderated the hour long Q&A, followed
by socializing and tastings from 10 local wineries and six local
food vendors, that included wines poured by Au Bon Climat, Brander,
Ken Brown, Lindquist, Lumen, Zaca Mesa, Foxen, Mosby, Whitcraft,
and others.
Nicely
paired tastes were provided by Village Modern Foods, Pete Clements
Catering, Jessica Foster Confections, Pico Restaurant, The C'est
Cheese, and The Shop Cafe. Attendees had the rare opportunity
to meet with the renowned winemakers to ask questions, and share
information on their favorite wines in a once in a lifetime
intimate setting. Among the wine experts present was Archie
Mc Laren, currently hosting Santa Barbara "Wine Country"
on KEYT3 TV, Sunday nights at 5:00 p.m.
Winemakers & Panelist Participating in Early Years in Wine
Country
Winemakers
sharing their wine wisdom included Jim Clendenen of Au Bon Climat
- In 1989 and 1990 Au Bon Climat was on Robert Parker's short
list of Best Wineries in the World, and in 1991 was selected
by Oz Clark as one of fifty world-wide creators of Modern Classic
Wines. Dan Berger of the Los Angeles Times named Clendenen the
"Los Angeles Times Winemaker of the Year" in 1992;
Food & Wine magazine named him "Winemaker of the Year"
in 2001. Germany's leading wine magazine, Wein Gourmet, in 2004
named Clendenen "Winemaker of the World;" and in 2007,
Jim was inducted into the James Beard Foundation's "Who's
Who of Food and Beverage in America." From the panel, Clendenen,
who was born in Akron Ohio, shared that following graduation
from UCSB he spent a month in Champagne and Burgundy that confirmed
his decision to become a winemaker. According to Clendenen "the
early travel ambassadors of wine in Santa Barbara County was
a cast of characters," and his motto about wine was "The
best wine is what I'm selling right now."
Fred
Brander of Brander Vineyards and Winery - Fred Brander's
pursuit to produce the best Sauvignon Blanc in California is
documented in various publications and by the numerous awards
that his Sauvignon Blanc has received. He has recently put the
same effort, dedication and fanatical fervor into creating exceptional
small lots of estate Cabernet Sauvignon that push the quality
envelope for red Bordeaux varietal wines produced in Santa Barbara
County. He has earned his place in the wine world, as he is
often called the "King of Sauvignon Blanc" in California.
Fred's sauvignon blanc got a tasters rush from event attendees.
Brander began exploring fermentation in high school, and he
said his brew became0. very popular with his college roomies.
His parents bought him some land in Santa Barbara following
his graduation to start his first winery. "I still get
excited after forty years of wine making," said Brander.
Rick
Longoria of Longoria Wines - Rick states, "From
the very beginning of my career I felt that the Santa Barbara
wine region had the potential to produce world class wines and
it's been very gratifying to see that belief realized over the
more than 30 years I've been here. It's also been very rewarding
to have had the good fortune over the years to have some of
my wines contribute to the acclaim of our wine region."
Over the years Rick has experimented with many different vineyard
sources and grape varietals and has added more wines to his
portfolio. Rick's pursuit of excellence requires the production
of his wines to remain small even after more than 30 years in
business. Longoria wines are handcrafted in very small quantities
ranging from 50 to 700 cases. Total annual production currently
averages 3,000 cases. I enjoyed meeting Rick and his wife Diana,
who married in 1977 and have worked together ever since.
Ken
Brown of Ken Brown Wines - Ken Brown (née Byron
Kent Brown) is recognized as one of Santa Barbara County's pioneering
winemakers and innovators. He was among the first vintners to
realize the tremendous promise for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
in this cool-_climate appellation in the mid 1970's. He was
also the first winemaker to introduce the Syrah grape, as well
as Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc, to Santa Barbara County. Ken
brown discussed the quality of wines in Santa Barbara County
and said "It depended on how far east you were willing
to go to grow good grapes."
Lane
Tanner of Lumen Wines - Lane Tanner was one of the
first female winemakers in Central California, and the first
to dedicate her entire winery to Santa Barbara County Pinot
Noir. Her knowledge of the Santa Maria Valley dates back to
her first vintage in 1981, as oenologist for Firestone, a job
that the legendary Andre Tchelistcheff recommended her for.
She later made wine for Zaca Mesa and the Hitching Post, and
finally under her own label in 1989. Her wines are notable for
being low in alcohol and sulfites, a practice that she continues
to this day. "I had no studies for wine making. I was a
chemestry nerd who answered a call for help with bottles at
a Northern California winery, and landed my first job, which
lead to an amazing tasting position." "Pinot is magical,
every wine is a different high," said Tanner.
Unfortunately,
Bob Lindquist of Qupe was ill and unable to
attend. Bob was instrumental not only in developing the Rhone
varietal movement on the Central Coast, but also in America.
He has been producing world class Rhone varietal wines since
the early 1980s and continues his quest with the same zeal he
started with. Consequently, Qupe has been deemed one of the
Wineries of the Year for Wine & Spirits Magazine every year
since 1999. In March 2015 Bob received the Lifetime Achievement
Award from Rhone Rangers.3
It
was a fun, delicious and informative afternoon filled with interesting
history on the art of wine making in Santa Barbara County, hosted
by the charming Museum staff and volunteers. Some lucky guests
who participated in a drawing for wine donated by participating
wineries left with a bottle to enjoy at home. Special thanks
to Meredith Moore, who coordinates the renowned wine events
at the museum each year. For annual wine event information visit:
http://www.sbnature.org.
Wine Table Drawing Items
About
the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
Founded in 1916, the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
reconnects more than 100,000 people each year (including their
6,000 members) to nature indoors and outdoors. Uniquely nestled
in nature, the Museum is located along Mission Creek in the
Mission Canyon area. The Museum has ten indoor exhibit halls
focusing on regional natural history including astronomy, birds,
insects, geology, mammals, marine life, paleontology, plant
life, and the Chumash Indians. Also, the Museum is home to the
only full-dome planetarium on the Central Coast, a research
library, and the John & Peggy Maximus Art Gallery.
The
Museum's outdoor exhibit experiences include a nature trail,
the Chumash Sukinanik'oy Garden, The Museum Backyard & Nature
Club House, the Butterfly Pavilion, and a real 74-foot Blue
Whale skeleton. The Museum's outdoor nature experience continues
down to the Pacific Ocean at its Sea Center located on the historic
Stearns Wharf. The Sea Center offers nearly 100,000 visitors
a window to ocean life in the Santa Barbara Channel through
its interactive exhibits and close-up, hands-on encounters with
sea creatures. Beyond exhibitions, the Museum offers science
education programs for adults and children, preserves a collection
of more than three million specimens and artifacts, and maintains
ongoing scientific research. The Museum's mission is to inspire
a thirst for discovery and a passion for the natural world.
Location: 2559 Puesta del Sol, Santa Barbara, CA 93105 Hours:
10:00 AM-5:00 PM
By Bonnie Carroll
About Bonnie Carroll
Bonnie Carroll has been a food/travel/lifestyle writer since
1983. She is the founder & publisher of Bonnie Carroll's
Life Bites News - www.lifebitesnews.com,
does travel and food reporting on KZSB1290 radio, and contributes
to a variety of national and international travel/lifestyle
publications. Her first children's book C.C. Charles was published
in 2002 and she is currently working on a second book. Contact
her at Contact her at writebc@aol.com.