Napa vs. Santa Barbara

Posted on 11/16/11 at 4:12 pm

Posted by L.A.

The Mojave Desert

Member since Aug 2003

66486 posts

Posted on 11/16/11 at 4:12 pm

Here's a link to a nice article from the Santa Ynez Wine Club. I couldn't have said it better myself.

quote:
Today, Napa Valley is much like the Rolling Stones. In the 60s and 70s, the Stones were finding their way in the music scene, getting more popular because of their music and talents. Now, there are few bands that can be seen as less of a sell-out and you cannot touch them live without paying hundreds of dollars (and they smell a bit funny these days).

Now don’t get me wrong, I love going to Napa. I love eating at arguably the best restaurant in the world – The French Laundry (notice the French in the name). Going to Morimoto for some great sushi (because wine country= sushi clearly!) and staying at some swanky boutique hotel. Of course, all of these things have very little to do with wine. I do love finding a Cabernet under $200 on the list that I can drink or enjoying a cocktail of wood drenched in butter – er, Chardonnay. If you have ever been to a tasting room in Napa, you will appreciate how you have to go through 3 levels of security, 2 koi ponds and a row of columns imported from Italy, just to pay $20 to taste $75 Viognier that was made by a winemaker that is in Dubai for the weekend. I really do love going to Napa, but in the way that you love hearing your favorite song promoting the latest hybrid soccer mom vehicle. You kind of feel dirty and wrong for liking it.

So what is my point?

Well, I suppose there are two separate points. First and foremost, I almost feel bad for Napa Valley. They have become the exact thing that they hated 40 years ago. They made some money and ran with it. The big corporations of America (and globally too. Yes, several multi-national corporations own wineries in Napa, including a Japanese pharmaceutical corporation). In a way, Napa Valley is like that kid that got picked on for being fat in high school, did some crunches, won the lottery, had some lipo and now owns 700 gyms across the country with his sculpted abs on every machine. There is no greater way to stick it to the man, then to become the man yourself.

If you are looking for a place that isn’t the wine version of Disneyland, with private airstrips for the jets of billionaire winery owners with their villas and estates sitting above their perfectly manicured vineyards, where do you go?

Your backyard of course! What you may not realize is that the Santa Ynez Valley is the Napa Valley of 1976. A region that is still in its infancy, trying to get its bearings and figuring out what it is really good at.

LINK

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Posted by L.A.

The Mojave Desert

Member since Aug 2003

66486 posts

Posted on 11/16/11 at 7:27 pm to L.A.

Btw, I've had 2 of the 3 wines he recommends in this article and they are both very good wines, well worth the price.

quote:
Palmina 2009 Arneis, Honea Vineyard, Santa Ynez Valley – $20

No winery better exemplifies the creativity and experimentation of this region than Palmina. Dedicated to producing the best Italian varietal wines in California, Steve and Chrystal Clifton have been making some of the best homages to Italy that I have ever seen or tasted. Taking standard grapes such as Pinot Grigio and Sangiovese and giving them a Cali character is something that Steve has been passionate about since he founded Palmina back in 1995. Perhaps the best wines that he produces are from the lesser-known varietals of Italia, such as Lagrein, Nebbiolo, Tocai Friulano and this Arneis!

Arneis is a grape that comes from the Piemonte region of Italy. When the Piedmontese are not drinking Barolo, their white wine is most likely always from this very waxy and refreshing grape.

Palmina’s Arneis comes from the Honea Vineyard right on Alamo Pintado. A sign that sits outside the vineyard says that no tasting is allowed. Yes, that is right, an area dedicated to just farming and vines, not commercialism and profit. Take that Napa!

Fresh, light and honeyed in color, the palate of this wine is the perfect compliment to white sauce pasta with clams. Lots of great veraciousness and herbs come through with touches of citrus.

Where Sauvignon Blanc meets Grenache Blanc with a kiss of dry Riesling. So delicious!

Stolpman 2009, ‘La Cuadrilla’, (50% Grenache, 50% Syrah), Santa Ynez Valley – $21

I love a feel good story when it comes to wine. I love it even more when it is true and the wine is pretty darn tasty. Enter, this blend from Stolpman. Over the past decade, no vineyard has set itself apart for amazing quality in the Central Coast than Stolpman Vineyard. Located in the Ballard Canyon area of Santa Ynez, Tom Stolpman has created a winery that is a leader in the Rhone varietals for this region. What is great about this particular winery is the team of people that operate here on a daily basis. From the Pippi Longstocking mop of son Peter who wields his sales skills across the country, to the winemaking genius of Sashi Moorman to the many skilled hands of the people in the vineyard, Stolpman has it together.

La Cuadrilla is a blend of Grenache and Syrah that is Stolpman’s response to Margerum’s M5, Beckmen’s Cuvee Le Bec and other great red table blends from Santa Barbara County. The difference with this blend is that it focuses more on the lush, cool tones of Syrah and a hint of the spice from the Grenache. A harmonious balance of flavors and textures that make this a wine that can battle $40 Rhone any day.

The added bonus to the wine is that it is managed by and all proceeds go to La Cuadrilla or The Crew. The same crew that works tireless hours in the vineyard for Stolpman that actually gets a cut in the profits from this wine; an homage to how important each member of the team is to the Stolpman family. A story like this would rarely happen in corporate Napa, as $3 an hour is considered a great benefit to vineyard workers!

Pick up this Stolpman red blend and enjoy it with any food or just a great wine to have around the house when guests come over.