Champagne has long been the liquid symbol for celebration, poured at coronations, christenings and Christmas tables with inevitability. Yet the assumption that only one region can produce suitable sparkling wine is beginning to feel tired.

What began as borrowed prestige founded on another’s reputation and nomenclature has given way to a new seriousness: sparkling wines of artisanal quality, defined not by loopholes but by their distinct terroir and a commitment to the regional ‘house style’.

This is not an imitation. It is translation: French blueprints reinterpreted in Californian sunlight, tempered by maritime breezes and rooted in soils ranging from chalk to diatomaceous earth. The result is wines that can compete on merit rather than marketing.

Subscribe today to read all Decanter Premium articles, tasting notes and scores

The sparkling foundation

Laetitia Vineyards & Winery lies just a few miles from the coast in the cool Arroyo Grande Valley.

The winery was founded in 1982 by Deutz, a well-known Champagne house. Laetitia has spent more than four decades proving sparkling wine can be more than an eccentric sideline in California.

A corporate interlude under Vintage Wine Estates brought updated machinery (though they kept their impressive original Deutz era wooden press for show in their tasting room), rigorous laboratory work and expanded cellar staff, raising quality even as the estate was folded into a wider portfolio.

In 2024, second-generation winemaker Eric Hickey – who began in the cellar in 1988, led by his father – led a buy-back with local families, restoring Laetitia to independent stewardship.

The wines are sharper for it: the 2021 Blanc de Blancs shows crystalline focus and chalky drive, while the 2021 Cuvée M delivers complexity, toast and richness fit for December tables.

Pinot roots and a sparkling future

Not every Central Coast sparkling house was born to bubbles. Riverbench, founded in the Santa Maria Valley in 1973, built its name on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay before branching into méthode champenoise in 2008. Its sparkling wines lean into orchard fruit and brisk acidity, deepened by lees ageing.

Sea Smoke, better known for plush and velveteen Pinot Noir, has followed suit, folding a selected lot of estate fruit into a sparkling programme that is more than meets the eye. An understated generosity and energetic acid profile highlight the oceanic minerality of the Sta. Rita Hills.

While on the fuller side, their Sea Spray remains brut nature with no dosage added, highlighting the producer’s commitment to showcase the integrity of their estate-grown grapes, reminding us that estates once defined by undeniably Californian Pinot Noir can turn their hand to cellarworthy sparkling.

Then there is Flying Goat Cellars, founded by Norm Yost, named Vintner of the Year by the Sta. Rita Hills Wine Alliance this past August.

Cultish in reputation, Flying Goat specialises in nerdy, small-lot sparklings, often from Bien Nacido, Riverbench and Solomon Hills vineyards. If Laetitia offers polish and Racines a French accent, Flying Goat is the eccentric professor – idiosyncratic, cerebral and deeply respected.

Franco-Californian fusion

If Laetitia represents endurance, Racines embodies evolution built on French traditions.

Founded with its first vintage in 2017, Racines is the brainchild of Burgundy’s Étienne de Montille and Brian Sieve, joined by Rodolphe Péters of Champagne Pierre Péters.

Their presence in the Sta. Rita Hills is no vanity project. Fog, wind, and ancient marine soils share some similarities with their Champagne counterparts, albeit with a bit more sunshine.

Wines from Sanford & Benedict, Bentrock and La Rinconada carry Champagne’s discipline of precision intact and minerality, yet the presence of Sta Rita Hills’ unique terroir in the glass makes it easy to distinguish their Californian roots.

The new wave

The next wave of California winemaking talent is pushing sparkling further still, with each producer bringing a distinct philosophy and style to their glass.

Loubud, the personal project of Laura Hughes (currently the assistant winemaker at Sanford), focuses on small-lot, coastal-influenced wines. Her sparklings are generally lean and vibrant, showing saline energy, tension and shaped with artisanal precision.

From there, the tone shifts with Lady of the Sunshine, where winemaker Gina Giugni uses regenerative farming as the foundation for wines of both vibrant freshness and earthy botanical nuance.

Her sparkling solera cuvées are different, with flavours that can be both fresh and oxidative, unembellished by heavy sulfur additions – these wines are wonderfully refreshing for those who value originality and authenticity above adornment.

Meanwhile, Tyler and Lieu Dit, both associated with Justin Willett, have begun weaving méthode champenoise into their already acclaimed portfolios.

Best known for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay of crystalline precision, their sparklings carry the same exacting approach: lean, mineral and unapologetically terroir-driven.

Why here?

The Central Coast thrives on paradox. Ocean winds cool the fruit while the Californian sun ensures ripeness. Chalk, clay and diatomaceous earth give both texture and tension. It is this collision – between generosity and restraint – that makes the region so apt for sparkling wine.

In short, Champagne’s climate is impossible to replicate, but Sta. Rita Hills and the Santa Maria Valley come closer than one might ever expect.

The Northern counterpoint

Quality California sparkling did not begin here. Schramsberg in Napa and Domaine Carneros in Carneros have long set the standard.

Schramsberg supplied the Nixon-era White House; Domaine Carneros, with its château façade, has become a must-try sparkling-only tasting location for American wine lovers. Both deliver consistency and broad appeal, with volumes to match.

Yet scale brings compromise. Both labels produce reliable classics, but lack the crisp mineral and saline imprints found in soils of the central coast.

Bigger names up in California’s North Coast offer consistency and recognisable branding, but can sometimes feel more corporate than soulful. Nevertheless, these wines remain essential markers of quality-driven California sparkling wine.

Sparkling-only houses up north also seem to offer one thing we don’t often find on the Central Coast: a wider range of sparkling styles with a spectrum of dosage levels that can be found in almost every tasting room, and even the occasional demi-sec bottlings, reminding us that America’s romance with sugar is alive and well, despite ‘dry’ being the most requested style in tasting rooms and restaurants alike.

Within the bounds of the Central Coast, most producers have found the sweet spot of ripeness and freshness thanks to the proximity to the coast and protection of morning fog.

This can be achieved with little to no dosage, keeping in line with consumer trends without compromising on flavour, which allows for a sharp yet balanced result.

A crown all its own

For decades, American sparkling has hovered between aspiration and apology, alternately borrowing Champagne’s name, undercutting its price.

The Central Coast suggests another way forward: sparkling wines that neither imitate nor rebel, but speak fluently of their own place.

The reflex may still be to reach for the prestige of French Champagne or the affordability of Italian Prosecco. But the smarter money – and, given tariffs, more sustainable and often better value for quality – can be found on bottles from Arroyo Grande, Santa Maria and the Sta. Rita Hills.

They deserve not only a place at the table but perhaps a new tradition altogether: a toast to life with a coastal accent.

Brilliant bubbles from California’s Central Coast: seven to try

Related articles

• Expert’s Choice: American sparkling wines
• A royal affair: California wines and historic spirits served at Trump’s state banquet
• Vintage English sparkling wine: Panel tasting results

When it comes down to it, good Chardonnay is a product of three factors: the distinctive nature of its terroir and farming, the vintage and, of course, the skill of the hands that produce it.

For Chardonnay in the US, the first point has been overlooked by critics who’ve long fixated on Napa and Sonoma as its leading producers.

Meanwhile, down the California coast, distinctive Chardonnay is produced in the idyllic coastal AVAs of Santa Barbara County, without the triple-digit price tag.

Scroll down to see notes and scores of 18 characterful Santa Barbara Chardonnays

Minerals galore

‘Coming down here to Santa Barbara was a renaissance for me,’ says Anthony Avila (pictured, below), the winemaker at Bien Nacido Estate. ‘These wines are naturally fresher, more vibrant and, frankly, more Burgundian in nature.’

This comparison has become a refrain among Santa Barbara winemakers – and for good reason. The region’s Chardonnay is distinct, standing apart even from high-quality examples elsewhere in California. The minerality found in the wines is a hallmark.

Predominantly sedimentary, Santa Barbara’s range of soils is complex, in parts including sandier soils towards the coastline in the west, gravels and flint, clay loam and shales, sandstones and even the rarer diatomaceous earth, made up of silica-based fossilised remains of tiny aquatic organisms.

This varied mineral composition results in localised and precise, structured qualities to the wines.

The Pacific ocean provides cool winds, protecting the grapes’ natural acidity through the provision of cool mist, often in the form of morning sea fogs that reach the far east of the county, evoking freshness and vibrancy in the wines.

Even amateur wine drinkers can begin to recognise the characteristics of Santa Barbara Chardonnay by this duality of cool climate and mineral-rich soil.

Local personality

This allure has encouraged smaller producers to put down roots. Paul Lato, who came in 1996 to intern at Au Bon Climat, describes Chardonnay as his canvas.

‘My inspiration comes from Burgundy,’ he says. ‘I use a lot of new oak but integrate it well – you won’t feel it. I want to make great California wines that stand alongside the world’s best.’

Sanford winemaker Trey Fletcher recalls tasting Santa Barbara Chardonnay in 2010 with then-sommelier Rajat Parr (who now works with Sashi Moorman making wines for Domaine de la Côte and Sandhi). ‘We tried wines from Chanin and Native9 and I was blown away,’ says Fletcher. ‘A year later, I moved here to make Chardonnay.’

Santa Barbara’s Chardonnay can rival that from the world’s most renowned appellations, yet winemakers here resist conforming to a standardised mould.

‘We’re always going to be just a local community that makes good wine,’ says Fletcher as he waves goodbye to Auggie Rodriguez, the winery’s cellar master, whose father helped plant the Sanford & Benedict vineyard (see ‘Cru Americana’ feature) in 1971.

This commitment to authenticity is part of what makes Santa Barbara Chardonnay so alluring. Winemakers here aren’t bound by tradition, but rather inspired by it.

See notes and scores of 18 brilliant Chardonnays from Santa Barbara

Related articles

• Washington’s Puget Sound AVA: Wines worth seeking out
• California shakedown: The wine glut taxing California’s wine scene
• Sonoma County Barrel Auction: Showcasing ‘never before, never again’ cuvées

The winemaker who became a West Coast Pinot Noir legend, crafting the variety up and down the coast for his Siduri brand, has launched a new chapter.

And it is California’s Central Coast – specifically, Monterey’s Santa Lucia Highlands – that gives him the character he covets for his Clarice Wine Company.

Lee spoke with Decanter about his evolution as a Pinot Noir maker, how consumer taste has matured, and why he chose the Santa Lucia Highlands to hang his hat.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for 10 Adam Lee California Pinot Noirs

There was no wine on the table in Adam Lee’s childhood home in Austin, Texas. (No good Southern Baptist family would have countenanced it.) But wine would indeed catch him in the end – in the form of one particular variety – and for almost 30 years.

Lee has earned a reputation for coaxing Pinot Noir from a range of growing regions. His wines from the Santa Rita Hills and Santa Lucia Highlands on California’s Central Coast up through the Russian River Valley, West Sonoma, and Anderson Valley farther north, to Oregon’s Willamette Valley – made into the best versions of themselves.

He has inspired and mentored many Pinot makers and created Pinot Noir lovers worldwide. In 2015 Lee sold Siduri, the brand he built into the West Coast’s Pinot powerhouse, to Jackson Family Wines.

He decided to focus his new Clarice Wine Company entirely in Monterey’s Santa Lucia Highlands. The tale of his adventure involves a girlfriend, a particular Russian River Pinot Noir, and an accidental tourist-style beginning.

At Trinity College in Austin, Lee studied French history, specialising in the comparative history of the French and American prison systems. ‘Somehow, that didn’t lead to a job after college,’ he deadpans. But a more personal experience did. During his junior year, Lee was dating a senior whose first job out of college happened to be in Northern California.

Lee admits to spending most of the summer between his junior and senior years visiting her. ‘We would go wine tasting,’ he adds, ‘mainly looking for sweeter wines.’

Along the way, though, it was a red wine that would steal his heart. ‘The first red wine I fell in love with was a 1984 Rochioli Pinot Noir. You might say the relationship with the girl didn’t last, but the relationship with Pinot Noir did.’

Back in Texas, a ‘temporary’ assistant manager job at a wine store, Austin Wine & Spirits, piled on serendipitous immersion into wine.

‘We had an amazing selection,’ he says, ‘including the imports of Bobby Kacher, Terry Theise, and Marco de Grazia. The 1985 and 1986 Bordeaux were coming out, 1984 to 1987 California Cabernets, an amazing time for a young man like me to get into wine.’ Eventually, he became the company’s president and wine buyer for the Neiman Marcus Department Stores in Dallas.

But California called.

The pull of Pinot Noir

At this point, these stories typically involve intern work in enviable cellars, stints in vineyards and production houses down under or in Burgundy, and a first job back home as assistant winemaker to a legend. All of that is missing on Adam Lee’s resumé.

He had decided he wanted to be a wine writer (possibly as practical as his degree in French history).

Lee thought he should probably make a little wine first. Siduri was the project, and region by region – almost accidentally – Lee grew its portfolio into arguably the most broad-based Pinot house in the world.

‘I’d love to say that I had a plan to work with such a large selection of regions,’ he says. ‘But quite frankly, we took fruit where we could get it. In 1994 we started in Anderson Valley, added Sonoma Coast and the Willamette Valley in 1995, and the Santa Lucia Highlands in 1997. It wasn’t until 2000 that we consciously considered where to source fruit.’

At that point, Russian River Valley came knocking and, finally, the Santa Rita Hills – specifically Clos Pepe Vineyard. ‘We really gave some thought to that one,’ Lee says of the last, ‘as it meant a couple more hours in the car each way. But we tasted the wines from that part of the state and knew it was worth it.’

Those were the early days for Pinot Noir on the West Coast. In many cases, the vines and the winemakers were new at it. ‘Don’t forget that California Pinot Noir is a relatively new adventure, and many of the wines I made during my early days at Siduri came from brand new vines,’ Lee says.

‘I was the first person in Garys’ Vineyard, Rosella’s Vineyard, Sierra Mar, Soberanes Vineyard – and Clos Pepe.’ His winemaking career grew simultaneously alongside some of the region’s most important vineyards. Both of them evolved towards balance and a more focused character.

Lee has seen it all on that last front. For perspective, he rolls out the infinitely cited yet relevant movie Sideways (2004).

‘I think a large number of Pinot Noir lovers were introduced to the grape because of the movie,’ he says. ‘And the timing corresponded with the two warmest vintages I have ever experienced (2003 and 2004). The wines were bigger and riper and higher in alcohol than normal. People started expecting that style, even in far cooler vintages like 2005.’

In his view, that led to vintners making wines that were too big for their growing seasons for a few years. But no longer. He believes ‘the public is happy to have Pinot Noir flavourful but lighter in body than your average Syrah.’

And he’s high on that audience. ‘Pinot Noir lovers have always been detail-oriented in a way I don’t see with other grapes. They want to know clones, yields, row direction and any other geeky thing you can think of. I love that!’

A new chapter

With Clarice Wine Company, Lee had the chance to make wines that had fully caught up with his evolution.

‘As I aged, I found myself wanting to make wines that reflected both me and the vines,’ he explains. ‘I wanted wines that weren’t all about the fruit, that had the complexity that only comes from older vines. And I wanted to make them with more intent. I wanted wines that will age as well as the vines have – hence a bit lower alcohol and more structure from stems.’

In Lee’s view, Monterey’s Santa Lucia Highlands offers the perfect canvas for his new wines, the soils, weather patterns, and even farming practices.

‘I believe the quality of farming there is unmatched,’ he claims, adding a nod to his particular partners: ‘The Franscioni and Pisoni families do a remarkable job. They are not only exceptional farmers, but they are also some of my very best friends.’

Specific to Santa Lucia Highlands narrow swath of benchlands, stretching some 18 miles south from a point close by Monterey Bay itself, are Chualar, loam soils that tend to limit vine growth.

And then there’s the wind. As the Central Valley warms up, the stiff ocean breezes are sucked into the Salinas Valley across the Santa Lucia Highlands every afternoon like clockwork – often hitting 25 miles per hour or more.

‘This cools down the area and leads to an exceptionally long hang time, and that allows for fantastic flavour development while retaining acids and leading to complexity, great stem ripening, and more lively wines,’ says Lee.

The long ripening window inspired him to play with picking a little bit. In both Garys’ and Rosella’s vineyards, he gets fruit from two separate blocks. There is elevation and rootstock variation in Garys’. In Rosella’s, different clones lead to a 10-day range in ripening. Ultimately, he opts to pick the two blocks together in both vineyards.

‘That means some fruit is slightly overripe, and some are slightly underripe. But the whole is ripe,’ he asserts. ‘I believe this leads to added complexity in the wine.’

The idea was his grandmother’s. Clarice. ‘She told me that when you cook in a large pot if you put the meat, the carrot and potatoes, the broth, and the spices in together early, they all meld together. If you put any of them in later, they stand out. The same is true with any winemaking additions.’

A prized partnership

Along the way, Lee took a detour – a sentimental journey, if you will, with his longtime friend, the late Philippe Cambie of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a legend in his own right with Grenache.

Cambie had earned some 15 perfect 100-point scores for his Southern Rhône wines, but he had never made a Pinot Noir.

Considering that Grenache has been dubbed the ‘Pinot Noir’ of the region, Cambie aspired to apply his considerable skills to Pinot stateside. And who better a partner than Adam Lee, with ready fruit sources and decades of deft Pinot making on his resume?

As it turned out, though, there was great Old World-New World irony in the matchup. As Lee describes it, Cambie tasted through his Clarice wines and reported that he thought he made the wines beautifully. ‘But,’ he declared, ‘I don’t like them.’

Cambie wanted riper fruit, richer mouthfeel, and more upfront deliciousness. The style of rich, more powerful Pinots was out of Lee’s comfort zone, but ‘looking at Pinot Noir through Philippe’s eyes,’ he says, ‘allowed me to view the grape differently… look at things anew again.’

Lee will not continue with the Beau Marchais brand, which was the partnership with Cambie, as his dear friend’s vision very much drove it.

He has a new project in the works, launching from the Central Coast. Working with John Wagner at Peake Ranch in the Santa Rita Hills he’s introducing Babs and Busy Signal wines.

The latter is a Pinot Noir at $35. This wine, he hopes, will attract younger people, wine lovers without collector budgets, with true-to-variety appeal and a fair bit of immediate gratification.

Indeed, the 2021 Busy Signal Pinot offers mouthfilling brambly berry, cherry, plum, and spice – good Pinot Noir character. Adam Lee’s next chapter looks to inspire a larger circle of wine lovers with quality Pinot Noir they can afford.

Adam Lee wines: 10 top wines tasted and rated

Related content

Napa Cabernet 2019: full vintage report and top-scoring wines

Napa and Sonoma wineries to visit: 15 of the best

California sustainability: latest developments and innovations

Vintage Wine Estates has bought Pinot Noir and sparkling producer Laetitia winery in California's Central Coast, in a move that will also create a new base for recently acquired Qupé wines.

Vintage Wine Estates has bought the 800-hectare Laetitia winery estate in the Arroyo Grande Valley AVA for an undisclosed fee.

The deal includes Laetitia’s 275 hectares (680 acres) of vineyards, as well as wine stocks, the winery, tasting room and guest house, Vintage Wine Estates (VWE) said.

It is the latest in a string of Central Coast buys for VWE that has recently included Qupé and Alloy Wine Works, plus Clayhouse Wines in 2016.

‘We are strongly committed to the Central Coast winegrowing region, and Laetitia will be the home and hub of our Central Coast production and operations moving forward,’ said VWE’s chief executive, Pat Roney.

A spokesperson for VWE confirmed to Decanter.com that Qupé wines will be made at Laetitia. Qupé founder Bob Lindquist said earlier this year that he would no longer be involved in winemaking for the label, which was bought by VWE in late 2018.

The VWE spokesperson added that the group was open to more winery purchases. ‘VWE is always looking for the right opportunity to grow and add value to our portfolio so more acquisitions may be expected at some point down the road.’

Laetitia began life in the 1980s as a producer of traditional method sparkling wines, but has since added a strong reputation for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Its wines mostly sell for between $25 and $60-a-bottle.

Its current head winemaker, Eric Hickey, will stay on as a member of the VWE winemaking team. Hickey began working with Laetitia at the age of 16 in 1985, three years after the first vines were planted.

Arroyo Grande Valley is one of California’s smaller American Viticultural Areas (AVA) and lies in San Luis Obispo County, close to the border with Santa Barbara.

Fog and cooling breezes from the Pacific ocean have helped to make parts of the AVA well-known for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Warmer, inland parts of the AVA are better known for Rhône grape varieties and also Zinfandel.

California winelands are made for road trips, hit the scenic Central Coast from Monterey to Santa Barbara for an unforgettable wine adventure...

This article first appeared in Decanter magazine’s California supplement 2017. It is currently featured on Decanter.com as part of a sponsored campaign with the California Wine Institute.

Central Coast road trip – Top 10 wineries

It’s only a four or five hour journey between Monterey (1.5 hours’ drive south of San Francisco) and Santa Barbara (two hours’ drive north of Los Angeles), commonly referred to as the Central Coast.

A road trip between them could last a day or a week, depending on how much you want to see and do. The area spans many distinct wine appellations, including Monterey, the Santa Lucia Highlands, Paso Robles, Santa Maria Valley, Santa Barbara County and the Santa Rita Hills, to name the most famous.

Wine styles are as diverse as the territory, ranging from delicious sparklings to world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to inky Syrahs and robust Cabernets. Remarkable restaurants and bars plus compelling attractions are as plentiful and diverse as the wine.

Au Bon Climat

Jim Clendenen has been revered for his elegant Pinot Noir and Chardonnay since founding his winery in 1982. A stop here will offer a chance to taste library wines (which show how beautifully his wines can age), along with tastes of his current projects. These are, without doubt, some of the best wines in Santa Barbara. In 2007, Clendenen was inducted into the James Beard Foundation’s Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America.

aubonclimat.com

Carmel Road

Carmel Road, a Jackson Family Wines winery, specialises in sustainably farmed, cool-climate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling. The wines are excellent expressions of what the Monterey terroir can deliver, and one of the finest in the portfolio is the South Crest Pinot Noir, a vibrant wine with dense dark cherry and earth notes.

carmelroad.com

Galante

This intimate tasting room has an unapologetic cowboy vibe – all the better to tell the pioneering story of Galante (Jack Galante’s great grandfather, JF Devendorf, was the founder of the town of Carmel). Robust, rich reds dominate the offerings with a focus on superior quality, estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as Malbec and Merlot. Try the Cowboy Cuvée or the Centennial Cabernet Sauvignon.

galantevineyards.com

Qupé

Long-time winemaker for Qupé, Bob Lindquist is one of California’s original ‘Rhône Rangers’—a group dedicated to the pursuit of American-made Syrah and other Rhône varieties. Lindquist, who farms biodynamically, is legendary for his Syrahs but you would be remiss if you didn’t sample one of his ethereal and rich Viogniers.

qupe.com

Insider guide to eating and drinking in California

Tablas Creek

Founded in 1989, Tablas Creek is a winery partnership between the Perrin family of Château de Beaucastel in the Rhône and US wine importer Robert Haas. The wines cultivated from their organic vineyards steeped in limestone soils are some of the Paso Robles’ most ageworthy and awarded. The tasting room offers library tastings of rare vintages in addition to selections from the estate portfolio. Try the Esprit Tablas Blanc (Roussanne, Grenache Blanc and Picpoul Blanc) or the wild and intense Patelin de Tablas (a blend of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre and Counoise). Be sure to browse the small winery boutique selling books, linens and wine accessories.

tablascreek.com

Stolpman

Stolpman wines are among the finest expressions of Syrah from the Ballard Canyon AVA. The Los Olivos tasting room boasts a nice view, but the true highlight are the wines. Made organically and dry-farmed, they show immense ageworthy structure and polished complexity. If possible, plan ahead and reserve a spot on one of the guided hikes of their beautiful Ballard Canyon estate.

stolpmanvineyards.com

Wrath

Wrath specialises in small-lot production of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc from the Central Coast’s Santa Lucia Highlands appellation. Concentrated and serious, the wines show a deeply fruity and complex spiciness. After the tasting, buy a bottle and carry your purchase to the nearby Carmel Beach for a seaside happy hour.

wrathwines.com

Valley Project

This downtown Santa Barbara location is a great place to kick off your Central Coast wine education. Here you’ll get to sample small-batch wines from each of the different Santa Barbara AVAs while pondering the visually impressive wall-sized chalk mural map of the AVAs, drawn by local street artist Elkpen.

thevalleyprojectwines.com

Kunin

Located in downtown Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone, a block from the beach, expect to taste a range of varieties that showcase the amazing breadth of the Central Coast terroir. This small family run operation, started by winemaker Seth Kunin in 1998, turns out delightful Syrah, Chardonnay, Viognier and Chenin Blanc. The Pape Star Red (Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah and Cinsault) is lovely, as is the racy and bright Chenin Blanc.

kuninwines.com

Margerum

Sommelier and owner Doug Margerum spent 35 years in the restaurant industry before launching Margerum in 2011. He concentrates on crafting Rhône varieties with polish and sophistication. Try the dark and lively Uber Syrah. And don’t miss the Amaro, a beguiling blend of herbs and botanicals from a proprietary recipe.

margerumwines.com

Introduction written by Jordan Mackay, with winery recommendations from Katie Kelly Bell

More California articles

One of the largest California Central Coast wildfires for 50 years damaged a vineyard owned by Treasury Wine Estates, with nearby Bien Nacido Vineyards telling this week of how it ‘dodged a bullet’.

Fierce flames from the Alamo fire in California’s Central Coast area damaged vines at the North Canyon vineyard owned by Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) earlier this month.

‘Fire outbreaks reached TWE’s North Canyon Vineyard with damage to approximately 10% of the vineyard,’ TWE vice president Rachel Ashley told Decanter.com this week.

Firefighters struggled to control the huge fire, first reported on 14 July, as it burned across the Santa Maria’s dry grasslands. It was not 100% contained until six days later.

TWE spokesperson James Caudill told Decanter.com, ‘We’re focused on about 90 acres (36 hectares) or so that were impacted.’

‘Grapevines are resilient,’ he said. ‘This is the point in the growing season when the crews are monitoring and working the vineyards hard to assure quality, so we will know more soon.’

Smoke taint will also be a concern. Ashley added that, because the grapes had not yet reached veraison – when grapes change colour at the start of ripening – ‘the risk of impact on fruit [from smoke damage] is lower’.

• What does smoke do to wine? – ask Decanter

Lucky escape for Bien Nacido

Bien Nacido Vineyards, owned by the Miller family since 1968, was in the path of the wildfire, which consumed a total of 29,000 acres before local and statewide fire teams got it under control.

Vice president of Bien Nacido Marshall Miller told how his vineyard fought the blaze, after the fire jumped two fire breaks and came within 15 feet of their Pinot Noir and Syrah vines.

‘It was a two day battle, they couldn’t hold the fire on the other side of the hill. The fire moved against the wind as it worked down the hillside, it becomes its own force when it gets to that scale.’

 When another fire broke out at Whittier summer camp 10 miles away, firefighter crews had to redirect their resources to the fire that threatened more homes and lives.

• French wine harvest 2017 set for ‘historic low’ after frost

Bien Nacido’s team were left to protect the vineyard from the oncoming fire, but after an outbreak a few years ago they weren’t taking any chances:

‘We invested in our own tanker trucks, bulldozers and hoses,’ said Miller. ‘We cut a firebreak and hosed the bare earth — it was our last chance hold the line.’

Bien Nacido’s crew of 30 people fought the blaze though Friday and Saturday night, finally Cali Fire and Santa Babara firefighters arrived to maintain the firebreaks and prevent hot-spotting.

‘We dodged a bullet. There’s not been a fire of this size in the past 50 years,’ Miller told Decanter.com.

Qupé and Au Bon Climat also have wineries in the Bien Nacido estate.

Their marketing director, Katie O’Hara, said, ‘The fire did get very close and we had to be evacuated. I think about five acres of vineyard were burnt, but due to smart thinking from vineyard managers and firemen, the damage was minimal.’

Written by Laura Seal for Decanter.com

Latest wine news:

Credit: Decanter

UK police raid uncovers thousands of suspected stolen wines

UK police raid uncovers possible wine crime ring...

Asia fine wine demand sends BI sales soaring

BI reports 43% sales rise due to Asian demand...

The secret life of airline wines

How that glass of wine got to your fold-away table...

‘King Arthur’s castle’ hosted feasts of wine and oysters

Life wasn't so bad in the Dark Ages...

California wine giant E&J Gallo has taken another step in an apparent quest to revamp its business after agreeing to buy estate wine specialist Talbott Vineyards.

Talbott is based in California’s Central Coast, in the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, is one of the US sunshine state’s biggest producers of estate grown wine, said Gallo. It did not disclose a price for the deal.

The move is the latest in a series of vineyard purchases by Gallo and suggests the company is seeking to re-orient its business towards the more premium end of the wine market.

Some rivals, such as Mondavi owner Constellation Brands, have been doing the same, believing there is a bigger sales opportunity there.

Talbott was founded in 1982 by Rob Talbott and it specialises in the classic Burgundian varieties of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

• See also: Gallo continues spending spree with Napa vineyard buys

‘After more than 33 years dedicating my life to the establishment and growth of Talbott Vineyards, I am pleased to transition ownership of our wonderful company to E&J Gallo,’ Talbott said.

As part of the deal, Gallo will get the Talbott brand and the 227 hectare Sleepy Hollow vineyard. It will also continue to operate the Camel Valley tasting rooms, it said.

‘As this region’s unique characteristics become more widely known, we see a great future for Talbott Vineyards as part of our fine wine portfolio,’ said Roger Nabedian, senior vice president and general manager of Gallo’s premium wine division.

The deal is expected to complete on 4 September.

Wine giant E&J Gallo is to buy the Courtside Cellars business to feed growing demand for wines from California's Central Coast.

Gallo has bought Courtside’s winery at San Miguel, California

The company said the purchase, for an undisclosed sum, would include Courtside’s 12-year-old winery at San Miguel, capable of crushing 60,000 tons of grapes, along with 34 acres of land – but not the company’s original facility in San Luis Obispo.

‘We’ve been expanding our presence in the Central Coast over the past few years and consider the region to be a key part of our premium wine strategy moving forward,’ said Roger Nabedian, senior vice president and general manager of Gallo’s Premium Wine Division.

‘We are excited to have this highly capable winery to support our Bridlewood and Edna Valley Vineyards businesses.’

Courtside’s Bob Schiebelhut said: ‘We will be keeping our San Luis Obispo facility, where we will focus our efforts on building our Tolosa Winery brand into one of the finest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay estates, as well as continue to offer custom wine services.’

The acquisition follows Gallo’s purchase of more than 300 acres of vineyards in Monterey County earlier this year.

In 2011, the company bought Edna Valley Vineyards, producer of one of the best-selling Chardonnay brands in the US, and it purchased Bridlewood Estate Winery in the Santa Ynez Valley in 2004.

The deal to buy Courtside Cellars is expected to close later this week.

Written by Richard Woodard

California's Central Coast may have lost up to 50% of its grape crop after one of the worst spring frosts in history.

Image courtesy Ron Bez Photography, www.ronbez.com

With freezing temperatures between 8 and 10 April, initial estimates indicate a 30-50% crop loss, according to the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance.

‘The length of time temperatures were at or below freezing on April 8, 9 and 10 was the greatest the region has experienced in the last 10 years,’ Stacie Jacob, the Alliance’s executive director told Decanter.com.

‘Although growers have a wide array of best management practices, which were fully executed, Mother Nature was in full control,’ she added.

‘God was upset with us this spring,’ Tobin James, owner of Tobin James Cellars in Paso Robles said.

Many earlier varieties like Pinot Noir and white grapes were affected, he told Decanter.com. According to the Western Farm Press, some vineyards may not have a single crop to harvest this fall due to the frost.

The is working with the industry to assess the full damage, said Jacob. ‘There may be federal support for growers if the situation is officially classed a disaster. We won’t know this until May or June, once reporting is complete and the full impact is understood.’

Written by Panos Kakaviatos