Lompoc: California’s Wine Ghetto

Adam Weiner — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:03:09 +0000

Some may know Lompoc, California for its federal prison, or its air force base. But real wino’s know Lompoc as California’s “wine ghetto.” The concept all started in Santa Barbara back in 1998 when Rick and Diana Longoria decided to make wine full time. They rented a 5,400 square foot building at Sobhani Industrial Park in Lompoc, which was previously used as a carpet warehouse. This is how the Wine Ghetto was born.

The Wine Ghetto is a far cry from the lavish facilities of Napa. Sheet metal buildings house wine making equipment, which is often shared or rented between different wine makers. This is the birthplace to some of the most intriguing wines produced in California today. Often these wines carry hefty price tags, and are extremely limited in production. Some of the top producers in Lompoc’s Wine Ghetto include Sea Smoke, Brewer-Clifton, Fiddlehead, and Palmina. Other Pinot Noir producers including Ampelos Cellars and Bastianich have followed suit and taken over nearby industrial parks (dubbed “Pinot Prison” and “Pinot West”). Saving money by renting inexpensive warehouses allows more funding to be put back into the vineyards. Most of these wineries are making world class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

The sense of community is strong in these newer wine making areas, where Steve Clifton says “We all support each other without obligation.” and “You no longer needed to have a chateau on the vineyard to be taken seriously.”

I expect this industrial trend to continue growth as winemakers adopt a more economical, “no-frills” approach.

Adam's Wine Guide » California Wineries

Lompoc: California’s Wine Ghetto