Lompoc: California’s Wine Ghetto

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.

2008 Las Brisas Cures Spring Fever

We’re getting close to spring, and warmer weather means time for more white wine again.  I’ve always been a fan of Las Brisas, a Spanish white wine produced by Bodegas Naia.  The current 2008 vintage continues to please.  This blend of Verdejo, Viura, and Sauvignon Blanc delivers a fine balance of fruit, minerality and acidity.  The peachy, grapefruit nose follows through on the palate, with a nice herbaceous, citrusy finish.  And the best part is Las Brisas usually retails for under $11.  This low price tag makes the wine great for cooking as well (I love using it when I make mussels).  Pair it with seafood, lighter meats, and salads.  And a great food and wine pairing tip: if you cook with the same wine you serve, you are almost guaranteed a great pairing .

Heartland Stickleback Great Bang For The Buck

Ben Glaetzer has come up with a wonderful wine from Australia called Stickleback Red.  It’s an eclectic blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Dolcetto and Lagrein (the latter two grapes are native to Italy, and aren’t planted widely in Australia).  Stickleback is named after the small Australian fish.

The grapes are from Southern Australia; 90% Langhorn Creek and 10% Limestone Coast.  This tasty blend is full bodied, showing smoky notes of strawberry, blueberry and spice.  The Stickleback red will pair nicely with roasted or grilled meats and heavier sauces.  Just stay away from spicy foods with this wine.  The ‘08 gets a solid 87 points in my book.  You should be able to find it in your local wine shop for under $15.

An Unusual Sparkling Shiraz From MollyDooker

Sparkling Shiraz, you say?  Yes.  They’ve been around for years, but have yet to gain widespread popularity.  Usually the good ones are too expensive to appeal to the curious customer.  No way in hell I would gamble my money on an expensive sparkling Shiraz.  But luckily, working in the wine industry has it’s perks .

The 2006 MollyDooker “GooseBumps” sparkling Shiraz is one unique wine!  It’s a full blown Shiraz, done MollyDooker style (15% abv).  This robust, jammy fruit bomb is then treated to the “charmat method.”  Basically the wine does its secondary fermentation in large pressurized tanks.  The wine is then bottled under pressure, to preserve the carbonation.  This process is much cheaper than the more traditional Champagne method, where the wine goes through secondary fermentation in the bottle, producing finely integrated natural carbonation.

This wine should be served ice cold, as other sparkling wine would.  And pair it with heavier fare than you would pair with traditional sparklers.

The breakdown– this wine exudes aromas of dark chocolate, raisins, strawberry, blueberry and violet.  And the fruit on the palate matches the aromas well, exploding with effervescence.  Just keep in mind that this wine will do some damage at 15% abv, compared to most sparkling wines that weigh in around 12% alcohol.

How Wine Glass Shape Affects Wine

There’s much discussion whether the shape of a wine glass affects the flavors and aromas of the wine.  It sure does.  I’ve done a test with many of my employees, in which I have them taste the same wine out of two different glasses.  One glass is always a cheapo, the type that are made of thick glass.  The other is a nice crystal stem, meant for a specific grape varietal.  90% of the employees would prefer the wine in the higher quality glass.  Of course, there might be a little bit of bias, as most are going to visually prefer the nice glass.  But there’s more to it.

Cabernet Sauvignon glass

I first started becoming aware of wine glass shape from Riedel, a popular producer of Austrian crystal.  They were the first to commercially release a line of stemware that had different shaped glasses for different grape varietals.  The basic concept is this: some grapes are fuller bodied than others, and have more pronounced aromas (such as Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon).  These grapes need a glass with a wider mouth, so the aromas can dissipate.  This allows you to pick up subtle nuances in a wine.

For wines with a lighter nose, you need to capture the aromas.  Stemware

Pinot Noir glass

for grapes like Pinot Noir have a thinner mouth, and a wider body.  Riedel has also accounted for where they want the wine to hit your palate.  The different curves of the stemware’s lip will place the wine in a specific spot in your mouth.  Many beer glasses are also available for specific types of beers, made with the same concepts in mind.

Don’t believe me?  Test it out for yourself.

Pennsylvania Searches For Its “Signature” Wine

Chaddsford Winery in Chester County, PA

We are all familiar with California Cabernet Sauvignon, Oregon Pinot Noir, and Washington Riesling.  But how about Pennsylvania Grüner Veltliner?  With almost 150 wineries, and over 12,000 acres under vine, Pennsylvania is searching for it’s “signature” grape varietal.  In an effort to draw more attention to their wines, they are strongly considering both Cabernet Franc, and Grüner Veltliner as their signature grape.  One thing is for certain: Pennsylvania will have to choose a grape that produces quality wines in a cool, humid climate.

Pennsylvania grows many different varietals including Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Catawba, Cayuga, Chambourcin, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Seyval Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Vidal Blanc, and Vignoles.  Chambourcin is an interesting grape that originated from the French regions of Bordeaux and The Loire.  Very resistant to fungal diseases, Chambourcin can be grown in cooler regions.  It is capable of producing spicy, fragrant wines with good concentration.  Pennsylvania AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) include Central Delaware Valley, Cumberland Valley, Lake Erie, Lancaster Valley, and Lehigh Valley.

Pennsylvania wineries typically get very little press, but they’re out there.  The Chaddsford Winery is pretty well known for making various Chardonnay bottlings, including single vineyard offerings.  Clover Hill produces mostly whites (including the little-known Chambourcin) with the occasional Cabernet Sauvignon.