Foley vineyard, originally uploaded by jmayer1129.

Built next door to the winery building in 2005, Foley’s large tasting room and event center is built with the consumer in mind. Don’t let the gravel parking lot fool you; everything here is polished and new. The front patio and lawn area offer a breezy spot to stop for a lingering lunch. The tasting room houses a substantial collection of culinary goods and gifts hoping to appeal to wine-drinking clientele.

The bar is an elongated U-shape that juts out of the right side of the airy room. The bartenders were generous with their pours, starting off the tasting with an off-menu 2007 Pinot Gris. Aged seven months in stainless steel, it had a very slight gold color and very thin veins. The nose was equally as light as the hue-a hint of mango and a very soft sweet citrus taste with a tiny short kick of spice to finish it off.

Another stainless steel fermented selection, the ’07 Chardonnay with a release date of March 2008 and was made completely from Clone 76 of their Rancho Santa Rosa vineyard. Light shown through the subtly gold wine and had a bit more flavor than the Pinot Gris. It started with a peach nose and quickly moved into a somewhat liquorish citrus zest and a continuing burn.

The 2006 Rancho Santa Rosa Chardonnay was released in October 2007 after 10 months on French oak(39% new) and malolactic fermentation. This wine was made from a mix of clones 4, 76, and 96. This Chardonnay exhibited a genuine gold color and a citrusy fragrance that disappeared from the main light toasty taste in my mouth and was followed by a prolonged dry finish.

Up to this point, all of the wines were produced with grapes from Foley’s estate Rancho Santa Rosa vineyards. Winemaker Alan Phillips created a fresh tasting dry rosé with equal parts Syrah, Grenache, and Cinsault. The Syrah came from Foley’s vineyards, while the Grenache and Cinsault were sourced from Fess Parker’s Camp Four Vineyard in the eastern Santa Ynez Valley. The color was beautiful-a lucid peach with a dash of rose. A peachy nose displays touches of ripe strawberries and juicy watermelon and these diluted flavors play for an instant on the tongue only to disappear into a short crisp finale.

Two reds were left to finish off the tasting menu. First up was the 2006 Rancho Santa Rosa Pinot Noir. A medium cranberry, this selection contained a few small strands of yeast floating about. The nose was quite light with hints of cassis and oak mixed in with ripe berries. Once in the mouth, the bulk of flavor circles around a jolt of peppery spice with a cascading short finish.

The 2006 Syrah, also from Foley’s Rancho Santa Rosa vineyard exhibited a bright blood red color. Aromas of oak combined with dark plum and black cherries with a touch of fresh churned butter. The wine had dense mouth feel as a rush of fresh cracked black pepper was prominent throughout, lingering after the liquid was gone.

The Foley property certainly is new and spacious offering up a selection of wines typical for the region. I felt that their wines were easy to drink and might pair equally well with a variety of foods. For the casual drinker looking for citrusy whites and lighter reds, Foley may be a good option.

My tasting was: $10 including a Riedel logo glass

Foley Estates Vineyard & Winery

6121 E Highway 246

Lompoc, CA 93436

http://www.foleywines.com/

It was the first weekend of June and my appetite for wine-tasting was whetted by my recent Los Olivos Wine Trail trip. I decided to venture up a bit along the Santa Rita Hills area. The first stop on the itinerary was Dierberg & Star Lane Vineyards. The winery signs in Santa Rita Hills aren’t always the biggest or most well placed, so after a safe U-turn, I was headed up Drum Canyon Rd towards a large forest green and red accented barn. With a well-trimmed green lawn in front and the title, “Dierberg * Star Lane” underneath their star logo on the face of the structure, I knew we had arrived.

Surrounded by new vineyards and the hills in the distance, this was a beautiful new property. Opened in 2008, the facility was almost spotless. Walking through the huge barn doors, the scent of freshly cut wood filled the air. The tasting room is an offshoot of the main room, directly to your right as you walk in. With a small z shaped wooden bar, it’s easy to imagine the room getting crowded. Not so this afternoon as we received prompt service from 1 of 2 bartenders.

There are two tastings available: one from the Dierberg and Star Lane Vineyards line and one for their declassified brand, Three Saints. Ideally, I would have liked to taste both, but with limited time that afternoon, I opted for the Dierberg and Star Lane tasting. Although the tastings don’t come with the Riedel red wine glasses they’re poured in, I appreciated the use of the wine glasses to help showcase the wines.

The bartender started by pouring a small amount of 2006 Star Lane Sauvignon Blanc from their Santa Ynez vineyard into our glasses. The nose was full of citrus and fruit with strong aromas of lemon, grapefruit, and sweet peach. Once in my mouth, those citrus smells faded into the background of light oaky flavors. This Sauvignon Blanc ended abruptly with a clean finish.

From the Santa Maria Valley, the soft gold 2005 Dierberg Chardonnay smelled lightly of toast which turned into smooth citrus on the palate with a crisp finish. This wine was a pleasure to drink and my favorite of the two whites offered.

Looking forward to getting into the reds, the 2005 Dierberg Pinot Noir from Santa Maria was first up. The Pinot Noir had a dark cranberry hue and a fruity nose full of cherries and raspberries. On my tongue the wine was very smooth and the full flavors of dark berries were prominent. It finished off with a dry spicy ending.

The last two wines were grown in the Santa Ynez Valley Star Lane vineyard. The ’04 Star Lane Syrah was dark purple with a deep black cherry nose with hints of vanilla. In the mouth, the body was dry and smoky with a long slightly bitter coffee-flavored finish.

Finishing the tasting was the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, a deep red with hues of milk chocolate. The nose smelled strongly of ripe currant and left a light dry mouth feel with a short spicy kick at the end.

These wines are all estate grown and I found the flavors to be big, boldly displaying their individual characteristics. The newest Dierberg vineyard surrounds the tasting room in Drum Canyon and will see its first harvest this fall as six clones of Pinot Noir were planted in 2005. I’m looking forward to coming back and trying the new Santa Rita Hills selections in the future.

My tasting was: $10 not including a glass. Three Saints tastings are $5.

Dierberg & Star Lane Vineyards

1280 Drum Canyon Road(off the 246)

Lompoc CA 93436

http://www.dierbergvineyard.com/

http://www.threesaintsvineyard.com/

 

At the end of May, the tasting menu consisted of 4 whites and 3 reds. The bartender informed us that they source all of their grapes.

First on the list was a 2006 Viognier, an almost clear selection with a light oak aroma with equally light butter taste overwhelmed by a very abrupt alcoholic finish. The ’06 Tropique du Pinot, a Pinot Blanc, was also nearly crystal clear with a pineapple nose that melds into light oak with a short finish.

Devoid of color, the ’06 Viognier Reserve smelled gently of oak and fresh peaches with hardly any detectable body and an ending of alcohol. The last of the whites, ’07 Soleil Cabernet Sauvignon had just a ghost of golden color. A mostly sweet nose of red berries (think strawberry and raspberry) blended with a citrus body that ended as quickly as it began.

Heart’s dark ’05 Ghost Red comes from Paso Robles, a blend of Merlot, Malec, and Petite Syrah. An initial sugary sweet nose gives way to a deep red berry core with a strong liquor taste.

The Joie Rouge is an anniversary Cabernet Sauvignon aged in oak since 2002. Undoubtedly, the best of the entire tasting, its caramel nose follows through with a smooth full-bodied toast flavor.

Possibly because of the stark contrast between the Cabernet preceding it, I couldn’t stomach finishing the last of the wines, the ’06 Vivace Refosco, the 1^st Italian grape Wild Heart has bottled. The deep purple red of the wine delivered empty promises with a body tasting largely of equal parts grape juice and rubbing alcohol with a harsh burning end.  

After pouring out the remaining 06 Vivace, we were asked if we’d like to revisit anything which was kind considering the breakneck speed at which we (along with the rest of the room) were being served. We politely declined considering our major disappointment with most of the wines. Perhaps Wild Heart will have some potential in the future, but for now it seems that they’re rushing out a vastly unpolished product.

My tasting was: $8 with coupon(normally $10) for 7 wines including a logo glass

Wild Heart Winery

2933 C Grand Ave 

Los Olivos, CA 93441

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picture by tripleyew

On the west side of the street is a charming historical cottage that Daniel Gehrs Tasting Room calls home. Inside the “Heather Cottage” it was quite busy on a Sunday afternoon. I discovered about halfway through the tasting that the bartender was the informative and chipper Jennifer Gehrs. It’s always apparent when the person behind the counter has an interest in the product, whether they’re owner, winemaker, or just an involved employee. It makes the experience that much more enlightening and enjoyable.

At the time of my tasting, Daniel Gehrs had 7 wines on the tasting notes, although the Fireside Port was unavailable at that time. According to an employee, Gehrs purchases all of their grapes from growers mostly from Santa Barbara County.

Starting off the list was their ’05 Chardonnay, an unoaked wine with light fruit aromas and a touch of butter. The body was full of fresh tropical fruit and ended short and sweet.

The ’06 off-dry Riesling smelled slightly sweet with a citrusy fruit taste and a crisp finish. Jennifer Gehrs’ latest release of Vixen Vivant, a dry Syrah Rose had an interesting nose of cut roses and strawberries that carried through into the flavor as the Syrah really came through with a spicy finish.

We moved into the darker reds with a ’05 Zinfandel from Santa Ynez Valley which proved to be a favorite with its sweet berry aroma and a strong-bodied mouthful of fruit with a short finish. The dark amber colored ’05 Cabernet Sauvignon smelled mostly of crème brulee. The deep berry body had hints of nuts and an immediately sharp finish.

Finishing up with the 10 Year Tawny Port, I wish I had a piece of chocolate at the time. This rich amber colored wine had all the classic caramel flavors and surface sweetness expected.

I enjoyed my time at Daniel Gehrs from the intimate cozy bar to the attentive service. I probably would’ve enjoyed it more if some tipsy patrons weren’t using it as a singles meet-up service. I felt like Daniel Gehrs makes affordable middle-of-the-road wines that might be good for wine parties or gifts. They have potential, but it would’ve been a bigger favorite if the endings on a number of their selections had more staying power.

My tasting was: $7 for 7 wines including a logo glass

Daniel Gehrs Winery

2939 Grand Ave

Los Olivos, CA

http://www.dgwines.com/

Click here for a larger map

Venturing into the street-side Alexander & Wayne tasting room, I was handed the same 81/2 x 11 folded paper tasting notes in exacting font and style as Arthur Earl. The bartender confirmed that the 2 lines are produced by the same owner. This translates into sourced grapes from the central coast and production in their local facility in Buellton.

A & W doesn’t offer root beer, but 14 wines-3 white/rose, 8 dry red wines, and 3 dessert wines. They choose to focus on Burgundy and Bordeaux French wines and sweet wines.

Seeing how many red wines were available I spent the bulk of my options on those. Scarlet Nights, their sole dark Rosé from the central coast smelled mostly of strawberries and spice with short dry mouth feel and equally short finish. The dark ’05 Pinot Noir Lot One from Santa Rita Hills had aromas of strong oak and dark plum. A smooth complex red with deep berry flavors and a velvety soft palate made it a pleasurable favorite to drink.

The deep bright red ’05 Tempranillo from Blue Oak Vineyard in Paso Robles was almost as balanced with cherry flavors that moved into cinnamon spice with a slightly alcoholic finish. The ’04 Valley View Vineyard Cabernet Franc had a deep red color with oak and cherry aromas. This was a slightly spicy wine with a soft mouth feel and a smooth ending.

Another preferred wine was the ’04 Cabernet Sauvignon from the same vineyard with a sweet strawberry aroma and full bodied palate that hinted of toast with an abrupt finish.

Whatever the reason, I felt that while some of the Alexander & Wayne wines fell prey to the same alcoholic taste of their sister winery, there were a few full-bodied winners that made it plausible for a return visit. The bartending services here were short and sweet without additional information found already in the tasting notes.

My tasting was: $6 with a choice of 5 wines including a logo glass

Alexander & Wayne

2922 Grand Ave

Los Olivos, CA 93441

805-688-9665

http://www.alexanderandwayne.com/

Picture by littleREDelf

The Arthur Earl tasting room is located off Grand Ave almost hidden from view by its partner room Alexander & Wayne in front. There is very little to the space other than a large tasting room with square U-shaped bar. The room feels a bit dismal relying on overhead lighting to illuminate it.

At present, Arthur Earl offers 2 dry white wines, 9 dry red wines, and 1 dessert wine for tasting. Guests are given a choice of 5 of these wines. Their wines focus on mainly on Rhone Valley and Northern Italy varietals. Arthur Earl sources all of their grapes and produces at their winery.  

I started off with the 2006 Viognier from Vogelzang Vineyard which was similar to chardonnay. It had a very oaky aroma which was barely present as fresh fruit flavors swirled in my mouth. The ending was quite dry with a strong burn of alcohol.

Also from Vogelzang was the rosy peach ’05 Grenache smelling strongly of sugar with spice and ripe berries. Heavy tannins mixed with hints of cocoa gave way to a harsh finish. From the Stolpman Vineyard the dark, almost amber colored Nebbiolo emitted sugary sweet aromas. Once on the tongue, caramel and strawberry flavors washed down to a dry mouth feel and a short sharp ending.

Up to this point, all the wines I tried were grown in the Santa Ynez region. The next wine-a 2005 IL RE from Santa Barbara was a blend of 43% Barbera and 57% Nebbiolo. It had a light red color with a spicy aroma and a touch of sugar. The body tasted mainly of dark berries with light tannins and a short ending.

The last wine from the tasting, a deep red ’05 Zinfandel from Paso Robles, was my only favorite. The nose was made up of soft dark plum with sweet accents, a smooth full body, and a pleasant finish.

Overall, I wasn’t that impressed by the selections sampled. Arthur Earl does have 3 Syrahs on the menu that might be favorable to try. However, given the highly alcoholic taste of most of the wines I tasted, I’m not chomping at the bit for more. The bar-tending services were simple and almost stifled by the dull silence. Additional information beyond the tasting notes was hard to come by.

My tasting was $6 with a choice of 5 wines and a logo glass.

Arthur Earl

2922 Grand Ave

Los Olivos, CA 93441

http://www.arthurearl.com/

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At the entrance to Los Olivos’ Grand Ave wine row, Carhartt’s tiny tasting room welcomes visitors in with its charming rustic decor. A shady patio out back increases the holding capacity of the building somewhat. Inside, the room is little more than a master bedroom walk-in closet: barely enough space for 3-4 adults at the bar with their companions behind them taking up all walking space. It’s a comfortable and inviting wooden box of a room with no added merchandise for sale. Here, it’s just the bar, you and the wines. On my visit, this included being served by Mike Carhartt himself.

Picture by caribdis_77

Their current estate wines are Merlot and Syrah with a Rosé based off a blend of the two grapes. Vineyards have already been planted for Carhartt’s future offerings of estate-grown Grenache, Sauvignon Blanc, and Sangiovese wines. 

Although the Merlot and Syrah get the most attention, all of their wines were a treat. The ‘06 Savignon Blanc was easy to drink with a crisp fruit taste and sweetness on the tongue. A good combination of the estate Merlot and Syrah, the ‘07 Chase the Blues Away Rosé had a light berry taste with just a kick of spice and a strong lengthy finish. The ‘06 Pinot Noir from Rancho Santa Rosa came through with typical Santa Rita Hills style-an instant peppery spice and velvety mouth feel with a short finish. The nose was full of dark berries and fresh ginger. A ‘06 Sangiovese from Faith Vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley boldly portrayed tannins with a dry mouth feel and sharp zesty persistent ending after an initial dark ripened fruit and peppery nose.

In particular, the 2006 Zinfandel from Lockshaw Vineyard in Paso Robles struck my fancy with a bright berry and chocolate aroma and soft tannins that lead to a lingering fruitful finish. Carhartt’s ‘05 Estate Merlot lived up to the hype with a deep rich blackberry body supported with hints of spice and oak. The tannins in this robust wine left behind a thirsty mouth and a moderate ending. Finishing up the tasting with the ‘05 Estate Syrah, its fresh fruit and oak aromas left a lingering fresh taste after a mouthful of intense berry flavor and fiery earth.

I like the fact that Carhartt is a family owned and sustainable farmed vineyard which shows through in their excellent limited production wines. It’s a pleasure to converse with the winemakers themselves instead of a less knowledgeable (and less enthusiastic) part-time bartender. Considering the future holds more estate harvests for the family, I can only see the quality getting better.

My tasting was: $10, no glass included

Carhartt Vineyard Tasting Room

2990A Grand Avenue

Los Olivos CA 93441

Website: http://www.carharttvineyard.com/

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