Bites and Bolts

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.

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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/