Eve Has Seven Questions for Barry Goldfarb, the New Owner Agua Dulce Winery (And two events too!)

Barry Goldfarb is a busy man, not unlike other winery owners.  He lives in Bel Air and yet travels to his winery, Oreana, in both the Santa Barbara and Paso Robles locations, and Agua Dulce Winery every week.  Who is Barry Goldfarb?  Let’s ask…

EB: Since you took ownership of Agua Dulce Vineyards, now known as Agua Dulce Winery, what can visitors expect to find that is the same?  What will they find that is different?

BG: What is the same is the wine. I have been aware of Agua Dulce Wine for years and always believed they made fantastic wine, even world class. For the past twenty years we have run successful wineries with award winning wines and few exhibit the flavor characteristics and taste profiles of many of the Agua Dulce varietals. What is different and evolving is everything else. We have made big capital investments in our cellar, including equipment and oak barrel inventory.  The physical transformation from day one has been remarkable. The entire 90-acre ranch is more user friendly.  The grounds have been updated with a spectacular gazebo and outdoor patio seating and picnic areas. We have also updated much of the irrigation system to insure a continuation of the growth of the exceptional grapes we grow in our Sierra Pelona Appellation.

EB: Tell the people of the Santa Clarita Valley who Barry Goldfarb is.

BG: Outside of the Army and college I have never lived outside of Los Angeles. I am a businessman who sold his start up company twenty years ago and followed his passion for wine. I am a father of two and a husband of 30 years.

EB: Why wine?

BG: As a child wine was always associated with joy, life, friends and family. For the past twenty years everyday of my life has been filled with joy, family and friends.  I am truly blessed.

EB: What is your vision for the future of Agua Dulce Winery wines.

BG: Our focus every single day is on the wine. The opportunity exists to make world-class wine consistently. We preside in the Sierra Pelona Valley Appellation. It is an area with the perfect combination of climate and soil to grow exceptional grapes.  A state of the art cellar filled with 1500 oak barrels from Hungary, France and the United States allow us to age each varietal specifically. Our vision is to bring wine enthusiasts from around the world and enjoy extraordinary wine.

EB: Wine Blending parties?  Hosting meet-up groups?  Car shows?  A gazebo and outdoor entertaining venue  The starting place for the future Santa Clarita Valley Wine Trail?   That’s the news we’ve been hearing.  It sounds like Agua Dulce Winery isn’t just under new ownership, it seems like you are the city’s latest venue for events too?  Please explain.

BG: What can I say, we throw a helluva party.  In the past two plus years we have added over 2000 new wine club members. They are a group of wonderful and fun people who have inspired us to give them incredible experiences each week at the winery; from our Barbeque Rib Cook Off to our Winemaker Dinners. Mothers Day where all moms drink free to our Fathers Day of Weenies and Wine. Positive word of mouth entices different groups form all over Los Angeles County to inquire about the use of our facilities and events of all kinds are born. We can accommodate everyone and give them a memorable day.  We truly are “Napa, Only 6 hours closer.”

Agua Dulce Winery is a 90 acre fully operational winery and vineyard located just 45 minutes north of Downtown Los Angeles and is recognized as Los Angeles County’s leading fine wine grower and producer.

EB: You know wine, in fact you have multiple wine labels, how does Agua Dulce fit into your wine portfolio and what is your business model for ADW?

GB: Outside of Agua Dulce Winery we currently wholesale close to 200,000 cases of wine to retail outlets across the country. Our model here is different. Agua Dulce Winery is a “Local Winery”, a local destination for wine lovers everywhere. We are Los Angeles County’s largest winery and wine producer.

EB: On a Google search of your name your Commencement Speech at Chapman University during the Global Entrepreneurship Week of 2008 came up.  Give us a tip on how to make a winery succeed…in a wine/nut shell.

GB: Great wine, hardworking dedicated people and a commitment to excellence.

(Excerpted from Chapman University, where Goldfarb sits on the Board of Trustees: Barry Goldfarb is an entrepreneur with eclectic interests. He currently owns and operates three successful wineries in California, Oreana Winery in Paso Robles and Santa Barbara, Agua Dulce Winery, in Agua Dulce. He serves as a member of Chapman University’s Board of Trustees and is a director of The Brandman Foundation, which is involved with charities around the world including Chapman University and Brandman University.)

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On another note, want to join Eve for a wine blending class at Agua Dulce Winery?  See below:

Agua Dulce Winery is pleased to announce a new event, “Blending Basics – Winemaking 101”, on Saturday, March 23 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. The event is sponsored by Eve Bushman of Eve’s Wine 101.

Back by popular demand, the wine blending class is open to non-members. Guests begin as novice winemakers after learning a brief history on blending and then they are handed carafes of wine, test tubes for measuring and given free rein to experiment with classic blends. After two hours of ‘taste testing’ the graduating class of winemakers create their own label for their first vintage and can take their bottle home.

Bushman added, “All I know is after years of writing about wine events, this is the first blending class I’ve been to – so I’m inviting my Facebook friends, twitter pals and Wine 101 readers to join me! It’s surely to be a fun, and messy time!”

The $59 per person charge includes the class, the tasting, a custom label, a take home bottle – and a light cheese platter. Advance reservations required, limited seating. To learn more about this event, read Genesis Moss’s coverage of a class she attended last year: http://www.genesismoss.com/blog/wine-class-agua-dulce-vineyards/
Call for reservations. 661-268-7402! http://www.aguadulcewinery.com/

 

Or “Cars and Coffee”

Classic Car Sundays Announced at Agua Dulce Winery

Starting Sunday, March 24th, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Showcase your Classic Car and Receive 2 for 1 Wine Tastings!

The new owners at Agua Dulce Winery wanted to share their expansive grounds by starting “Classic Car Sundays” beginning on March 24 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Bring your classic car, find a spot to show it off near their new large gazebo and then enjoy two for one wine tastings –  a $7 dollar value – while enjoying a picnic lunch from items you can purchase from their tasting room delicatessen if you like, then have some coffee and relax while watching the cars.  Families welcome, no reservations are needed, no fees to participate and no rules about just how classic your car has to be.  9640 Sierra Highway, Agua Dulce, CA, 91390, 661-268-7402  www.aguadulcewinery.com

2 thoughts on “Eve Has Seven Questions for Barry Goldfarb, the New Owner Agua Dulce Winery (And two events too!)

  1. Im so glad there is new ownership at the winery. The previous owner notoriously double, triple and worse charged my credit card in the wine club. over and over to meet their own operating budget. I hate to use the word crooks but that was the impression. I haven’t been there in the last five years because of it. Maybe I’ll stop by and try again…

    1. At the time that this happened I spoke to the owners about it John. It didn’t make any sense that it was purposeful, IMO, as it was apparent on everyone’s credit card bills. There isn’t anything that did for them but bring in bad press and negativity. But, your opinion is definitely with the majority.

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