Vintage Eve Circa 8/2018: And the Best of Show Goes To…?

February 23, 2021 by evebushman

By now you’ve (hopefully) read my two articles on judging the first annual Global Wine Awards; you may have even seen a third installment on the winners. But what you haven’t seen, or had your virtual taste of, is the wine the judges awarded a Gold, then a Double Gold, and then finally the Best of Show to: Martellotto 2016 Il Cappocia Riserva (Barrel Aged) from Happy Canyon, Santa Barbara.

So, I’m here to rectify that. I ordered a bottle for myself, just for a little R and D, and to give me a full opportunity to savor over. For good measure I thought it wise to try another red from the same winery and same AVA, the 2016 La Bomba Cabernet. So, without further adieu, here are the results:

2016 Martellotto Il Cappocia Riserva

(Barrel Aged)

Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec

Happy Canyon, Santa Barbara

Best in Show and 97 points at the Global Wine Awards

https://martellotto.com/products/2016-martellotto-riserva-il-capoccia-happy-canyon-of-santa-barbara

Color: Dark purple with some raisin-coloring on the edge.

Aroma: Crushed black cherry, blueberry, char, dark chocolate, cream, cigar, dried leaves and the tiniest whiff of menthol.

Flavor: Blue to black fruit, cracked black pepper, dark chocolate again, velvety at the start and then a great bite of spice and tannin, yet balanced and just as good as I remembered. Excellent blend of Bordeaux grapes.

Pairing: Cheese and charcuterie board was our dining choice for the evening but this would pair well with anything from a juicy steak, Bolognese pasta to chocolate crème Brûlée.

Conclusion: As I noted when I had my taste: just as good as I remembered and well deserving of the Best of Show award we gave it. I was really looking forward to trying the Cab next…

2016 Martellotto La Bomba Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Verdot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc.

Happy Canyon, Santa Barbara

Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition; Double Gold and Best of Show at the Central Coast Wine Competition.

https://martellotto.com/products/martellottocabernet

Color: Beautiful opaque blackberry.

Aroma: So, knowing that La Bomba translated is The Bomb I was looking forward to what I would find on the nose: a LOT of fresh and ripe blueberry, plum, green peppercorn, rich, spicy, coffee bean and no nose burn. The nose definitely called you in for the taste.

Flavor: bold red fruit followed by dark fruit in luscious layers and incredible balance, nice spicy qualities that lingered in the palate, both green and black pepper with the same velvety quality on the palate as the Il Cappocia Riserva.

Pairing: I had this with a bacon-wrapped filet mignon smothered in sweet onion and sautéed mushroom. Yea, that was pretty great. But I also imagined this with a robust charcuterie board filled with Mortadella with pistachio, chorizo and both hard and soft cheese.

Conclusion: I found both an unexpected flavor and balance – akin to a young Napa Cab – for a SBC Cabernet. Very well done. Makes me want to seek out Happy Canyon and the winery to learn more.

From the Winery

Martellotto Wines is the only winery in Santa Barbara County to be winning this many awards for Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux varietals, specifically from Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara.

The Rise of Santa Barbara Wines

As you know, this area is already well regarded for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay production (which I also make). However, were you aware that our region is also producing some outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux varietals? The TTB established the Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara AVA in 2009 given its distinctive climate in the far eastern part of the Santa Ynez Valley. This warmer climate is proving to be fertile ground for high quality Bordeaux varietals, especially since the diurnal temperature changes are so dramatic.

Today, a handful of producers are leading the way. I’m pleased to report Martellotto Winery is one of those wineries. In fact, Martellotto is one of the few wineries in California bottling varietally labeled wines of each of the five noble Bordeaux varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot.

Martellotto Winery

100 Los Padres Way #7

Buellton, CA 93427

(619) 567-9244

*Tastings Available by Appointment Only

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

MARGERUM WINE COMPANY ANNOUNCES NEW TASTING ROOM IN SANTA BARBARA’S FUNK ZONE

June 26, 2019 by evebushman

Santa Barbara, California; May 28, 2019 – Doug Margerum and the Margerum Wine Company announce the opening of their new tasting room at the Hotel Californian in Santa Barbara, California. The Margerum Wine Company tasting room offers distinctive flights and wines by the glass from their premium wines produced at their state-of-the-art Buellton winery.

Leading the Margerum Wine Company team is creator and namesake, Douglas Barden Margerum, a long term Santa Barbara resident who has been a fixture in the Santa Barbara food and wine scene for over 35 years. Rani Mclean oversees the tasting room as the Direct to Consumer Manager.

Enter the MARGERUM WINE COMPANY tasting room across from the entrance to the Hotel from Mason Street, near the corner of Helena Avenue, and discover a balanced mix of quintessential Santa Barbara Spanish Colonial architecture and a multi-faceted modern style. The interior was styled by designer Marni Blau Margerum and she describes it as “where modern farmhouse meets couture boutique”. Marni’s eclectic design style centers around an expansive bar made of a reclaimed and flattened oak barrel staves from the winery. The bar is the main focal point, anchoring the spacious and exquisitely finished interior to create a naturally defined room for wine tasting and socializing.

The oak stairs lead one past the hand-forged cast-iron railings to the stunning private room that sets the stage for an unforgettable wine tasting experience in Santa Barbara. The private tasting room accommodates up to 32 people for a seated event or 50 for a stand-up reception or custom wine-tasting menu. Crafty details and sky-high ceilings are accented by the crimson red velvet curtains on the mezzanine, providing a cozy lounge for wine club members and for larger groups with reservations. Private lunches or dinner parties are available for an exceptional wine and dining experience.

The beautiful outdoor patio boasts a spectacular vantage point for lounging, wine tasting and people-watching. The patio can also be transformed into a private space for exclusive events day or night, which can accommodate up to 24 guests for an alfresco experience at this quintessential Santa Barbara wine tasting venue.

The wines are produced from their Estate vineyard and from purchased top Santa Barbara County growers to create hand-crafted wines that are indicative of the region, showcasing individual characteristics and personality of each terroir. The scale of production is kept at a level where they can touch and know the wine as it is raised to the bottle. The standards of quality are measured by their own criteria (not by external sources) and they only make wines they personally enjoy – some to drink young; others for long aging in cool cellars for future generations to enjoy.

Margerum produces several different wine varietals, including Sybarite Sauvignon Blanc; UBER Syrah (a blend of Syrah grapes from Santa Barbara County’s best vineyards); Riviera Rosé (made primarily from Grenache grapes); the flagship Rhône Varietal Red Blend M5 (blended from Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault and Counoise grapes); the M5 White (blended from Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Marsanne, Viognier and Vermentino); and Amaro – a fortified wine made from Herbs (Sage, Thyme, Marjoram, Parsley, Lemon Verbena, Rosemary, and Mint), Barks, Roots, Dried Orange Peels, Barrel-Aged Brandy and Caramelized Simple Syrup. Currently, the Margerum Wine Company produces about 16,000 cases a year.

The Tasting Room will be its ever-changing menu featuring rare bottlings and excellent older vintages of Margerum Wines. For those seeking a more refined experience, the Margerum Wine Company offers customized Private Winemaker Tastings with Doug Margerum by appointment.

The Margerum Wine Company tasting room is open daily from 12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 12:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Friday/Saturday and by appointment.

ABOUT MARGERUM WINE COMPANY:

MARGERUM WINE COMPANY produces limited quantities of wines made from grapes grown both on their estate vineyard and grapes purchased from other top vineyards from in and around Santa Barbara County. The 18-acre estate vineyard is planted exclusively to Rhône grape varietals. The acreage is divided between limestone hillsides and gravelly alluvial flatlands along Alamo Pintado Creek. The wines are made at their state-of-the-art winery located on Industrial Way in Buellton. Owner and Director of Winemaking, Douglas Barden Margerum, works with the top vineyards from the cool, eastern end of the valley in Happy Canyon to the western end’s cold vineyards of Sta. Rita Hills. Doug carefully selects the vineyards with meticulous attention to detail in all factors influencing the ultimate quality of the wines, including pruning, soil, climate, and farming methods. MARGERUM WINE COMPANY is committed to creating hand-crafted wines using only the highest quality grapes in order to make wines that are indicative of the place where they are grown. They strive to make wines naturally, to make wines that have individual characteristics and to make wines with personality. The scale of production is kept at a level where they can touch and know the wine as it is raised to the bottle – the antithesis of mass production. The standards of quality are measured by their own rigid criteria – not by external sources. They make wines they personally enjoy – some to drink young, others for long aging in cool cellars for future generations to enjoy, but mostly to share at the table with family and friends.

ABOUT DOUG MARGERUM:

Doug’s multi-faceted background as the Sommelier/Owner of The Wine Cask, a Wine Spectator Grand Award restaurant recipient, and as a highly respected winemaker made him sought out by a variety of wineries to assist in the formation of their brands. Doug has consulted for Chêne Bleu super Rhône wines in France, and continues to consult for La Encantada Vineyards, Rancho Boa Vista and Happy Canyon Vineyards, all in Santa Barbara County, as well as the Santa Barbara wines of Paradise Springs Winery based in Virginia.

MARGERUM WINE COMPANY TASTING ROOM

19 Mason Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

805.845.8435

tastingroom@margerumwines.com

For more information the public can visit:

www.margerumwines.com

Follow MARGERUM WINE COMPANY:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/margerumwine

Twitter: @MargerumWine

Instagram: @margerumwine

For information on the Barden Wines visit:

www.bardenwines.com

Perlis Picks: Lunetta Dining

July 21, 2018 by Michael Perlis

It’s funny sometimes how things play out.

We were first exposed to Raphael Lunetta’s skills as a chef when Karen and I attended the Buick Discovery Tour at the Four Seasons Hotels in Westlake Village over five years ago.

At the time Chef Lunetta was helming his restaurant JiRaffe in Santa Monica. After meeting him at the Westlake Village event and trying his food, we vowed to make it in to his restaurant but sadly never did. Ultimately we heard that he had closed it after a very long run.

Then in 2017, we got word that he had opened Lunetta All Day in Santa Monica [in the space formerly occupied by Josie’s]. We had still not made it in to check it out when we received the invitation to the media tasting to introduce Lunetta Dining and The Moon Bar.

While Lunetta All Day is a fast-casual restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner [yes, all day], right next door Lunetta Dining and The Moon Bar [together known as Lunetta At Night] hit all the right notes of “elevated cuisine”, “handcrafted cocktails”, “local ingredients” and “farm to table”. These are not just buzzwords here; that is evident.

At the media tasting, we got to sample a number of tasty treats, including beef carpaccio, avocado gazpacho, wood-grilled maitake, crab cakes, loup de mer and rack of lamb.

Sample cocktails were served as well, although we focused on the wine. Sommelier and Beverage Director Kristine Bocchino has put together a great wine list from which we got to try the Picpoul from Forlorn Hope [Calaveras County], the Mourvedre Rose from Liquid Farm [Happy Canyon], the Brut Sparkling Chardonnay from Ferrari [Trentino. Italy] as well as the Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah blend from Perinet [Priorat, Spain]. But these just scratch the surface of this list that has a lot of gems on it at a variety of price points.

The media event exposed us to an amazing array of food and libations as well as to Lunetta’s great staff, but of course it was nothing like what a diner will experience upon going there. Karen and I enjoyed the food soooo much that we followed up with a dinner – Saturday nights are especially great for getting out of the Santa Clarita Valley and seeing what the rest of the LA area has to offer.

We shared the grilled nectarines [with manchego and prosciutto] and the wood-grilled Spanish octopus. Karen ordered the New Zealand John Dory. I couldn’t pass up the rack of lamb special.

Preparation and service were superb. This was one of the best meals I’ve had in a long time. Everything was delicious. Hard to pick highlights but here are a few: The nectarines and prosciutto were both generous portions and neither ingredient overshadowed the other. And the octopus – I consider myself somewhat of an octopus aficionado and this was possibly the best I have ever had; extremely tender but not mushy at all, great flavor without being overtly charred. The rack was amazing, again one of the best representations that I have had of that classic as well.

The open kitchen is a nice touch. Not obtrusive but there if you wanted to watch Chef Lunetta and his team in action, or even better – snag a seat at the Chef’s Counter. Somehow, the chef managed to spend time in the dining room as well, making his guests feel welcome. This place is definitely in our rotation; it should be in yours as well.

Lunetta Dining & The Moon Bar

2424 Pico Boulevard

Santa Monica, CA 90405

310.581.9888

www.LunettaSM.com

Michael Perlis has been pursuing his passion for wine for more than 25 years. He has had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show him the way, as well as a wonderful wife who encourages him and shares his interest. After a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting wineries and vineyards, and tasting as much wine as he possibly could, he had the amazing luck to meet Eve Bushman. Now, as Contributing Editor for Eve’s Wine 101, he does his best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers. Michael is also Vice President of Eve Bushman Consulting (fka Eve’s Wine 101 Consulting) http://evebushmanconsulting.com/ and President of MCP Financial. Michael can be contacted at michaelthezinfan@aol.com or michael@evebushmanconsulting.com.

Santa Barbara Road Trip Los Angeles: Rhone Varieties

June 3, 2016 by evebushman

Home to the only transverse mountain range in North America, the Santa Barbara County Appellation is made up of diverse regions and six AVAs – Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Maria Valley, Sta Rita Hills, Ballard Canyon, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara and Los Olivos District. The region is also home to an unrivaled growing season with coastal influences, where pinot noir, chardonnay, syrah, grenache, roussanne, marsanne, viognier, sauvignon blanc, merlot, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon and more thrive. (From the organizer, PleaseThePalate.com)

Eve and Michael Larner of Larner Vineyard and Winery.

As I’ve said before and will say again: One of the best ways for wine 101ers to learn about wine is to do a comparative tasting of the same grape or region. This time it was wine only from the Santa Barbara AVA, and to narrow it down further, I only did the Rhone portion of the tasting that included Viognier, Marsanne, Roussane, Counoise, Petite Sirah, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre (the last three often blended together and referred to as a GSM).

Wine 101 note: Rhone wines traditionally come from Rhone, France, where only certain varietals are allowed to be grown and turned into wine. Of course someone living in the Rhone valley could plant a grape that isn’t considered the best for the terroir (soil, climate, etc.) but they wouldn’t be allowed to sell it commercially.

Now, back to this stateside tasting. A few fun photos can be seen here of my afternoon at LA’s Republique restaurant tasting all things Rhone from Santa Barbara County. And my favorites of the day are listed below in bold, however, I didn’t make it to every table.

Participating Santa Barbara County Wineries

Andrew Murray

Beckmen 2013 Syrah, Purisima Mountain Vineyard, Ballard Canyon AVA blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and a bit of Counoise.

Bien Nacido 2012 Estate Syrah, Santa Maria Valley.

Casa Dumetz with the lovely-as-always winemaker Sonja Magdevski pouring at least two that I thought were very pretty: 2014 Grenache, Santa Ynez Valley and 2014 GSM, Santa Ynez Valley.

Central Coast Group Project (CCGP) Really big: 2012 “Names” Syrah, White Hawk Vineyard, Santa Barbara County. And on the huge scale: 2012 “Barrington Hall Wine Dinner Special Cuvee” (so named after wine dinners Scott Sampler attended in college) GSM, Santa Barbara.

Fess Parker

Imagine

Jaffurs

Larner 2014 Estate Viognier was a wonderful mix of refreshing fruit and vibrant floral, and my fave white of the day. Followed that up with Michael Larner’s 2011 Estate Syrah, Ballard Canyon.

Margerum 2015 Riviera Rose, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara County was my fave Rose of the day. But I didn’t stop there, I also enjoyed Doug Margerum’s 2013 Grenache, Santa Barbara County; 2013 Syrah “UBER”, Santa Barbara County; 2014 M5 Rhone blend of GSM, Counoise and Cinsault, Santa Barbara County.

Qupe

Saarloos & Sons

SAMsARA

Sanger Family, pouring their Consilience label, shared at least three wine I thought were great: 2013 Syrah, Santa Barbara County; 2013 Viognier, Santa Barbara County; 2013 Grenache Blanc, Santa Barbara County.

Stolpman, poured by Jessica Stolpman, had a perfect line-up – as I had tasted them all recently. But I still enjoyed tasting them all again, including the 2013 L’Avion, blend of Roussanne and Chardonnay, Ballard Canyon and the 2014 Grenache, Ballard Canyon.

Tercero was my first stop as winemaker Larry Schaffer was free when I walked in. Another I had tasted recently, it didn’t stop me from enjoying (again) his 2015 Mourvedre Rose, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara; 2014 Verbiage Blanc blend of Roussanne, Viognier and Grenache Blanc, Santa Barbara County; and a lovely Verbiage Rouge red blend.

William James

Zaca Mesa is an old favorite I used to love to visit and I was not only happy to revisit, but to discover two new wines to enjoy: 2012 Z Blanc, Santa Ynez Valley and 2011 Mesa Reserve Syrah, Santa Ynez Valley.

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com

Vintners 5 Miler in Santa Barbara Wine Country on July 25

June 20, 2015 by evebushman

VINTNERS 5 MILER
Sanford Winery
Saturday, July 25, 2015

The inaugural Vintners 5 Miler presented by the Santa Barbara Vintners Foundation is a unique trail run through the vineyards of Sanford Winery in the beautiful Santa Rita Hills. Along with the run, a family-friendly Finish Line Festival welcomes everyone of all ages to celebrate the coming harvest from Santa Barbara’s 5 AVA wine regions. Enjoy regional food, music from Dave Courtenay and the Castawaves, a kids fun zone and of course plenty of wine tasting! Proceeds of the event support the Vintners Foundation programming.

Register now > https://www.athletepath.com/santa-barbara-vintners-5-miler/2015-07-25

THE VINTNERS 5MILER RUN

The inaugural Vintners 5 Miler is Saturday, July 25, 2015 with the run beginning at 10am.

The Vintners 5 Miler is a unique trail race starting at the Sanford Winery Tasting Room parking lot, proceeding for 1.75 miles around the relatively flat lima bean field. Just before the 2-mile mark runners will head for the hills with 350 feet of elevation and be rewarded with one of the best views in the valley from the Sanford & Benedict estate. The final 2 miles, as runners head back to the finish line adjacent to the Sanford Winery Tasting Room, is primarily downhill with some light rolling hills.

Each mile will represent one of the five Santa Barbara County American Viticultural Areas (AVA):

Ballard Canyon
Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara
Santa Maria Valley
Sta. Rita Hills
Santa Ynez Valley

The course is open to all abilities with no-minimum finishing time requirements. Walkers are welcome.

Registration & Reward

You can register for the Vintners 5 Miler at Athletepath by clicking or copying the following link: https://www.athletepath.com/santa-barbara-vintners-5-miler/2015-07-25

Limited entries, so reserve your spot today!

With every registration, runners will receive unique inaugural event rewards:

Commemorative wine-stopper medal
Exclusive finisher t-shirts
Wine tasting complimentary for 21+ from Santa Barbara Vintners participating wineries
Regional food and beverages
Music by local artists David Courtenay and The Castawaves
Only registered run participants can invite & purchase “Festival Only”tickets for friends & family

Registration Pricing Schedule

Registration Type5 Mile Race (Wine Club)
5 Mile Race (Public)
Festival Only*
Kids Fun Zone (13 & under)

Before May 31$45
$55
$30
FREE

Before July 23$55
$65
$40
FREE

Race Day$65
$75
$50
FREE

Race Day

Packet pick-up will be available on Friday, July 24 at the Santa Barbara Running Co. in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone on 110 Anacapa St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Registered participants can enjoy 10% off everything in the store on July 24. Packet pick-up as well as race day registration will be available beginning at 8:00am on Saturday, July 25 at Sanford Winery.

The Festival

The Vintners 5 Miler post-race Festival is a family-friendly event not only celebrating the accomplishments of all the runners, but the incredible wine, food & music that Santa Barbara County offers.

Festival highlights will include:

Wine tasting from Santa Barbara Vintners members
Regional food from Santa Barbara County purveyors
A kids’ fun zone
Local music provided by David Courtnenay & The Castawaves

Awards

Prizes will be awarded in the following timed categories:

Overall Male & Female Winners
Silver & Bronze Medal Finishers, Male & Female
Golf, Silver & Bronze for Male & Female age groups: 19 & under, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-plus

Santa Barbara County Wine Club Competition

Member of a Wine Club? Awesome! During the registration process sign-up with your Wine Club for a $10 discount and a chance to represent the winning club in the following first two categories:

Most participants
Best average finishing time
Awesome Wine Club costumes

The Vintners

The Vintners 5 Miler was conceived by Sanford Winery’s Winemaker & General Manager, Steve Fennell. An avid runner, Steve dreamed of hosting a community inspired race in the beautiful Sta. Rita Hills. As a member of the Vintners Foundation Board, the idea was put in motion to host a unique event to benefit the Foundation and the local communities in which it serves.

Participating Wineries will be updated on a regular basis (alphabetical order):

Sanford Winery