Santa Barbara Winemakers.
2009 Review. December 2009/January 2010
(The Janus Edition)

Featured video.
Bottling Colson Canyon syrah
Something a little hypnotic to let the New Year in.

The weather in 2009 was unusual and will prove to be a remarkable vintage. The "rainy season" back in March/April was much warmer than normal, t-shirt weather rather than jacket weather saw a lot of lush almost tropical cover crop growth, definitely more so than witnessed over the last 10 years. Rain happened in June, again unusual. Then more rain during the late September harvest. We also saw a bit of a fruit glut, higher yields than 2008 for sure, this lead to a decrease in the price of a ton, with a lot of choice available to winemakers who had the space to process more fruit, but not good for farmers looking to see some reward. In some cases pinot was down to $1,000 a ton and even less in some vineyards.
The harvest itself was longer, almost 3 months compared to just over a month in 2008.
With costs rising we haven't seen many new up and coming winemakers compared to previous years but we also haven't lost anyone either. A few changes have happened such as Foxen opening their new facility and tasting room, Terravant proving their niche custom crush facility provided a much needed home to winemakers who want to stay true to their local roots. Top American chef Bradley Ogden opening his restaurant Root 246 in Solvang and showcasing local wines added to the quality dining experience along with Petros opening in Fess Parkers Wine Country Spa in Los Olivos. Also in Los Olivos, Qupe finally opened their first tasting room and Stolpman moved from Solvang to Los Olivos.
More than anything else, the main change in wine country is the newest and the worlds' smallest appellation was awarded to Happy Canyon, thanks to the genius of Wes Hagen from Clos Pepe who shepherded the Sta. Rita Hills designation, Happy Canyon is recognised for its potential for Bordeaux-style grapes.
Grenache is on its way up too, more vines are getting planted and grafted to grenache and the buzz for grenache is constantly building up. We are going to be hearing more about the "Ballard Corridor" which stretches from the Larner vineyard in the south to Colson in the north, a line drawn dead center of the county and the Rhone-style fruit from this line is stunning. Keep up the interest in Chateauneuf du pape styles and we are likely to see syrah and grenache taking the lead in the county. The list of wineries/winemakers and growers within this "Ballard Corridor" region are a tours de force. Those of you familiar with the Rhone-styles in Santa Ynez are going to be rewarded with some incredible wines in the upcoming vintages of '07/'08 and '09 releases.
2010 is likely to be a difficult growing season, the forecast is for a wet year.
The keyword in 2010 will be Biodynamics, the naysayers have done a grand job of raising the awareness of biodynamic farming and now the interest level is rising. Sustainable farming is also helping the biodynamic cause and the visitors to wine country are voting with their wallets. I know this bit of info is going to raise some hackles, but this is the Janus edition where we look to the past to see the future and a little anthroposophy never hurt anyone, least of all the vines and that is where it matters the most.

The wines tasted were outstanding and the quality gets better year in year out. Rather than choose a list of wines for a top ten I have gone for a future prediction for 2010 instead. Two whites, two roses and two reds.
Whites in 2010 to look for:
Star Lane - sauvignon blanc
Carhartt - grenache blanc

Roses for 2010
Demetria - rose
Dragonette - rose

Reds for 2010
Foxen - Seasmoke vineyard pinot noir
Tensley - Colson Canyon syrah


I hope I have given you enough to think about over the next vintage, the Happy Canyon appellation will be appearing on labels next year, the "Ballard Corridor" the new buzzword for Rhone fans and Biodynamic farming practices will add a new dimension to tastings on fruit and flower days.

Cheers


Santa Barbara Wine

Search Engine Results that lead to Santa Barbara Winemakers:

accomodation
babcock
barbara
bed and breakfast
bourdeaux
cafe
california
california wine country
california wines
chardonnay
chimere
corporate
cottonwood canyon
country
creating your own wine tasting party
culinary vacation
current events
deluxe travel
destination
education
educational
enology
events
fess parker
firestone
food
food and wine pairings
food and wine tours
foxen canyon wine trail
getaway
gifts
gourmet
gourmet vacations
guided wine tours
hotel
hotels
lincourt
living
lodging
los
los olivos
movie
napa
napa valley
olivos
online
private
real estate
restuarants
rhone-style wines
rideau
santa
santa babara
santa barbara
santa barbara wine country
santa barbara wine tasting
santa barbara wine tours
santa barbara wineries
santa barbara wines
santa rita hills wine appellation
santa ynez
santa ynez valley wine trail
sideways
solvang wineries
southern california wineries
spa
syrah
tasting tips
things to do
tour wine country
tours
travel
vineyards
weekend getaway
wine
wine country
wine information
wine tasting
wine tasting event
wine tasting tours
wine tours
wine trail
winecountry.com
wineries
wineries of santa barbara
winery
wines