After a five and a half hour flight from Washington Dulles and a two-hour drive from LAX to Santa Barbara, we were ready for some wine and winery visits. What will we find as we explore the wine regions and wineries of Santa Barbara County? What will the weather reveal? Will we like the wines? Would I source grapes from a vineyard in Santa Barbara County to make wine back in Maryland?

Jaffurs Wine Cellars in Santa Barbara focuses on Rhone varietal grapes.

I have some first impressions that shed light on some of these inquiries. Santa Barbara has several micro-climate areas. As a result they can grow a wine range of wine grapes. In our three visits yesterday, one winery focuses on Rhone varieties, another focuses on Bordeaux varieties while the third focuses on Burgundy varietal grapes. That is a diverse spread of varieties requiring different terroirs.

All our visits were in the city of Santa Barbara. Our first visit was to Jaffurs Wine Cellars. Craig Jaffurs and his wife built the winery building. Barrels were in two rooms, many being steamed and washed for future use. The tasting room was a small counter in a barrel/tank room. Visitors will certainly get the sense that this is a winery. Craig focuses on the Rhone varieties. We tasted a Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Grenache, Syrah and Petite Sirah. All the wines were impressive. Jaffurs specializes with the Syrah making seven different Syrah wines.

Grassini Tasting Room is in Santa Barbara. The focus is on Bordeaux grape varieties.

Our next stop was the Grassini tasting room. The attractive homey tasting room sets a wonderful ambiance to taste Grassini wines that have a focus on Bordeaux varieties. We tasted two Sauvignon Blancs both with a tropical fruit profile and a very fruity Cabernet Sauvignon that was delicious. We also tasted a Bordeaux blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. The Cabernet Sauvignon and the blend were both over 15% alcohol. Neither wine had any tell-tale alcohol burn. The Cabernet Sauvignon was made with grapes that I would enjoy making a Cab with.

Au Bon Climat Tasting Room, also in Santa Barbara focuses on Burgundy varietal grapes.

Our last stop was next door. At Au Bon Climat we learned that the owner/winemaker, Jim Clendenen, has a sense of humor. Every wine name has a story and touch of humor. Jim makes wines with Burgundy grapes. We tasted a Chardonnay, several Pinot Noirs and blends of Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris. Two of the white wines had a subtle hint of tannins. I enjoy tannins especially in white wines. Large maps show where the winery sources the fruit, including their estate vineyard.

After our first day in Santa Barbara County we learned of the vast number of microclimates that focus on a number of different grape varieties. If you have not visited the county, consider a wine journey to Santa Barbara.

Cheers,
Terry