View As PDF - Wine Country This Week

SANTA MARIAW I N E CO U N T RY T H I S W E E KSANTA MARIA WINE COUNTRY - The Hidden Jewel of Santa Barbara CountyWith a New Year under way, everyoneis busy making resolutions, and figuringout how to reach their goals. Here’s aneasy resolution to realize: explore somethingnew with a visit to Santa MariaValley Wine Country. Over the years thelandscape of the Santa Maria Valley hassteadily evolved, offering one of the mostunique Wine Country experiences on theCentral Coast, with an inviting, authenticgrower-producer atmosphere whereyou’re likely to meet the winemaker in the tasting room.The region encompasses more than 50 wineries, with an idealsetting for Rhône and Burgundian varietals. Proximity to the coast, anaverage temperature around 64 degrees, surrounding mountainranges and cool winds out of the northwest come together where theSanta Maria River winds through a myriad of elevated plateaus. SantaMaria Valley is the only region on the west coasts of North and SouthAmerica where two transverse mountain ranges are located, creating aunique funnel effect, pushing breezes into the valley. In fact, this oneof-a-kindlandscape makes Santa Maria home to one of the mostconstant temperatures of any city in California.And the wines – Kenneth Volk, Cambria, Foxen and RanchoSisquoc are among the set (for a complete listing of Santa Maria tastingrooms, please see the back section of this magazine). Volk, is perhapsbest known as the founder of Wild Horse Winery in the Paso RoblesAVA, and has worked with fruit from throughout the Central Coast,and earning a reputation for crafting world-class wines, particularlyPinot Noir and Chardonnay, and he is proud to call Santa Maria Valleyhis enological home.This esteemed coastal appellation has grown steadily, albeit slowlyover the years. The pace of growth is intentional; the winegrowingcommunity of Santa Maria Valley is protective of its history, characterand potential. Though some are larger in scope than others, all thevalley’s tasting rooms offer an intimate atmosphere for enjoying thefruits of their labor. The newest among them is Riverbench, havingopened its doors in April of this year.Wine tasters looking for a bite to eat on the wine trail can pick upa sandwich, snack or local gourmet food at the Garey Store and Deli,located on Foxen Canyon Road in the small town of Garey.To the west, the town of Santa Maria is full of surprises, with abroad range of top level accommodations and historic boutique hotelexperiences waiting to be discovered. And as with any top wineregion, Santa Maria Valley Wine Country is home to a growingcommunity of top chefs, each with a unique flavor.Chef Rick Manson of the eponymous Chef Rick’s Ultimately FineFood restaurant in Santa Maria was recognized in 2007 as the CentralCoast Wine Classic’s “Wine Classic Culinary Honoree.” His predecessorsinclude Gary Danko (chef/owner of Gary Danko, San Francisco),Jacques Pepin (French-born American chef and popular author and30television host) and Madeline Kamman(award-winning author, chef and televisionpersonality). His colleagues in the valleyinclude Martin & Debi Testa, caterers to manywineries in the valley, as well as throughoutother Central Coast wine regions. The Testasalso operate the always-hopping, top-notchTesta’s Bistro in the heart of Santa Maria. Witha scalable, family operation, the Testas offer arange that encompasses gourmet eventservice and simple platters and picnics to takeon the road for enjoyment during a day of tasting.For Santa Maria Style BBQ, the Hitching Post in Casmalia and theFar Western and Tavern in Guadalupe are also popular favorites forWine Country palates.While many choose to stay in surrounding areas, Santa Maria offersfull service accommodations within the valley, including wine touringpackages through many of its hotels. Guests can save on travel time(and expense), and maximize their time in the vineyards and tastingrooms, exploring the quietly burgeoning Santa Maria Valley WineCountry. For details, visit www.santamariavalleywinecountry.com.www.winecountrythisweek.com11351McKeon-PhilipsSKYWAYAddamoVineyardsOrcuttTo San Luis Obispo(32 miles, see page 28)BLOSSER• Radisson Santa MariaCLARKLos AlamosMAINBROADWAY101STOWELLBETTERAVIATELEPHONEBedfordThompsonToLompoc(18 miles, see page 32)/Solvang (34 miles, see page 32)COSTA DE ORODOMINIONCottonwoodCanyonSANTA MARIA MESA RDRiver BenchVineyardsFOXEN CANYON RDALISOS CANYONCambriaSTAZACA135Santa MariaKENNETHVOLKVINEYARDSTEPUSQUETByronRancho SisquocFoxen VineyardsCurtisFirestoneTres HermanasZaca MesaFess ParkerKoehlerFOXENCANYON RD