The Santa Barbara Vintners Foundation has sponsored the 34th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival, currently underway in downtown Santa Barbara.
Wines for the nightly Filmmakers’ Happy Hours and post-tribute Studio Parties were provided by the winemaking members of the Vintners, among them Au Bon Climat, Brander Vineyard, Brewer-Clifton, Brick Barn Wine Estate, Cambria Estate Vineyards, Folded Hills, Hitching Post Wines, Mail Road Wines, Margerum Wine Company, Nielson, Pence Vineyards & Winery and Temperance Cellars.
“This is the second year the Vintners Foundation has sponsored SBIFF, and we are proud to continue our support for this showcase for filmmaking and the community education programs that SBIFF organizes throughout the year for local students,” said Katy Rogers, president of the Vintners Foundation.
WOPN returns to Ritz-Carlton Bacara March 1
The 18th annual World of Pinot Noir will once again take place at the seaside Ritz-Carlton Bacara in western Goleta, bringing together chefs, sommeliers and winemakers from around the world.
This year’s event on March 1-2 will feature more than 250 wineries, pairing dinners, parties and expert-led seminars, including “Exploring the New World of Pinot Noir,” led by Elaine Chukan Brown, the American specialist for https://www.jancisrobinson.com/ and a contributing writer for Wine & Spirits magazine, as well as “Tasting the Signature Styles of Burgundy” with David Glancy, master sommelier and founder of the San Francisco Wine School.
Matt Kettmann, senior editor at the Santa Barbara Independent and contributing editor at Wine Enthusiast, will host a dozen prominent winemakers during the Stars of the Central Coast Dinner.
Returning this year will be the Opening Night Party, and on March 2, the second-annual Rosé Lawn Party on the bluff presented by United Airlines
WOPN, a nonprofit trade organization, was established in 2001 by a group of winemakers from California’s Central Coast. The group’s mission is to bring together the world’s foremost pinot noir producers, and in a gorgeous setting, celebrate the delicious wine grape.
San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles wine associations name new directors
Both the San Luis Obispo Wine Country Association (SLO Wine) and the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance have hired new executive directors.
In San Luis Obispo, Anne Steinhauer was named to lead that organization.
“The search committee and the board are very excited about Anne joining us,” said SLO Wine’s board President June McIvor of Tolosa Winery. “Her insights, experience, and fresh approach have truly inspired us.”
Steinhauer comes to SLO Wine from Napa Valley, where she ran 6539 Consulting. In that capacity, she was the consulting executive director of the Napa Valley Cannabis Association.
She previously conducted community relations for the Napa Open Space District and was the interim executive director for the Napa Valley Coalition of Nonprofit Agencies.
Steinhauer also brings personal affinities to the position.
“I have always loved the SLO Coast region,” she said. “My father farmed vineyards in San Luis Obispo County, and I still have family here. I’m thrilled to bring my love of agriculture and wine to this amazing area.”
In Paso Robles, Joel Peterson brings nearly 15 years of marketing experience in the beverage industry to the 501(c)(6) member-based association dedicated to the promotion of the Paso Robles American Viticultural Area.
Peterson worked on film and television projects in Los Angeles before following his passion for wine to Paso Robles, where he has family roots.
Beginning in 2001, Peterson worked harvest for several wineries, including JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery and L’Aventure. In 2005, he joined Hope Family Wines, eventually serving as director of communications, overseeing multiple brands and traveling extensively representing the company.
In 2013, Peterson joined Solterra Strategies, a marketing and public relations agency that specializes in serving wineries and wine organizations including the World of Pinot Noir and the Rhône Rangers.
In 2017, he hopped from wine to beer, joining Firestone Walker Brewing Company as marketing manager.
“I am so excited to join the Alliance team,” Peterson said. “I moved to Paso Robles over 15 years ago to be part of the wine community, and this leadership role feels like the perfect place to be. We’re going continue to highlight and drive the message of Paso Wine.”
Local wines break record at festival auction
The Miller Family and Thornhill Wine Company were first-time participants in the live wine auction at the Naples Winter Wine Festival, where their Bien Nacido and Solomon Hills Estate wines’ auction lot sold for $220,000 — a record high amount for a new participant.
The Thornhill Companies offered an exclusive lot that would allow the auction winners a chance to discover Santa Barbara County and the Santa Maria Valley AVA in particular — home to the Bien Nacido Estate and the Miller Family’s second winegrowing venture, Solomon Hills.
The “Central California Dreamin’ Lot” included 3-liter bottles of Bien Nacido and Solomon Hills wines, plus a private vertical tasting and tour of the properties with winemaker Trey Fletcher and vineyard manager Chris Hammell, a four-course meal and wine pairings with owner Nicholas Miller and Estates Ambassador and Master Sommelier Will Costello, and several nights’ accommodations at the Bien Nacido Estate and The Ritz-Carlton Bacara.
The Central California Dreamin’ Lot went for an outstanding $110,000, but the winning couple asked for that amount to be doubled, resulting in the Bien Nacido and Solomon Hills Estate Lot selling for an unprecedented, record-breaking $220,000.
The Naples Winter Wine Festival, which took place at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort Jan. 26 in Florida, benefits The Naples Children & Education Foundation, which has raised more than $191 million for children in need in Collier County.
The Thornhill Companies includes the Bien Nacido and Solomon Hills Estates and Miller Family Wine Company, which includes the management of French Camp Vineyard in Paso Robles, national wine brands including J. Wilkes, Ballard Lane, Barrel Burner and Smashberry, and the regional winery facilities of Central Coast Wine Services and Paso Robles Wine Services.
Firestone Walker co-ferments beer with grapes
Firestone Walker has released cans of Rosalie, a one-of-a-kind beer co-fermented with local Paso Robles wine grapes.
“We wanted to create a super-drinkable beer that captures the best qualities of a rosé wine, but at less than half the ABV (5 percent),” said Brewmaster Matt Brynildson. “The result is what we are calling the rosé lover’s beer.”
Drafts of Rosalie, a year-round release, will be available come April, according to a news release.
The journey of Rosalie officially began last September, when nearby Castoro Winery harvested 200 tons of wine grapes for Firestone Walker, including 100 tons of chardonnay and smaller lots of viognier, sauvignon blanc, riesling, muscat canelli and orange muscat.
“The chardonnay provides these crowd-pleasing textures and flavors,” Brynildson said. “But we also wanted to weave in the other grape varieties to lift the aromas and add complexity.”
After the grapes were pressed, the juice was delivered to the brewery and ready for co-fermentation. Rosalie then required intensive brewing experimentation to achieve the perfect balance of flavor, acidity, dryness and shelf stability.
Firestone Walker Brewing Company was established in 1996 on the back-forty of the Firestone family vineyard on California’s Central Coast. The first beers were fermented in barrels inherited from the family winery.
“Our roots are deep in the wine culture,” said proprietor David Walker. “If any brewer can actually take wine and beer and bring them together, it’s us.”
Fig Mountain Brewing debuts new cans
Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. has announced the release of three new canned beers: Point Conception IPA, Fig Mtn Mosaic Pale Ale, and Zero to Sexy, a seasonal golden mocha ale.
Zero to Sexy was previously released in bottles, and will transition to a limited supply of cans through the month of March, according to a news release.
Fig Mtn Mosaic Pale Ale, a fan favorite and year-round core, will be available in cans as well as bottles wherever Figueroa Mountain products are sold.
Point Conception IPA is a year-round IPA named for the “elbow” in California’s coastline. While Fig Mountains’ flagship Hoppy Poppy is an English-style, appropriately malt-balanced hoppy ale, Point Conception IPA features big, fruit-forward hops and a very dry finish with a deliberate resinous punch.
“If you look at our spectrum of packaged hoppy beers, we’ve been missing that modern, West Coast IPA that’s light in color, nice and bright, and in that 6-to-8-percent ABV range,” said Jaime Dietenhofer, co-founder and owner Jaime Dietenhofer.
Point Conception IPA cans have been available on retail shelves since Feb. 1, commemorating the 163rd anniversary of the Point Conception lighthouse activation.
Austin Hope named 2018 Wine Industry Person of the Year
On Jan. 18 the Paso Robles wine community recognized Austin Hope, president and winemaker of Hope Family Wines, as the 2018 Paso Robles Wine Industry Person of the Year award at the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance’s annual winter gathering.
Hope has been a key player in introducing Paso Robles’ wines to a global audience all the while holding leadership positions within the industry, which has led to region being recognized and respected as one of the great wine regions of the world.
Hope graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo with a degree in fruit science, and today he is a third-generation California farmer and first-generation winemaker. He built and leads Hope Family Wines, which includes the Austin Hope, Treana, Troublemaker, Liberty School and Quest wine brands.
Hope is past chairman and current secretary of the alliance, where as a board member he worked with 58 vintners and growers to establish the region’s 11 AVAs. Austin currently sits as a board member of the CAB Collective, a group dedicated to promoting Cabernet Sauvignon and red Bordeaux wines of Paso Robles.
Austin, and his wife Celeste, support Must! Charities by hosting an annual golf tournament as well as hosting an annual Dia de Los Muertos event benefiting children’s art programs for Studios on the Park.
The alliance represents 450-plus companies, including wineries, vineyards and associated businesses.
— Laurie Jervis blogs about wine at www.centralcoastwinepress.com, tweets at @lauriejervis and can be reached via winecountrywriter@gmail.com. The opinions expressed are her own.