Nearly 10 years after he launched his own label, winemaker James Sparks has opened a winery and a by-appointment tasting room on the western edge of Solvang.
Kings Carey encompasses small-production wines crafted by Sparks, whose goal is to “keep it simple” with single-varietal and single-vineyard bottlings produced via minimal manipulation.
Since 2013, Sparks has also been the winemaker for Liquid Farm Winery, a larger label with a focus on chardonnay, pinot noir and rosé wines.
Kings Carey launched in 2016 as a 75-case, grenache-focused project with three wines: The 2014 John Sebastiano Vineyard; a 2015 grenache, also from Sebastiano; and a 2016 Rosé of Grenache from Brick Barn Vineyard on the outskirts of Buellton.
Today, Sparks has grown Kings Carey to between 900 and 1,200 cases annually, and expanded the brand to include sémillon, syrah, mourvèdre, cabernet franc and two different chardonnays, one from the Edna Valley and the other from Spear Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills. Sparks’ goal for Kings Carey is to source solely from vineyards that are farmed organically.
He’s also just released a sparkling Rosé of Pinot Noir and a blanc de noirs — to make sparkling wines “has been my dream forever,” he said.
Sparks will also release a cabernet sauvignon and sauvignon blanc this year.
In December I tasted through most of Kings Carey’s current releases at the new facility. The sémillons of Australia’s Hunter Valley inspired Sparks, and his 2021 vintage is both understated and luscious. The 2022 vintage, also from Dierberg Starlane, shows its youthfulness with more acidity.
The 2021 Edna Valley chardonnay hails from MarFarm Vineyard, a younger site, Sparks said, and it presents delicious lemon curd. The 2021 from Spear, which Sparks termed “a powerhouse” of a wine, is creamy and lush with a rich finish.
In 2009, Sparks’ brother-in-law, Brandon Sparks Gillis, brought him to the Santa Ynez Valley, where the former soon started working as assistant winemaker for Dragonette Cellars, the brand owned by Sparks Gillis and brothers John and Steve Dragonette.
Sparks left Dragonette in 2013 to join Liquid Farm as that label’s first dedicated winemaker.
Combining his interests in both food and wine, Sparks chose Philadelphia-based illustrator and artist Hawk Krall to “depict” the Kings Carey brand on the bottle labels. Krall is well known for his food illustration and murals, as well as his humorous editorial illustration, gallery showings and installations.
Information and tasting appointments: Email james@KingsCarey.com
Margerum’s M5 Red #17 on Wine Spectator Top 100 List
Margerum Wine Company has announced that the 2021 Margerum M5 Red scored No. 17 on Wine Spectator’s 2023 Top 100 List.
The publication rated the M5 94 points.
The sole other wine from the region to place in the top 100 is the 2022 Diatom Chardonnay, Santa Barbara County, with 92 points, at 37th place.
Margerum M5 Red is a blend of grenache, syrah, mourvèdre, counoise and cinsault.
Winemaker/owner Doug Margerum voiced his gratitude for the recognition: “We are truly honored to have Margerum M5 Red recognized among the top wines by Wine Spectator. This accolade reflects the dedication and passion that our team puts into every bottle, and we are excited to share this achievement with our valued customers and supporters.”
Information: www.margerumwines.com
Peasants FEAST’s Cherney Hospitality announces addition of pastry chef
Chef Michael Cherney and his wife, Sarah Cherney, owners of peasants FEAST and peasants Deli & Market, have announced the continued expansion of the Cherney Hospitality group’s culinary team with Taylor Tate as the group’s executive pastry chef.
Tate’s addition to the Cherney Hospitality team follows the March 2023 launch of dinner service at the now almost four-year-old restaurant, which opened in April 2020 at the start of the pandemic. Also in 2023, the Cherneys announced new Chef de Cuisine Brendan Collins, who has been joined in the kitchen by Executive Sous Chef Dylan Bradley.
The debut of dinner service at peasants FEAST came on the heels of the restaurant’s receipt of a “Bib Gourmand” recognition in the 2022 MICHELIN Guide California.
“One of the most rewarding elements of owning a restaurant is the ability to give people opportunities to be everything that they can be, and then watching them succeed,” said Sarah Cherney, co-owner. “Taylor is one of those people, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to bring her on board full time.”
Driven by her love of baking and creating, Tate kickstarted her kitchen career with baking classes at Allan Hancock College. While in school, Tate was hired as a pastry chef assistant at Brothers Restaurant at the Red Barn in Santa Ynez, where she worked for three years.
During some of her time at the Red Barn, Tate also worked as a line cook/lead at the now-shuttered Los Olivos Brothers Restaurant, Sides Hardware and Shoes. Her gig at “Sides” led to an opportunity with The Bear and Star restaurant, formerly at the Fess Parker Wine Country Inn, where she worked as head pastry chef until the restaurant closed in late 2019.
At the time, Tate was expecting a child, so she paused her career. Then came the pandemic.
During the shutdown, Tate operated a custom-dessert and subscription-based baking business, Golden Opal Baking. Her biweekly pastry box incorporated fresh, locally-sourced ingredients and focused on seasonal flavors.
Golden Opal Baking’s multi-tier confectionery creations were soon included at FEAST during pop-ups.
Tate’s history with the Cherneys stretches back to her days at Sides Hardware and Shoes, where Michael filled a chef position.
Tate now executes a weekly plated dessert special for FEAST, as well as regular dessert items. She also handcrafts the restaurant’s popular ice cream, which includes flavors such as lemon crème fraîche, chocolate cardamom, or popcorn drizzled with local olive oil and sea salt.
“Watching Taylor and Brendan go to the Farmers Market every week, coming back with cases of fresh ingredients, excitedly bouncing ideas off of each other, planning the next week’s menu and putting the final touches on the current week’s menu, teaching the line cooks about the different ingredients they found and the techniques they’re going to use with them … I’ve found that I am no longer the teacher, but the student,” Chef Michael Cherney said.
The main restaurant’s hours are from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (lunch menu) Wednesday; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (lunch) Thursday, Friday and Saturday and from 5 to 8 p.m. (dinner); and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday (lunch menu).
peasants DELI & MARKET is located at 473 Atterdag Road, across Copenhagen Drive from peasants FEAST. Current deli hours are from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (or until sold out) Thursdays and Sundays, and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. (or until sold out) Fridays and Saturdays. The arcade’s hours match the deli hours.
Alex and Monica Villicana named 2023 Paso Robles Wine industry Persons of the Year
The Paso Robles wine community will gather on Feb. 8 to honor a couple that has exemplified the spirit of the region with outstanding leadership and vision.
Alex and Monica Villicana, owners of Villicana Winery and Re:Find Distillery, will receive the 2023 Paso Robles Wine Industry Persons of the Year award and the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance (PRWCA) Annual Gala.
The Villicanas have been contributors to the Paso Robles American Viticultural Area (AVA), its wines, people and community since their first vintage in 1993. The couple launched their namesake winery while still residents of Pasadena; for the first six years they commuted from that city to plant and farm their vineyard.
After their second child was born in 2001, they moved to Paso Robles, decided to open a tasting room on their property off Adelaida Road and raise their family in the Paso community. They continue to produce estate wines from the vines they personally planted.
In an effort to increase business sustainability, the Villicanas started Paso Robles’ first distillery, Re:Find, in 2011. The distillery launched by utilizing the saignèe that many wineries discard and upcycling it into premium grape-based spirits.
During the 2022 vintage, Re:Find saved the equivalent of grape “waste” from a 70-acre vineyard from being discarded, noted the couple.
“We are truly honored to be recognized by our peers in the Paso wine industry,” the Villicanas said.
“We are humbled to be included among such an incredible group of past recipients who have all done so much for the region. Our fellow vintners are not only our peers, they are friends with the common goal of making great products, supporting an amazing community and promoting Paso Robles.”
Alex has served on multiple industry boards: He currently brings a winery and distillery perspective to the County Planning Commission as vice chair — the only vintner on the board in decades. He also serves on the board of Travel Paso (chairman) and the California Distillers Association (president).
Monica is the vice president/treasurer of the Paso Robles Distillery Trail and a founding member. Either she or Alex have served on this board in various capacities since its inception in 2015. Monica is also on the board of Project Zozu and is a member of the PRWCA’s marketing committee.