Members of Santa Barbara County’s wine industry and wine aficionados alike were stunned by the news that Steve Arrowood, the founder, owner and winemaker of Lompoc’s Montemar Wines, had died in his sleep April 14, following a lengthy battle with cancer.
In an email, Arrowood’s wife, Caryn Arrowood, announced the news: “There is no easy way to share this terrible news … Montemar’s visionary founder and winemaker, my husband, Steve Arrowood, passed away. Steve had his own way of doing things. If you knew him, it won’t surprise you that he wanted to keep his illness private.”
Arrowood was well-known and respected within the county’s tight-knit winemaking community for his generosity and exuberance for life.
“It was impossible to meet Steve without instantly being drawn in by his enthusiasm, his heart, his humor,” Alison Laslett, CEO of the Santa Barbara Vintners, texted me Monday. “He was such a supportive member of our wine community, always so encouraging and caring. He was one of those bright lights we were all attracted to. Anyone who had the pleasure of knowing him will feel this loss dearly.”
Caryn Arrowood wrote that in 2012, her husband had surgery to remove a cancerous kidney tumor, and he decided to retire from his lengthy career in aerospace, where his focus had been business development, which included lots of international travel. Both Arrowoods had worked for Hughes and then Raytheon in Southern California for more than 30 years, she noted.
The couple started making wine in their garage in 1991, calling themselves “Garagistes” long before that moniker turned into the highly popular Garagiste Festivals. Like many who start winemaking careers on a very small basis, the Arrowoods’ winemaking was a “friends and family” experience, and their son, Kyle, who will continue in his father’s footsteps as winemaker, “has made wine for his entire life” alongside his parents, Caryn Arrowood wrote.
When Steve Arrowood retired, the couple’s winery, bonded since 2009, had grown large enough to warrant a tasting room, she wrote. Montemar Wines opened in 2013 in a warehouse building at 1501 E. Chestnut Court in Lompoc.
Today, Montemar Wines produces 1,400 cases per year, with many small-lot bottlings available only to club members. The winery sources grapes from vineyards throughout the Sta. Rita Hills and Santa Barbara County. Among the wines produced are chardonnay, pinot noir, syrah, grenache, sangiovese, petit verdot, grenache blanc and various blends, according to the website.
With a tasting room, Montemar Wines quickly established itself as a site for “Serious Wines, Serious Fun,” showcasing live music and comfortable seating in the tasting room’s spacious outdoor area that always seemed warm and inviting, even during Lompoc’s notoriously chilly and windy afternoons.
Jacob Cole, a Lompoc musician, commented on Facebook how supportive Steve Arrowood — a huge fan of the Grateful Dead — was of his acoustic music.
“He instilled the practice of a positive atmosphere in a work environment, and early on it was one of the most relaxed and enjoyable gigs I played professionally,” Cole wrote. “He always encouraged the free-form jams and loved listening, creating and being a part of the enjoyable environment he helped facilitate.”
In 2015, Arrowood built a winery in an existing space adjacent to his tasting room.
That same year, however, the family learned his cancer had returned and had metastasized. Through a series of radiation and drug treatments, Arrowood was able to “devote all his energy to Montemar, and not think about his health issues,” his wife wrote.
Montemar Wines joined the Sta. Rita Hills Winegrowers Alliance in 2013, and Steve Arrowood spent time as a member of that organization’s board as well.
Barbara Satterfield, executive director of the SRHWGA, posted a remembrance to Arrowood on April 16 on Facebook: “Our SRH wine community is reeling from the loss of Steve Arrowood of Montemar Wines. His energy, commitment and zest for life will be missed. He never took no for an answer and was always the first one to say yes. He supported our local nonprofits and found ways to make his dreams happen no matter what the obstacle might be. He loved family, the Grateful Dead, music, life, wine and our community. He had the most positive attitude and energy even though he was battling a fight that most of us were not aware of. That is how he wanted it, that is how he lived it. Our hearts go out to his family.”
Satterfield also shared a link to another email from Caryn Arrowood, who reflected on her husband’s passion for life: “We want to share our heartfelt thanks with everyone in our winemaking community, who helped make Steve’s last eight years so wonderful. Starting Montemar Wines was his dream and passion. He has always been a ‘Live Life Large’ kind of person, with unlimited ideas and energy. You helped his dream become a reality, and for that we are forever grateful.”
Caryn Arrowood said the family plans a celebration of life for Steve Arrowood at a later date, once restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic are eased.
— 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.