Los Olivos, once a sleepy country village where dogs lounged in the middle of the road, has matured into a wine-centric burg with a main drag wryly known among locals as “tasting room row.” In mid-summer, the number of tasting rooms doing business along Grand Avenue—the two blocks that constitute downtown—totaled 16.
On Oct. 9, that number grew yet again, with the opening of The Bench, a brand new showcase for area wines. Promoted as an “artisan estate winery collection,” the tasting room features four producers who make their wine from grapes grown on and around a world-famous land formation in the Santa Maria Valley.
Called “the bench,” because it resembles a giant, earthen version of one, this formation is a mesa that rises above the Sisquoc River and slopes into the hills that rim the north side of the valley. It faces south, so vines planted along its flats and flanks receive the full measure of the sun’s beneficial warmth.
Shallow alluvial soil covers the bench with a porous medium noted for its lean composition and quick drainage. Offering elevations from about 800 to 1,000 feet, this challenging environment restricts vine vigor—which leads to reduced crops of small berries—yet yields fruit with wonderfully intense aromatics and varietal characteristics.
The Santa Maria bench is home to a number of famous plantings, including Tepesquet Vineyard, the Katherine’s and Julia’s vineyards belonging to Cambria Estate Winery, and Nielsen Vineyard, planted way back in 1964 and the oldest in the region. Deriving a portion of their fruit from one or another of these coveted vineyards, the proprietors of The Bench decided to celebrate the source of their wines by naming their new tasting room in its honor.
The Bench features the wares of Kinton Wines, Cambria Estate Winery, Byron Vineyard and Winery, and Io Wines. This collaborative effort gives each producer a presence in one of the Santa Ynez Valley’s prime tourist centers, while affording visitors a chance to taste a lively selection of wines under one roof.
Specializing in Syrah, Kinton Vineyards released its first wine—a 2004 vintage—in January 2007. Winemaker Peter Fraser, who divides his time between Santa Barbara County and Australia’s vineyard-heavy McLaren Vale region, blends fruit from the Barham Vineyard (located just south of Los Alamos), Neely Vineyard (east of Los Alamos), and Tepusquet Vineyard, planted in the early 1970s.
“I’m very happy to include my wines in a tasting room that is warm and embracing,” Fraser said of the new enterprise. “The space is about authenticity and simplicity. We encourage people to taste what they want to taste, say what they want to say, and simply be themselves.”
For Cambria Estate Winery, the move into Los Olivos will supplement their elegant tasting room, which sits somewhat off the beaten track along the aforementioned Santa Maria Valley bench. Lying 17 miles inland, the winery maintains 1,400 acres of estate vineyards, including the celebrated Bench Break Vineyard, famed for its stellar Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Ken Brown, among the first winemakers to introduce RhŸne varietals to Santa Barbara County in 1981, founded Byron Vineyard and Winery three years later. Since then, the winery has earned a reputation for producing singular Burgundian-style wines from estate fruit grown in the venerable Nielsen Vineyard.
In tribute to his early efforts and also for sheer love of the varietals, Brown launched a separate label, called Io Wines, in 1999, dedicated to a program of RhŸne-style offerings. Upon his departure from Byron in 2003, Brown selected Jonathan Nagy as director of winemaking, an energetic innovator who continues to produce wines under both labels.
The principals of the new tasting room intend to create a dynamic center of wine education and lively discussion. They plan to hold seminars facilitated by the winemakers themselves, and have employed knowledgeable staff to help share with guests all aspects of the winemaking, viticulture, and history of Santa Barbara County.
The interior of the new tasting room boasts a long, elegant bar accented with black cabinetry, gleaming hardwood floors, and lots of natural light. In one corner, overstuffed chairs invite visitors to relax awhile, while at the rear, a VIP room makes the perfect setting for small parties and private tastings.
A brand new addition to the Los Olivos “tasting room row,” The Bench offers tasters a chance to sample similar fruit handled by three different winemakers. So stop in soon to check out the new kids on the block and sip some memorable wines from the bench, the Santa Maria Valley’s famous landmark and the region’s latest tasting room.
INFOBOX: Sit and sip
The Bench is located at 2376 Alamo Pintado Ave., Los Olivos, and open seven days a week, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed on holidays. For more information, call 938-7365 or visit www.thebenchwines.com.
K. Reka Badger is the perfect VIP. E-mail comments or ideas to [email protected].
