Winery Reflections

Winery Reflections Reviewing the unique wineries of the world and their remarkable wines

Brilliantly electric and invigorating blasts of freshly-squeezed lime, tart green apple, grapefruit, and underripe white...
06/16/2026

Brilliantly electric and invigorating blasts of freshly-squeezed lime, tart green apple, grapefruit, and underripe white peach lead a captivatingly crisp display complicated by soft floral tones of baby's-breath and daisies. Hints of lemongrass, eucalyptus, and sage delicately contribute pleasant herbal underpinnings further augmented by impressions of ginger, jicama, and almond skin. Notes of crushed rocks and stony minerality playfully assert clean earthy charms partially offset by a delicate kiss of dried honey. Attractively energetic, nervy, and palate-tinglingly fresh yet still packed with surprising depth and complexity; exhibiting a tart, dry, and highly characterful presentation that boasts gorgeous intensity alongside a wonderfully unique flavor profile. Medium bodied and booming with pronounced acidity. This 2023 Estate Thompson Vineyard Grenache Blanc by Dovecote Wine is a vibrant and vivacious white from Santa Barbara's Alisos Canyon.

Native to northeastern Spain and also grown widely throughout Southern France, Grenache Blanc is a well loved yet still underappreciated white grape that is prized for its freshness and bright acidity. This bottling, crafted by Dovecote Wine using Grenache Blanc grown at their iconic Thompson Vineyard, proves that this variety is capable of being simultaneously thirst-quenching and serious. This booms with gorgeously tart and tense citrus, orchard, and stone fruits enhanced by pretty floral character, clean herbal tones, and delicious minterality. It is firing on all cylinders at its current phase of evolution yet will surely continue to evolve for another 3-5 years. Yum.

Do you enjoy Grenache Blanc?

Dovecote Wine

Based out Mendoza's Uco Valley, Domaine Nico is one of Argentina's most unique and exciting producers. What exactly make...
06/10/2026

Based out Mendoza's Uco Valley, Domaine Nico is one of Argentina's most unique and exciting producers.

What exactly makes Domaine Nico so unique? Their high elevation vineyards are perched atop a region otherwise heavily focused on Malbec, yet this adventurous crew instead produces a range of absolutely world class Pinot Noir.

We've been fans of Domaine Nico for nearly a decade, so naturally we jumped at the chance to join winemaker Roy Urvieta for dinner during his brief visit to Los Angeles.

The dinner took place at an Argentine restaurant aptly named "Malbec" located in Los Angeles Art's District, and featured a range of authentic Argentine dishes expertly paired with Domaine Nico wines.

From Scallops paired with Brut Rosé to the gorgeous "La Savante" Pinot Noir pared with an incredible beef dish, the entire experience was absolutely sublime. The ethereal balance and alpine freshness of the wines allowed them to pair flawlessly with every dish brought to the table, and tasting them while chatting with Roy about the terroir of each individual parcel made the experience all the more magical.

If you're a fan of Pinot Noir, you absolutely owe it to yourself to try the wines of Domaine Nico!



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Climate conditions in many of the world's marquee winegrowing regions have changed dramatically in the last century, yet...
06/02/2026

Climate conditions in many of the world's marquee winegrowing regions have changed dramatically in the last century, yet producers in these regions are often stuck trying to grow grape varieties that may no longer be well suited to their terroir.

Pierre & Antonin, on the other hand, have started a unique project focused on proactively getting ahead of climate change. 

By working with grape varieties bred specifically to be disease-resistant and resilient to climate pressures,  Pierre & Antonin are able to make interesting wines that can be farmed more easily and sold for reasonable prices.

We had the chance to try two of their current releases, the 2024 Petit Sauvage Blanc made from Souvignier Gris and the 2024 Petit Sauvage Rouge made from Cabernet Cortis both grown in the south of France, and both made for a delicious and intriguing drinking experience!

If you're into trying interesting new things while looking to get a sneak peak into the future of wine, these are absolutely worth seeking out!



How much does skin contact during fermentation impact a wine?Quite a lot, actually, and this side by side tasting of Lun...
05/22/2026

How much does skin contact during fermentation impact a wine?

Quite a lot, actually, and this side by side tasting of Luna Hart Sauvignon Blancs makes for an intriguing case study on the result!

Both crafted using Sauvignon Blanc from the 2024 vintage grown at the Ballard Adobe Vineyard in the Los Olivos District of Santa Barbara County, these two wines were created using the exact same ingredients. The only difference is one had its juice separated from its skins prior to fermentation and the other did not!

A peak into their character:
Traditional Sauvignon Blanc - This captivatingly pure and varietally correct bottling leads with notes of passionfruit, lemon, lime, and tangerine backed by minty grassy qualities and clean saline minerality. It is bright, linear, and gorgeously complex with a brilliant backbone of acidity. 

Skin Fermented Sauvignon Blanc - An amplified and layered fruit profile leaps from the glass led by tangerine, loquat, grapefruit, and guava as with gorgeous herbal notes of sage and jalapeño make their presence felt. There is intriguing depth and textural richness here that diverges dramatically from the more energetic and nervy Traditional bottling, and the acid profile is notably softer and less pronounced. 

Which of these wines would you prefer? 
hart.wines

No trip to Los Olivos is complete without a stop at one of our favorite producers: Liquid Farm With a firm commitment to...
05/13/2026

No trip to Los Olivos is complete without a stop at one of our favorite producers: Liquid Farm

With a firm commitment to crafting balanced and incredibly complex Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grown in Santa Barbara County's greatest vineyards, Liquid Farm truly sets the bar for Burgundian varietal wines from California's Central Coast.

Their Chardonnays consistently boast incredible tension, verve, and depth, while their Pinot's possses elegance and ethereal charm on par with the world's finest examples.

If you haven't already tried these wines, don't hesitate any longer!

Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms out there, and especially to this wonderful mom of three here!Hope you all get to ...
05/10/2026

Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms out there, and especially to this wonderful mom of three here!

Hope you all get to enjoy some delicious wine today; we definitely will! 🍷

Xander Soren Wines was founded for a particularly unique purpose: to prove that California Pinot Noir can pair flawlessl...
05/05/2026

Xander Soren Wines was founded for a particularly unique purpose: to prove that California Pinot Noir can pair flawlessly with Japanese cuisine.

Xander Soren's boutique ultra-limited production wines were first sold only to some of Japan's finest restaurants, but recently have been made available in limited quantities here in the US.

We had the incredible pleasure of joining Xander himself accompanied by winemaker Shalini Sekhar for a special dinner that acted as demonstration of just how perfectly these wine can pair with world-class Japanese food, and WOW it made for a truly memorable evening!

The dinner took place at Morihiro: an iconic and highly acclaimed Michelin-starred Japanese omakase restaurant in downtown Los Angeles. Legendary chef Morihiro Onodera himself put together a truly legendary series of pairings that charmed and delighted all in attendance.

Pairing highlights from the evening included umami-packed Gomadare Tofu paired with a spectacularly pure and bright 2025 Rosé, Chi-ayu Tempura paired with a tense and reductive 2024 "Habari" Chardonnay, Uni Nigiri paired with 2021 Sanford & Benedict Pinot Noir, and of course the 2021 "Ludeon" cuvée paired with Wagyu steak.

This was a truly unforgettable evening that reinforced for us just how magical the right combination of wine and food can be. We highly recommend seeking out the remarkable wines of Xander Soren and experiencing this magic for yourself!






Operating out of their incredibly scenic estate property in the heart of Santa Barbara's Ballard Canyon, Piazza Family W...
05/01/2026

Operating out of their incredibly scenic estate property in the heart of Santa Barbara's Ballard Canyon, Piazza Family Wines is one of the Central Coast's most exciting producers that you might not yet have heard of.

Founded and owned by Ron and Nancy Piazza, who planted and have long stewarded the iconic Mt. Carmel Vineyard in the nearby Santa Rita Hills, Piazza is an estate-only producer crafting a diverse and delicious lineup of Rhône, Bordeaux, Burgundian, and Italian varietal wines.

To better showcase the bounty from their idyllic estate vineyards Piazza also recently opened a brand new tasting room in Los Olivos, and we recently had the chance to visit both places!

Our visit began with a guided hike around Piazza's Ballard Canyon estate and its aptly named Bella Vista Vineyard, followed by a short drive over to Los Olivos for a guided tasting.

We could rave endlessly about how spectacular this experience was, but words alone can't do it proper justice!

Highlights included witnessing morning fog cascade through the Santa Ynez Valley, playing fetch with the winery dogs, feeding horses on property, and then of course tasting many spectacular wines. We particularly adored their incredibly characterful Grenache rosé, their bold yet balanced "Dominic's" Red, and their complex and savory Nebbiolo, although everything we tried was absolutely wonderful!

Enjoy these photos from our visit and make sure to stop by the new Piazza tasting room next time you're in Los Olivos!
wine




Luna Hart Wines is one of California's most exciting boutique producers. Based out of Santa Barbara County where it was ...
04/28/2026

Luna Hart Wines is one of California's most exciting boutique producers.

Based out of Santa Barbara County where it was founded as the passion project of decorated winemaker Gretchen Voelcker, Luna Hart proudly pushes the limits of convention by crafting a lineup of low-intervention wines that highlight particularly compelling combinations of grape variety and terroir.

We had the immense pleasure of joining Gretchen and assistant winemaker Tymari Lore for a visit through Luna Harts current releases and were blown away by the quality and complexity of these offerings!

Highlights from our tasting included an absolutely brilliant Blanc de Cabernet Franc, a side-by-side of still and sparkling Grüner Veltliner, and some of the most delightfully savory and complex Ballard Canyon Syrah we've ever encountered. These wines are bright, characterful, and perfectly balanced; and each is sure to bring a smile to your face!

Massive thanks to Gretchen and Tymari for taking the time to share these wonderful wines with us!
hart.wines

In 1971 Richard Sanford planted the first Pinot Noir vines in Santa Barbara County at a site that would eventually be kn...
04/21/2026

In 1971 Richard Sanford planted the first Pinot Noir vines in Santa Barbara County at a site that would eventually be known as the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard. Today, this historic vineyard remains a crown jewel of one of the greatest cool climate winegrowing regions on the planet.

We had the immense pleasure of paying a visit recently to Sanford Winery, a place especially near and dear to our hearts, to taste through the latest creations of this world reknowned estate.

Our tasting featured an absolutely delightful tour of single block Pinot Noir and Chardonnay offerings from Sanford & Benedict as well as Sanford's neighboring La Rinconada Vineyard. This unique tasting journey through the property's terroir allowed us to appreciate and understand the nuances of the estate, and we were wowed by how dramatically different each individual block actually was despite being geographically adjacent.

Sanford truly has some of the highest quality cool climate terroir on the planet under their control, and their property and tasting experience are like none other!

We highly recommend a visit to Sanford to explore some of Central California's greatest wine!


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