Current Issue Articles

Winemaking and Wine Tasting:
THEN & NOW

By Sherrie Petersen

Twenty years ago the landscape of the Santa Ynez Valley was undergoing a transformation. By the early eighties, thirteen intrepid wineries had pioneered the market, testing the soil, the vines and the varietals. As their vineyards thrived, more growers and winemakers tried the terrain, putting everything they had into the emerging enterprise.

Chris Benzinger Los Olivos Wine Tasting Room and Wine Shop. Photo by Teona Schley

By the end of the decade, the number of wineries had more than doubled.
  Today, visitors will find more than 100 wineries doing business in Santa Barbara County. In fact, wine grapes are the number two agricultural product in the county with more than 20,000 acres planted to nearly 70 varieties. With revenue exceeding $900 million annually, the industry has come a long way in the last two decades.And yet, some things remain the same.
  For Jim Fiolek, executive director of the Santa Barbara County Vintners’ Association, that “sameness” is part of the appeal of this region. “I would say that the big change in Santa Barbara is that there have been very little changes,” he says. “I think that’s important in the wine business.   This isn’t a business where you look for changes every year. You don’t look to follow the trends and be at the cutting edge because wine takes a long time to figure out and to understand.”
One thing that has remained constant is that small, family-owned operations continue to dominate the Central Coast wine scene. Bill Benzinger took note of that fact 22 years ago and realized he had found an under represented niche. He tapped into the premium small production wineries without tasting rooms and started selling their wares at his Los Olivos Tasting Room and Wine Shop.
  Two decades later his son Chris carries on the same tradition. As owner of the tasting room for more than 15 years, Chris Benzinger has had a front row seat to the County’s wine revolution. He continues to be impressed with the quality of wine emerging from the Santa Ynez Valley.

  “Wine Spectator and Robert Parker are talking about this region being the most exciting region in California,” he says. “They say in the next five years it will be equal to Napa. Napa has the cabs, we do the pinots.”
  According to statistics from the Santa Barbara County Vintners’ Association, pinot noir, chardonnay and syrah account for 75 percent of all plantings in the county. For Benzinger, that comes as no surprise.
  “My store is about 65 percent pinot. Pinot noir has become more popular because the region has become known for it. There are so many good pinots in this area,” he adds. “Lane Tanner, Ken Brown, Brewer-Clifton, Ojai. There’s a lot of good winemakers out there, good wineries with reasonable prices.”
  While chardonnay may still hold an allure for some, Benzinger says that one of the changes he’s noted over the past twenty years is the waning demand for white wine. “Back then this area was best known for chardonnay and syrah. Now our sales are 90 percent red, mostly pinot and syrah.”
  Another change that Fiolek has seen, especially in the last five years, is the influx of tasting rooms to tourist centers in the Valley. “The tasting rooms are going to where the people are. Tourists were coming to visit an art gallery in Los Olivos and then a few tasting rooms popped up and became popular so a few more opened. Rick Longoria was the first winery to have a tasting room in Los Olivos. Now there are 10 or 11 in the town.”
  As the wineries continue to grow, the number of people visiting has increased as well. “Twenty years ago people would go to Santa Barbara and if they had an hour or two, they’d drive up to Santa Ynez and do a little tasting,” says Fiolek. “Now it’s the reverse. People are making this valley their destination and then going down to visit Santa Barbara if they have an hour or two. It’s phenomenal.”
  With the 26th annual Vintners’ Festival on Saturday, April 19, all eyes will once again be focused on Santa Barbara County wines. “There has been a great increase in the awareness of our industry to visitors,” Fiolek says. “We are by far the number one agricultural crop once you tack on the sales of wine and the tourism we bring in for the hotels and restaurants. A lot of that has to do with a younger generation accepting wine as their beverage of choice.”
Fiolek believes that Santa Barbara County winemakers have also played a vital role in the appeal of the region’s wines.
  “It really stems from the people who are drawn here that are different from the people that are drawn to the other places,” he explains. “There is something that when people root themselves here, that this area provides to those people that the wines are imbued with. We’re far enough away from everybody that we’re not influenced by the way things have always been done. I like that. We’ve learned from our own mistakes.”
  According to Benzinger, local winemakers have proven they can stand the test of time. “There’s really no reason to go out of this area. We have great wines here.”

Current Issue Articles
Winemaking and Wine Tasting: THEN & NOW By Sherrie Petersen
Twenty years ago the landscape of the Santa Ynez Valley was undergoing a transformation. By the early eighties, thirteen intrepid wineries had pioneered the market, testing the soil, the vines and the varietals. As their vineyards thrived, more growers and winemakers tried the terrain, putting everything they had into the emerging enterprise.	Chris Benzinger Los Olivos Wine Tasting Room and Wine Shop. Photo by Teona Schley
By the end of the decade, the number of wineries had more than doubled. Today, visitors will find more than 100 wineries doing business in Santa Barbara County. In fact, wine grapes are the number two agricultural product in the county with more than 20,000 acres planted to nearly 70 varieties. With revenue exceeding $900 million annually, the industry has come a long way in the last two decades.And yet, some things remain the same. For Jim Fiolek, executive director of the Santa Barbara County Vintners’ Association, that “sameness” is part of the appeal of this region. “I would say that the big change in Santa Barbara is that there have been very little changes,” he says. “I think that’s important in the wine business. This isn’t a business where you look for changes every year. You don’t look to follow the trends and be at the cutting edge because wine takes a long time to figure out and to understand.” One thing that has remained constant is that small, family-owned operations continue to dominate the Central Coast wine scene. Bill Benzinger took note of that fact 22 years ago and realized he had found an under represented niche. He tapped into the premium small production wineries without tasting rooms and started selling their wares at his Los Olivos Tasting Room and Wine Shop. Two decades later his son Chris carries on the same tradition. As owner of the tasting room for more than 15 years, Chris Benzinger has had a front row seat to the County’s wine revolution. He continues to be impressed with the quality of wine emerging from the Santa Ynez Valley.
“Wine Spectator and Robert Parker are talking about this region being the most exciting region in California,” he says. “They say in the next five years it will be equal to Napa. Napa has the cabs, we do the pinots.” According to statistics from the Santa Barbara County Vintners’ Association, pinot noir, chardonnay and syrah account for 75 percent of all plantings in the county. For Benzinger, that comes as no surprise. “My store is about 65 percent pinot. Pinot noir has become more popular because the region has become known for it. There are so many good pinots in this area,” he adds. “Lane Tanner, Ken Brown, Brewer-Clifton, Ojai. There’s a lot of good winemakers out there, good wineries with reasonable prices.” While chardonnay may still hold an allure for some, Benzinger says that one of the changes he’s noted over the past twenty years is the waning demand for white wine. “Back then this area was best known for chardonnay and syrah. Now our sales are 90 percent red, mostly pinot and syrah.” Another change that Fiolek has seen, especially in the last five years, is the influx of tasting rooms to tourist centers in the Valley. “The tasting rooms are going to where the people are. Tourists were coming to visit an art gallery in Los Olivos and then a few tasting rooms popped up and became popular so a few more opened. Rick Longoria was the first winery to have a tasting room in Los Olivos. Now there are 10 or 11 in the town.” As the wineries continue to grow, the number of people visiting has increased as well. “Twenty years ago people would go to Santa Barbara and if they had an hour or two, they’d drive up to Santa Ynez and do a little tasting,” says Fiolek. “Now it’s the reverse. People are making this valley their destination and then going down to visit Santa Barbara if they have an hour or two. It’s phenomenal.” With the 26th annual Vintners’ Festival on Saturday, April 19, all eyes will once again be focused on Santa Barbara County wines. “There has been a great increase in the awareness of our industry to visitors,” Fiolek says. “We are by far the number one agricultural crop once you tack on the sales of wine and the tourism we bring in for the hotels and restaurants. A lot of that has to do with a younger generation accepting wine as their beverage of choice.” Fiolek believes that Santa Barbara County winemakers have also played a vital role in the appeal of the region’s wines. “It really stems from the people who are drawn here that are different from the people that are drawn to the other places,” he explains. “There is something that when people root themselves here, that this area provides to those people that the wines are imbued with. We’re far enough away from everybody that we’re not influenced by the way things have always been done. I like that. We’ve learned from our own mistakes.” According to Benzinger, local winemakers have proven they can stand the test of time. “There’s really no reason to go out of this area. We have great wines here.”
Copyright © 2003-2008 All right reserved Contact us at Santa Ynez Valley Guest Magazine

Winemaking and Wine Tasting: THEN & NOW

Winemaking and Wine Tasting:
THEN & NOW