Discovering Los Alamos

One of the most serendipitous occurrences during our first day in Santa Barbara County was meeting Hilliard Bruce’s new production manager, Sonja Magdevski.  She also makes wine for her own label, Casa Dumetz.  Sonja was busy that Saturday, decked out in rose colored rain boots, managing various tanks of wine.  I called “hello” to her and she was happy to introduce herself and offered us a taste of her 2017 Rosé of Grenache that was nearing time to bottle.  It was amazing – beautiful pink color, zingy and fresh – the taste was not enough!  She encouraged us to visit her tasting room the next day in Los Alamos.  I had probably heard of Los Alamos, but certainly never visited, so that decided our itinerary for Sunday.

We drove from Lompoc to Los Alamos over a narrow, twisting mountain road and arrived on Bell Street in Los Alamos.  The tiny main street is a throwback to the past, lined with antique stores, small eateries, and a handful of tasting rooms. We parked and wandered for awhile, stopping first at Bedford Winery.  As luck would have it, the owner and wine maker, Stephan Bedford, was on duty in the tasting room, along with his trusty sidekick and winery dog, “Hitch.”  Stephan is a proponent of longer than average barrel aging for all of his wines, resulting in greater richness and complexity.  I was particularly impressed with his 2012 Chenin Blanc, barrel aged in neutral oak.  It is a full bodied, deeply colored white wine that would complement chicken or shellfish in a rich sauce or soft, flavorful cheeses. Another wine of note is the 2012 Field Blend, Los Alamos Hills. It is a blend of Grenache, Carignane, Petite Syrah, and Mourvedre, all from the same block, harvested at the same time, and co-fermented.

Just a few steps away, we found Casa Dumetz.  Sonja’s cousin, Lauren, was managing the tasting room and welcomed us warmly.  We settled ourselves at the counter and began making our way through the impressive tasting menu.  Grenache is Sonja’s passion and her wines run the gamut from Grenache Blanc through a number of single vineyard bottlings. The 2015 White is a luscious blend of Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, and Viognier.  Both barrel fermented and aged, it is a full bodied white wine that could be enjoyed as an aperitif or paired with food.  I think this could be a delicious turkey wine and I plan to include it next Thanksgiving.  The other wine I fell in love with is the 2014 Thompson Grenache.  I can’t say enough about this wine – it is a gorgeous, pure ruby color and the aroma is of cherries and rose petals.  In the mouth, the red fruits come to life with some sweet spice on the finish.  Bought a case!

Go to Los Alamos on your next trip to Santa Barbara County. You will relax and decompress and forget the hubbub of daily life.  I can’t wait to return!

Cheers!