The Last Day in the Midst of Sideways Country!

We got an earlyish start on Monday morning, and were feeling muffled and drowsy. It perfectly suited the foggy weather. Alas, for the first time that weekend we did not have Chamber of Commerce weather. The air outside was foggy, misty, and as thick as clam chowder (”pea soup” is so, well, *old*).

After we packed and Don, Mark, and I said our goodbyes to John and Katie, we headed out. The fog lifted slightly on the other side of Pismo Beach and continued to be spotty (or not so spotty) as we traveled down the highway. Remember, this is PERFECT Pinot Noir and Chardonnay weather, and we weren’t in the least upset about it.

Of course none of the wineries is close to the freeways. They require quite a bit of driving on little roads that snake through scenic valleys. And that’s okay. The drive to these wineries is quiet and calming, even if it is easy to miss that almost invisible turnoff! Once we arrive at the wineries, we find that the pourers are almost invariably friendly and knowledgeable.

We found our way into Solvang and passed by the Hitching Post, made famous in Sideways. Since it was early, we stopped to have a quick breakfast and wandered down to the Olde Mission Wine Company, Honeywood Farms to taste their wines.

2005 Heritage Valley Chardonnay
2005 Turner Vineyards Pinot Noir
2005 heritage Valley Syrah
2005 Donati Merlot
2006 Dover Canyon Old Vines Zinfandel
2004 Heritage Valley Meritage

This was a quaint tasting room with wines under their own label, Heritage Valley. The wines weren’t our style (except for the Donati, which I liked), so we walked out with no wines, but got jars of different types of pickles, preserves, and honey. What a great selection of canned (meaning in jars) foods they have!

After some more sightseeing, we went into what would turn out to be the most incredible wine tasting experience of the weekend.

We had read *somewhere* in one of the gazillion wine publications we picked up during the course of the weekend about the D’Alfonso-Curran Winery. It’s pretty new with a tasting room in downtown Solvang. We found the tasting room and were very excited as we sat down at the bar. And for good reason.

The owners of D’Alfonso-Curran sport spectacular, jaw-dropping pedigrees.

Bruno D’Alfonso was the winemaker for Sanford Winery for 24 years, receiving the greatest of peer accolades and recognition. Wine Spectator recognized him as a premiere Santa Barbara winemaker in 2005. He departed after Sanford went corporate with Terlato Wine Group, and after the Sanfords cut ties to their namesake winery.

Kris Curran worked at Cambria and Koehler before she became the founding winemaker of Sea Smoke. !!!!!! She now is the Director of Winemaking at Foley Estates as well as being the cofounder of her own label.

Can you see why were so excited? We were looking forward to an incredible wine tasting experience, and we were not in the least bit disappointed. My only disappointment was the current state of my budget, because I could have happily walked out with several cases. But I’m jumping ahead.

Put your feet up and enjoy our tasting experience!

We had the rare opportunity to taste the entire portfolio that they had available, and here are my tasting notes (finally!).

Their whites are all stainless steel except for the BADGE Chardonnay, which is aged in 3% new French oak. Or that could be 30% … apparently I dropped something on my notepad and it’s a little blurred. I’m sure I’ll be corrected!

2007 Curran Gewürztraminer, Santa Ynez Valley - Apricots, flowers, and spice. It is not a sweet Gerwürtz, but very fruity. I heard a term “perceived sweetness” and this would be the perfect descriptor for this wine.

2006 DiBruno Pinot Grigio, Santa Rita Hills - Clean, dry, and minerally, it’s very similar to a good Italian Grigio. That’s unusual, because many American Pinot Grigios seem to be attempting to be Chardonnay wannabes. Having a Pinot Grigio that truly hearkens to its Italian roots is a real treat.

2006 Curran Grenache Blanc - Clean! Lip-smacking! Slightly floral and citrusy on the nose, it is very bright and crisp and a complete joy to drink. Think broiled, grilled, or panfried fish or seafood. I think I’d prefer this wine over a Chablis with those foods.

2006 Curran Grenache Rosé, Santa Ynez Valley - More accurately, this is a Grenache Gris. According to our pourer, there can be three different colors on one cluster - Blanc, Gris (*technically* Gray, but makes a Rosé), and Rouge, the dark red. Don and I both said out loud: Salmon. With Dill! That was not planned, lol. Roses and strawberries on the nose with a steely fruitiness that can not only pair beautifully with lighter dishes, but could easily cut through the fat of salmon or turkey dishes as well.

2006 BADGE Chardonnay, Santa Rita Hills - In my opinion, one of the main characteristics of Chardonnay is all about mouthfeel, and this hits the spot. Crisp, clean, with a bit of citrusy character, it has just enough vanilla and cream to give it body and lusciousness.

2005 BADGE Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills - In a word, Yum. This actually has a touch of vanilla along with the black cherry, cherry, cola, pepper, and spice. It’s sleek and silky on the palate … a true Pinot Ho’s dream.

2005 Tempranillo, Santa Ynez Valley, Tierra Alta Vineyards - Dark in the glass, with black cherry and allspice. The tannins make themselves known, but are well rounded. A great food wine.

2004 DiBruno Sangiovese, Santa Barbara County, Stolpman Vineyards - This wine has just a soupçon of Nebbiolo and Merlot added. Cola, cherries, spices, and flowers, I felt that this wine would pair beautifully with pesto or marinara.

2005 Curran Sangiovese, Santa Ynez Valley - This is another explosion of black cherry cola, cherries, and roses.

2005 Curran Sangiovese, Santa Ynez Valley, Bruce Vandale Reserve - This wine is so yummy, you could drink it with anything. Like the “regular” Curran Sangiovese, it has black cherry cola, cherries, and roses, but with a rich, deep earthiness in addition. The tannins present themselves and then just waft away.

2006 DiBruno Merlot, Santa Ynez Valley, Grassini Vineyard - I knew I’d have to tell the Wineaux Guy that I’d finally found our breakfast wine! Rich cocoa, coffee, plums, spice and earth, it would be great on the patio with bacon (even of the beef variety, lol), eggs, homefries, and coffee.

2005 Curran Syrah, Reeves Ranches - Yummy! Blueberries, plum, chocolate, and that one thing that I couldn’t remember … some sort of dark luscious fruit. Please excuse my menopausal moment. Tannins are rounded and well-integrated.

2005 Curran Syrah, Reeves Ranch Reserve - Yummy Plus! The same basic flavor profile as the first Curran Syrah, but with a little more elegance (I know, I know. That’s not a taste or smell), and layered complexity.

Melanie, our pourer, was very knowledgeable about the wines and the winemakers, and we couldn’t have had a more fun and educational wine-tasting experience. The bad part? Having to dump even the tiniest drops of these beautiful wines so that we wouldn’t get inebriated. With that being said, it was a heady experience just being there.

We left reluctantly, and as we waved goodbye - that is, as much as anyone can wave if one is carrying multiple bottles of wine - we chattered all the way to a late lunch. Yes, that’s how long we were there. I still smile when I think about it. Wonderful and delicious, it was a great experience!

Soon to follow: The final winery and the relevance (if any) of Sideways.

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