 Food & Spirits: From flying goats to waltzing bears, California vintners seem to enjoy naming their babies in a bottle, almost as much as making the stuff itself. Time-honored labeling traditions that for so long identified wine types by region is swiftly changing and brings the opportunity to name wine something, well -- interesting.
At the annual Santa Barbara Vintner's Festival, strange and wonderful nomenclature seemed to emerge as a theme. Koehler "Magia Nera," describes the Los Olivos winemaker Chris Stanton's wonderment at what eventually transpires in his barrels, despite the scientific precision he puts into his craft. A couple of entrepreneurs from Virginia, Bill Cates and Jeff Fink, were inspired to name their winery Tantara after Cates' aged horse of the same name youthfully escaped the demise of the vet's needle. To his amazement, the willful horse bumped Cates from behind while he thought he was paying respects on her grave. An executive from Disney sees the elegance of the pinot he makes as tantamount to the grace of the waltz. He married his bearish and bearded personality as a wonderful juxtaposition to name his weekend all-pinot penchant, Waltzing Bear Wines. Ampellos Cellars, which means, "the vine" in Greek, is the Lompoc, California sister of a bed and breakfast built by the winemakers on the Greek island of Folegandros.
And, then there are the "critter wineries," such as Flying Goat Cellars named after the winemaking couple's pet goats who "fly" while jumping off their goat house in the yard. The 26-year old Bailey McKeon-Phillip's "Sir Winston Port" bears the name and resemblance of his pet bulldog. The Mastiff Cuvee Pinot Noir created by Ambullneo's Scott Ames, comes from owner, Greg Linn's love of AM-American, BULL-Bull Breeds, NEO-Neapolitan Mastiffs.
Of course, it wouldn't be California if spiritual pursuits weren't an inspiration. One of the most venerable winemakers in the region, Richard Sanford, formerly of Sanford Winery, named his new organic and sustainable winery, Alma Rosa, which in Spanish means "soul." The tall and gentle winemaker named his new venture to articulate that having both soul in business and winemaking is what brings a smile to his lips and heart. Roger Wisted's penchant for gaming inspired his Blackjack Ranch winery and the names of "777," which coincidentally turned out to be the name of a pinot clone they planted for the vintage. Those vines grow adjacent to the "Billy Goat Hill Merlot" where, you guessed it; goats once did roam. The stories are endless, but my favorite was the Carhartt Winery, whose name humorously enough sounded like the same one that has made working men's garments since the 1800s. And, yup, wouldn't you know it the winemakers, Brook and Mike Carhartt, are descendants of the famed one-leg-at-a-time Hamilton Carhartt of a bygone era.
Alyson Dutch
JustLuxe Contributor
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