A Love Letter to Los Olivos by Sonja Magdevski

PHOTOGRAPHY BY FRAN COLLIN

The view from the top of the vineyard at Buttonwood Winery and Farm.

40 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA SPRING 2018 Karen Steinwachs, of Buttonwood Winery and Farm, walks through the vineyard.

t is not peach season when I visit with Karen Steinwachs of Buttonwood Winery and Farm. I It is early Santa Barbara winter, the kind of day where the light is so beautiful it makes you cry. The grapevines are dormant, still holding onto the last of their autumnal foliage on this January day. Surprisingly, this is my first visit to tour the vineyards. For years now I have been hearing from devoted fans,“…but have you had their peaches?” No, I answer, only the wines. This inevitably leads them to gush even more. “Yes, of course, but you must taste those peaches.”

As Steinwachs and I walk through the vineyards uphill along the pond toward the plateau above, a stunning 360-degree view of the entire comes into perspective. “We grow peonies, too,” Steinwachs laughs. Peonies, the coveted darling of flower lovers for their luxurious blossom of petals and intoxicating fragrance, are known for growing primarily in cold-hardy Midwest and Eastern states. Buttonwood is the only farm in the area that cultivates them and likely the only farm that also makes pomegranate molasses from their own pomegranate trees, a nod to the owner’s familial heritage.

EdibleSantaBarbara.com SPRING 2018 | 41 With astute guidance, Buttonwood has managed to create dramatic view that surrounds her. In 2002, she and a band of a unique sense of place with organic vegetables, a variety of winemakers were hosting a dinner for sommeliers when the fruiting trees, cut flowers, farm animals and, of course, 43 acres late Seth Kunin, celebrated for making great wine and being of vines in the heart of the new Los Olivos District (LOD) a seminal educator, stood to address the group about their American Viticultural Area (AVA). “Walnut trees were actually geographic orientation. “He was identifying all our surrounding planted before the olive trees that our AVA is named after,” areas then fell silent when he got to the area where he was said Steinwachs, who discovered this during her historical standing. We all thought, ‘Well wait, where are we and what are data search for the new appellation. The LOD is named after we?’” she said. “Then Fred Brander, who was also at the dinner, Rancho Los Olivos, the site of the first significant agricultural got a burr under his saddle and started looking into it. We planting in the area. The federal government approved the wanted to feel special, too.” petition in the early part of 2016. That is the purpose, after all, of an AVA. To create a singular “It was right here,” she said with outstretched arms, “where defined geographic space that shares unique characteristics it all started.” From our hilltop she points in the direction of within its borders. AVAs are required to be scientifically Happy Canyon to the east and the clear line along the Santa supported and have historical significance. The goal is to Ynez River below that leads west toward the Sta. Rita Hills. assist growers and wine producers in identifying their Steinwachs is a petite woman now further dwarfed by the distinction from other growing areas, which in turn should

Buttonwood is in the heart of the new Los Olivos District (LOD) American Viticultural Area (AVA).

42 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA SPRING 2018 Rancho Arroyo Perido

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A.V. A. (American Viticultural Area) 1 101 STEVEN BROWN STEVEN translate into enhanced understanding for the wine consumer. Santa Ynez Valley appellation, created in 1983 at a time when This is why most petitions focus on geographic, geologic and Santa Barbara County wine was a nascent industry with only a climatic data shared within a prescribed space, which helps explain handful of growers. The Santa Ynez Valley AVA broadly sweeps why certain are grown within its borders. Just like peaches along the following its watershed, marking and peonies, there are preferred places where certain varietals grow its eastern periphery at Happy Canyon while moving westward more easily amidst the anomalies. to encompass the Sta. Rita Hills. The original goal was to be New AVAs have become a response to the ones that preceded inclusive of everyone in the area at the time who was growing them in order to better define themselves. They are also a grapes, in addition to distinguishing themselves from the cooler reflection of the political and economic climate of the time. The climate Santa Maria Valley, established in 1981—the first in current Los Olivos District exists inside the long-established our county.

EdibleSantaBarbara.com SPRING 2018 | 43 An expansive view of Brander Vineyard.

“Have you seen the Santa Ynez Valley map?” Bill Davidge a few years prior, finding land prices in Santa Ynez too spendy asked me during our phone call. He doesn’t know that I have for his liking, according to Davidge. The families chose to been writing about the origins of our appellations for the last plant the market favorites of that time, two years and that I am and , and they aware of his history as one “I thought it would be nice to carve out also partnered with UC of the original signers. His an area that was more similar in climate Davis on an experimental folks partnered with the vineyard to test myriad Bettencourt family in the late with the goal of creating an AVA that was varietals, including 1960s to plant the first post- cohesive and reflective of this based on , Sylvaner, Prohibition vineyard in the , Sauvignon Santa Ynez Valley, called Viña scientific parameters.”— Fred Brander Blanc, Gamay and that de Santa Ynez, off Refugio beautiful Gewürztraminer. Road. Yes, I tell him, and I used to buy Gewürztraminer grapes This was unknown territory for premium grape growing. from the original vineyard, the oldest plantings in the area. The It was a young Fred Brander looking for property in the Davidges and Bettencourts, who had a dairy on the property, early 1970s to grow grapes who approached them to not thought growing grapes would be a lucrative option after seeing only buy grapes but to also turn the old dairy into a winery. a PG&E pamphlet at the time endorsing vineyards being For Brander, everything was already in place: The building planted in the Santa Maria Valley. had thick walls for natural insulation and the stainless steel Boyd Bettencourt called on his friend Uriel Nielsen for milking tanks could easily be used for wine. They named it assistance. Nielsen had planted the first vineyard in Santa Maria the Santa Ynez Winery and sold grapes to home winemakers

44 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA SPRING 2018 Left: In the field at Brander Vineyard. Right: Winemaker Fabian Bravo checking the wine at Brander. and commercial clients. Brander made their wines in addition About Fred Brander to starting his own brand with , a varietal he Everyone you speak with will tell you that Fred Brander was and would become lauded for throughout his career. is the driving force behind the creation of the Los Olivos District “When we started the Santa Ynez Valley AVA, it was a way AVA. Steinwachs calls him the Godfather. Winemaker and of marketing our grapes to get the name out there and it helped longtime friend a lot,” Davidge said. They soon opened a tasting room at the Doug Margerum winery and catered to visitors from across the state traveling said Brander hired Highway 101, particularly from Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. all the geologists, The Santa Ynez Valley Viticulture Association, as it was known hydrologists and at the time, hosted parties for tastemakers and toured people other consultants to to different wineries, including celebrity chef Julia Child and confirm scientific Robert Balzer, wine writer for the Los Angeles Times, who data, independently championed California wines. funded the project Davidge still owns part of the original vineyard now called and painstakingly Giff’s and is supportive of the LOD AVA. I ask him if he thinks wrote the petition the area has finally achieved valuable name recognition. “People himself. Margerum, still think of Napa and Sonoma as the only wine regions in who recently acquired farming rights to Honea vineyard within California,” he said. “We have a long way to go but we’ve also the LOD to focus on his estate fruit program, is thrilled by the come a long way, too.” approval of the new appellation.

EdibleSantaBarbara.com SPRING 2018 | 45 Fred Brander amidst the loads of rock and ash-laden dirt brought from Montecito to his vineyard.

46 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA SPRING 2018 EdibleSantaBarbara.com SPRING 2018 | 47 The soil’s ash content will be used in the vineyard and the boulders used to build rock walls.

“It is so beneficial as it fills the gap between Happy Canyon and Ballard Canyon,” he said. “This area needed an identity. It was getting lost in the Santa Ynez Valley AVA and that broader distinction was not going to work anymore. Los Olivos is known to thousands of people with immediate name recognition who know exactly where it is. It is very valuable to have this and I am excited to release the new wines under this designation.” When the LOD AVA approval was announced, a group photo was taken with 40 growers and producers from the area standing shoulder to shoulder in unity. During the public comment period no one opposed the AVA and the government readily approved the petition that encompasses 47 commercial vineyards covering 1,120 acres of grapes, 12 wineries and dozens of other producers who use LOD fruit for their wines. The boundary covers the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley, where the townships of Ballard, Santa Ynez, Los Olivos and Solvang are located. The southern border is the Santa Ynez River and the northern border follows along the 1,000-foot elevation line of the San Rafael Mountain range. Steinwachs joked that the LOD could have been the true Santa Ynez Valley AVA, though, unfortunately, the name was already taken. “I have always known that Santa Barbara is diverse in climate where many varieties do well,” Brander said. “I thought it would be nice to carve out an area that was more similar in climate with the goal of creating an AVA that was cohesive and reflective of this based on scientific parameters. The main impetus for creating the Los Olivos District AVA came with the creation of the Sta. Rita Hills. It was finally time to do something similar so in 2003 I started to look into the possibility.” Brander carefully started researching and writing the petition over the course of 10 years when no one else showed much interest. Every few years he would gather a group to share his findings. When no one opposed he would quietly continue. He discovered the uniformity of the soils, geology and climate throughout the area. The borders reflect where the soils, called the Positas-Ballard-Santa Ynez series, and climate change. The area is covered in gently rolling hills with consistent temperatures throughout. It is slightly warmer than Ballard Canyon just over the western ridgeline, though not as warm as Happy Canyon as it still receives maritime influence from the Pacific Ocean running inland along the wide Highway 246 corridor.

48 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA SPRING 2018 Many different grape varieties grow here, though not exactly the same ones as the first Santa Ynez Valley vineyard. Warm-loving varietals have found a sweet spot here, including , , , , , , , Cabernet Sauvignon and, of course, Sauvignon Blanc. When I arrive to meet Brander at his vineyard and winery I find him in the barrel room topping Cabernet Sauvignon barrels with his son, Nik, the third generation to make wine on the 52-acre property purchased in 1974, and who now works closely with winemaker Fabian Bravo. It was a natural moment. Many of us in the wine industry know that cellar work can often be calming and reassuring as we frequently monitor our progress, getting lost in the repetitive quiet. This image gracefully softened my last memory of Brander two weeks prior when I literally ran into him in the early morning of January 9. He was Santa Barbara

walking down Coast Village Road in Montecito wearing an

-—- ——--—--——-——- -——-——- orange rain jacket, his jeans covered in mud from the kneecaps VintnersFestival———--- down. He and his son had been emergency rescued from their Saturday, April 21, 2018 home in the mudslide zone and taken to a shelter. I learned of RiveR PaRk · LomPoc, ca · 1Pm - 4Pm the severity of the storm from him in those first few seconds as ——--—--——-——-———----—--——-——- we were cut off from power and information. I will never forget grand tasting of wines from over 100 wineries the look on his face. sUPerB food from local foragers, farmers & restaUrants His family is safe and his home is saved, though his property s anta BarB ara w ine coU ntry is covered in rock and dirt from the surrounding mountains. for information & tickets visit: sBcoUntywines.com or call 805.688.0881 One of the main tenets of winemaking and grape growing is Santa BarBara patience and renewal. He has been digging out by bringing Vintners loads of rock and ash-laden dirt to his vineyard and plans on using some of the sandstone to build rock walls around the winery—another added layer of his collective history. He searched throughout Ojai and Santa Barbara before committing to this parcel where he planted Bordeaux varietals in 1975, including Sauvignon Blanc, and Merlot, when the trend at the time was to plant what were called the Noble Four: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling. Brander understood the variables that made wines distinctive. Before making wine, he studied enology at UC Davis, worked for a wine merchant in Santa Barbara and owned his own wine import business, where he sold wines from France and his home country of Argentina, where he was born and raised. Sitting near the fountain in the tasting garden like any other normal day, I ask Brander if the 40 years he has spent working his property has given him a true sense of place for his wine. “It all depends on how you look at wine,” he replied. “Do you see it as a beverage based on hedonistic experience or based on its origin? I think it is important that it gives you more. People can come to the vineyard, see the vines and taste the ARTISANAL FINE JEWELRY, ART & GIFTS product of the place. That is my connection with wine. It is not THURSDAY Y MONDAY just the grape. It is also the soil and the geography. To me that is 1 1 A M M 5 P M magical. That gives value that is solid and you can bank on.” 2446 ALAMO PINTADO AVE.

LOS OLIVOS, CA Sonja Magdevski is winemaker/owner of Casa Dumetz Wines, a tiny producer in love with Grenache and specializing in Santa Barbara County RANDDLOSOLIVOS.COM Rhône varietals. She is also a reemerging journalist finding her way in the intricate and wonderful world of wine.

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