After our successful first day of wine tasting, we were excited to get the second day started. We came home with about a case of wine the previous day and we were intent on doing better than that today. After our free, and very disappointing, breakfast at the hotel (we should have known better…) we headed out towards Los Olivos. Our first stop of the day would be the Saarloos and Sons tasting room situated on the quaint downtown main street of Los Olivos. After reading about Saarloos on Mattatouille, I just had to check it out. I trust Matt, and if he loved it, I knew I would.
Saarloos has that sense of familiarity. You walk in and feel like you’ve been coming here for years, even if it is your first time here. The chairs on the outside patio beckon you to take a load off. As you enter, you’re immediately struck at how beautiful the old craftsman style tasting room is. Keith Saarloos, owner and avid tech nerd, has a beaming personality. I swear I had met him before, and he’s the kind of guy who you want to know. Engaging the small crowd of early afternoon wine tasters, he charms us with stories of how the wines, and the winery, were born. Keith and I get to talking about twitter and blogging. He’s an enthusiast for both and he actively tweets about the winery, about the tasting room, and chats with fellow wine drinkers via twitter.
The tasting room at Saarloos. Wonderful wines and great wine makers.
Saarloos primarily has red wines. Although they do have one white called Daughter’s chardonnay. Dubbed the anti chardonnay, it’s wonderfully crisp, a bit creamy, with none of those overly floral notes that drive me to dislike most chardonnays. The first red we taste, the Purper Hart (named after their uncle who gave his life in WWII), is a Syrah from their Estate Vineyard, Windmill Ranch. Syrah is both mine, and Angela’s, favorite wine at the moment. This wine is rich, deep ruby red in color, with hints of cracked pepper, blackberries, a little oak, and medium bodied.
The next wine is a Syrah-Cab blend called 1945 The Union. It’s bottled is adorned with a picture of his grandparents on their wedding day. It’s a blend of Syrah from their estate vineyard and Cabernet grapes from Harmon Estate Vineyard. It’s very similar to the Purper Hart, but the blend of the additional grape makes it a little softer compared to the boldness of the Purper Hart. “Sort of like a real marriage”, Keith jokes.
Our next taste for today is the Ring Effie Unk. Like the name of the group of family farmers it echos, it’s a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. It’s earthy, with fruity tannins of jam and blackberry. The final taste will be the 0&2. The name is a throwback to the days of prohibition. But I like the version of the story that it was named after the brother who is a professional baseball player, so that’s what I am going with. After all, the Syrah grape used to make this wine is harvested from their “brother terrace” on the vineyard. It’s a very limited production wine, only 200 gallons (84 cases) were produced. It’s a big, beautiful Syrah. Delicious in every sense, I can’t wait to crack it open for our dinner with the parents at Mozza in June.
Enjoy a cupcake while you are there.
Located inside the winery is Enjoy Cupcakes. With cupcakes like Chocolate Blackberry Syrah, Strawberries & Cream, and Crème Brulee, they are a perfect pairing to go with the Saarloos wines.
On Keith’s suggestion we stopped in at Demetria. The biodynamic winery Demetria is off the beaten path, two miles down a narrow road off of Foxen Canyon Trail. It’s tasting room is available by reservation only, and it’s got a great picnic area with beautiful views of the rolling hills and grape vines. We also stopped in at the newish Tres Hermanas and picked up a case of Syrah from Kenneth Volk. We finished off our day at one of our favorites, Cottonwood Canyon, where winemaker Norman Beko poured us several tastings, some on the list and some not.
For dinner we stopped in at Los Olivos Cafe. Yes, the one featured in the movie sideways. But I heard they had a good burger and I was not misinformed. The burger, a half a pound of fresh ground sirloin, caramelized onions, mushrooms and gorgonzola on a brioche bun, was a great burger indeed. Gooey, melted gorgonzola, perfectly charred meat, a wonderful crunchy and chewy brioche bun. The entire meal was great, and their wine selection was superb.
Brioche bread pudding, tender lamb chops, and of course that tasty burger.
Santa Barbara is truly a great destination for weekend trips to get out of the city. It’s a beautiful part of California, there is so much to explore and do. For more Taste of Santa Barbara photos, check out the full Flickr photoset.
1. June 2009 at 10:25 am
I’m glad you took my word for it! Saarloos is a great place to get some fantastic wines. We haven’t had any wines from our first shipment though. Keith is a standup guy, and the last time Christine and I went, the whole family recognized us. We can’t wait to go back! (plus, we want to stop by Flatbread in Los Alamos again)
1. June 2009 at 10:25 am
oh btw, great photos!
1. June 2009 at 10:32 am
I joined the wine club too, but I just missed this last shipment so I wont be getting mine till Aug. I started using Angela’s SLR for better pics, but I am still getting use to her camera.
1. June 2009 at 11:36 am
WOW!
When i woke up this morning my daughter said she felt like she was “hugged all night”, and strangely so did I.
Now i know why, Wow, what a Hug we received today.
My Best friends name is Matt, now it seems like we Have 4 Matt’ies in the Family.
Thank you from the Family
2. June 2009 at 2:25 pm
matt
no wonder! those are some great pics, seriously. if you need tips on SLR usage, ask away.
Keith,
you know we love you man. Don’t forget the Christines and Angelas