In the Press

In the early years Kathy frequently submitted her wines for review.  It was a necessity as a new kid on the block,  but it was disheartening to see the inconsistency of reviews of the same wine – rave commentary by one and mediocre  reception by another. After judging years of wine competitions, Kathy knows first hand that “blind” tastings are a matter of  interpretation and there is an amazing amount of bargaining that drives awards. It is difficult for us to embrace solo  opinions and negotiated reviews, often awarded by unqualified judges and skewed rules. 

So in reaction, today Kathy encourages you to be the judge. She hopes you will experiment with your palate and discover new and exciting flavors without the influence of slanted press.  We present you with a challenge – to indulge in our wines  and enjoy the beauty of their textures and ageability.  Our best reviews are testimonials from wine drinkers who have discovered our wines and tell us about their experience rather than just rating them with number. Check out our  testimonials page and leave your own!  

Of course, we appreciate the reviews below.​

Sauvignon blanc no longer a second-choice white wine
San Francisco Examiner 

By Lyle W. Norton on March 3, 2019 1:03 am
Sauvignon blanc, a varietal with roots in both the Loire Valley and Bordeaux regions of France, had an auspicious beginning in California compared to the more-established chardonnay. It then received a boost after Robert Mondavi changed the name of his sauvignon blanc to Fume’Blanc, a marketing ploy with obvious references to Pouilly Fume’ in the Loire Valley. Sauvignon Blanc has also adapted well to the expanded “New World” wine regions like New Zealand, Chile, South Africa, and Washington State.
During a recent visit to the Pouilly Fume’ region, I enjoyed a special release with local winemaker, Clement Marchand, whose family has been making wine at their village site since 1650. The Clement Marchand “Kimmeridgian” Pouilly Fume’ 2016 ($35), named after a local fossil-laden soil, had a round texture and creamy mouthfeel with nice stone fruits on the palate. All wines from Pouilly Fume’ are exclusively sauvignon blanc and, along with nearby Sancerre, located on a promontory to the other side of the river, are identified by region, not varietal. The local terroir, with moderate temperatures and soils abundant in limestone, produces a dry, crisp, palate-cleansing wine with citrus flavors and their trademark “smoky, gun- flint” aromas.

Sauvignon blanc is still a major Bordeaux grape, whether it is blended with semillon, infected with the Botrytis cinerea fungus in the southern regions of Barsac and Sauternes or sitting on its laurels as the mother of cabernet sauvignon. Few people know that cabernet franc and sauvignon blanc parented one of the most popular and abundantly planted varietals on the planet.
​​
Sauternes and Barsac are known, by name, for producing the world’s finest and most expensive dessert wines. Arguably, the best Sauternes wine available today is the Chateau d’Yquem 2005 ($550), a Premier Cru Superieur blend of semillon (75 percent) and sauvignon blanc (25 percent) that is a sensory treat with fresh vanilla aromas and rich flavors of creme brûlée and gingerbread. Ironically, the first sauvignon blanc cuttings that arrived in California, during the late 1800s, came from the Sauternes vineyards of Chateau d’Yquem. They have flourished here, adapting to both warm and cooler climates.
The two best examples of California sauvignon blanc, in my mind, are both produced by women, one from the cool Russian River Valley and the other from the warm Santa Ynez Valley in north Santa Barbara County. Merry Edwards is an icon in the wine industry, producing fine pinot noir, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc from vineyards near Sebastopol. As with previous vintages, the 2017 Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley ($36), with added Sauvignon Musque from Sancerre, exhibits spirited floral aromas, a creamy mouthfeel with herbal flavors and some zest on the finish. Ms. Edwards recently semi-retired and sold Merry Edwards Cellars to respected Anderson Valley sparkling wine producer, Roederer Estate. Heidi von der Mehden, the new winemaker and staff will be retained and Edwards will consult for a year so, I anticipate being able to enjoy her sauvignon blanc in the future.

Winemaker Kathy Joseph of Fiddlehead Cellars in Lompoc speaks passionately of pushing pinot noir and sauvignon blanc toward their potential, either paired with food or not. Of her five sauvignon blanc releases, my favorite, as with other vintages, is the 2018 Fiddlehead Sauvignon Blanc “Goosebury” Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara ($38), sourced from warmer climate and described by Joseph as “zingy like a New Zealand wine, juxtaposed with the elegance of a Sancerre.” I find it to be a perfect pair with fresh scallops or chèvre. Sauvignon blanc has become so prominent in the southern hemisphere that the term “New Zealand-style” is synonymous with aromatic wines and flavors of fresh cut grass and grapefruit.

Each vintage, one of the most popular sauvignon blanc wines from New Zealand is the 2018 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough ($30) that maintains the “green characteristics” while adding a touch of tropical fruit flavors. Boasting recent high ratings, the 2016 Greywacke “Wild Sauvignon” Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough ($30) has an austere savory character that doesn’t sacrifice complexity in the flavor profile. 

Sauvignon blanc, no longer an alternative white wine, is charging into the future with a global presence that highlights expressive bouquets, intricate flavors and the textures in a wine that belongs at the dinner table.
Lyle W. Norton is a wine enthusiast and blogger in Santa Rosa who has written a wine column for 15 years. Visit his blog at www.lifebylyle.com or email him at sfewine@gmail.com. He is a guest columnist.

2014 Fiddlehead Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara
​
Check out our latest review! CLICK HERE
WineWeirdos‏ @wineweirdos

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Allison Levine Please The Palate: Fiddlehead Cellars celebrates its 30th anniversary
By: Allison Levine Oct 18, 2018

SANTA YNEZ VALLEY — The 2018 harvest marks the 30th anniversary of Fiddlehead Cellars, a winery in Santa Ynez Valley owned by winemaker and head fiddle, Kathy Joseph. Thirty years is a significant marker in the California wine industry, especially for Santa Barbara County, where post-Prohibition commercial plantings date only to 1960.
It is also noteworthy that 30 years ago, “There were very few women who owned wineries, very few women winemakers,” Joseph said. In addition, “There were very few people making high-end quality Pinot Noir or Sauvignon Blanc and very few people interested in the viticultural frontiers of Santa Barbara County and the north Willamette Valley.”
​But when you meet Kathy Joseph, you understand.
Joseph is as energetic, passionate and driven. Since Day 1, she has been hands-on with all facets of the business, from in the vineyard to the winemaking to the marketing and selling. She holds the titles proprietor, winemaker, grape herder and head fiddle. Fiddlehead Cellars is her baby and it has been an exciting 30-year journey.
“I felt like I took a gamble when I purchased this dirt in 1996, but Fiddlestix Vineyard definitely has grown up to be a magical piece of Pinot Noir paradise,” Joseph said. ​ Click Here To Continue Reading

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Lompoc’s ​Glorious Wine Ghetto
By: elyse glickman

No matter where the day takes young wine drinkers, no trip to the Wine Ghetto is complete without a tasting session at Fiddlehead Cellars and a chat with winemaker Kathy Joseph. She has the distinction of being one of the original “settlers” in the complex (arriving in 2003), having a full winery (and not just a tasting room) located there, and working on her 30th vintages of pinot noir and sauvignon blanc.
She was making wine years before the Santa Ynez Valley became a designated production region (AVA), and was one of a very small handful of women winemakers ​“I make wines made to be enjoyed, and I have had many years to hone my craft to make them textural and immediately enjoyable,” says Joseph, a Wisconsin native with a biochemistry background. “I enjoy sharing the history of that learning process with my customers and people who are just beginning to learn what their palates are about. I came to the region knowing there was a cool climate close to the ocean and a warmer climate just 30 miles away where completely different varietals could grow.” In her tasting sessions, Joseph offers up generous plates of charcuterie as well as an impressive geography lesson, describing wines made from grapes sourced from the Ballard Canyon appellation, the Los Olivos appellation, and Happy Canyon, where she grows the fruit for her sauvignon blanc. “These boundaries did not exist when I first got here, so it was all about my exploring and tasting wines from these other areas that made me a believer,” says Joseph. “One thing that makes Happy Canyon so interesting is that it is warm by day, eliminating herbaceous and brassy notes in sauvignon blanc, but cool at night, helping maintain vibrant acidity which results in a balanced wine. In Santa Rita Hills, pinot
noir needs and demands a cool climate, and we are blessed with the Santa Rita Hills AVA, cooled by the ocean breezes and ocean fog.”  Continue reading sipmagazine_lompocwines_oct2018.pdf

Fiddlehead Cellars 30 Year Anniversary:
Drink ‘728’ on 7/28
September 28, 2018​

​I recently attended a special event at Fiddlestix Vineyard hosted by Kathy Joseph, the co-owner and
winemaker of Fiddlehead Cellars in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA of Santa Barbara County. Kathy invited a cadre of
press and consumers and generously opened wines from her library for tasting dating back to her first
commercial vintage of Pinot Noir in 1989. Many of the Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc library wines from the
2000s were also available for purchase.
The theme of the event, “Drink ‘728’ on 7/28,” refers to the 7.28 mile marker at the entrance to Fiddlestix
Vineyard and one of the Fiddlehead Fiddlestix Vineyard Pinot Noirs produced with the name ‘728.” Kathy’s cohost
was her husband, Tom Doyle, an attorney practicing in Northern California who resides with Kathy at their
second home in Davis, California.
​Kathy launched Fiddlehead Cellars 30 years ago at time when there were very few women winery owners and
winemakers. She was mentored by several exceptional winemakers from California’s North Coast and
graduated from UC Davis with a degree in enology and viticulture. In 1989, she created a winery like no other.
Kathy searched for a catchy name for her winery by exploring many books, but the name, Fiddlehead, came to
her after nurturing some Fiddlehead ferns in her garden that were just unfurling. She loved the visual
connection of the curled fern emerging and her own curly hair. The ‘fiddle’ theme is evident in her nom de
plume, “Head Fiddle.”  Continue reading

The Wine Write  
A Chat With Kathy Joseph of Fiddlehead Cellars
​Aug 13, 2018

 Farmer. Winemaker. Scientist. Mentor. Adventurer. Entrepreneur.
Kathy Joseph could have any of those labels placed on her, but any one of them would capture just a part of her character. She's the complete package, like the wines she crafts at Fiddlehead Cellars. 

Kathy's decision making acumen is fascinating. Thirty years ago, she chose to champion Santa Barbara County and Willamette Valley wines for Fiddlehead Cellars. She picked Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc as her label's varietals. She then selected perfect spots to grow those grapes. That prescience would be remarkable today, but it's astounding based on the paucity of information available back then. Remember, this was pre-Google. The postSideways Pinot Noir frenzy wouldn't occur for another fifteen years.

We appreciate Kathy giving us some time recently to explore her story in some depth. On top of being an iconic winegrower, she's funny.  Continue reading 

Uncorked: Fiddling along for 30 years
By JAMES NOKES - news@daily-chronicle.com
July 21, 2018

Kathy Joseph followed her palate.
She studied biology and microbiology at the University of Wisconsin and moved to Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood, where a career in medicine beckoned. But, Joseph wanted to do something different. The former pre-med student knew how to do research, a skill that paid off as she transitioned into a career in wine. One bottle set her on a 30-year odyssey that is still active. After she’d tasted a 1974 Sanford Pinot Noir from the Sanford and Benedict Vineyard, she knew where she wanted to go.
A bold move into what was, at the time, virtually undiscovered country in Santa Barbara County paid off and will be marked by Fiddlefest 2.0, Fiddlehead’s 30th anniversary celebration, to be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 28, at the Fiddlestix Vineyard on Mile Marker 7.28 of Santa Rosa Road in Lompoc, California. General admission tickets cost $90. More than 30 wines will be poured as Joseph dips into her extensive library to open her “wow wines” for the sixth installment of Fiddlefest. There’s a symmetrical trifecta as Fiddlefest takes place on mile marker 7.28 on 7/28 and will also feature a donation of $7.28 from every ticket sold to the Women’s Fund of Northern Santa Barbara County. Visit www.fiddleheadcellars.com for information on tickets, other ways to celebrate and area lodging options.
Winemaker spotlight
Fog had just started to burn off and the summer sun finally began to win out in its daily battle with the Santa Rita Hills coastal influence when Joseph picked up the phone for a recent interview. Located on the north side of a tight east-west running valley, Fiddlehead is in a region with climate and soil that make for a Pinot Noir paradise.  
To forgo a potentially stable, lucrative career in medicine for one in wine didn’t deter Joseph.
“I knew I wanted to make place-driven wines that reflected the greatness of an area,” Joseph said. "Fiddlehead was something new and exciting and I wasn’t afraid of a new challenge. We’ve risen to international prominence because our Pinot Noir is so distinct. It can have the elegance of a great Burgundy, it’s risen to fame for its presentability and finesse.”
As the presence of women in the wine industry continues to grow, Joseph and her female colleagues continue to be outnumbered by their male counterparts. After graduate studies in enology and viticulture at the University of California, Davis, Joseph worked at wineries of all sizes and familiarized herself with all types of equipment.
Without a large fortune to purchase expensive properties, Joseph pulled off a stroke of genius when she purchased a 133-acre flower farm in 1996 in what would become the Sta. Rita Hills AVA in 2001. She also makes wines from Happy Canyon, a warmer AVA at the eastern edge of the Santa Ynez Valley AVA and Oregon’s Willamette Valley.
They were atypical places that grew to prominence, in part because of her hard work in the vineyard and cellar.
“Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc were underdog varietals,” Joseph said. “Working in an area that at the time wasn’t as developed, I believed in my heart that I could grow a brand and help the areas grow up.
“Since I’ve been in the business, I’ve seen the maturity of the vineyards and the wines. It’s not something that’s happened overnight, but I’ve loved the process.”
Because Joseph said she’s always lived by the mantra that “there is more to learn,” her most recent venture is a planting of Grüner Veltliner. A white varietal prominent for the way it shows in Hungary and small pockets of Germany, Joseph has it in her cool climate vineyards. Planted at 400 feet above sea level and just 10 miles from the Pacific Ocean, the pioneering spirit still burns bright in Joseph with her most recent bottling.
“I wanted to do something unique and make a statement,” said Joseph when asked why she transitioned from medicine to wine. “I didn’t want to just follow the crowd.”
There will be a crowd at Fiddlefest 2.0; Joseph is a winemaker worth following.
​• James Nokes writes a bi-weekly wine column for the Daily Chronicle. He’s been tasting, touring and collecting in the wine world for several years. Contact him at news@daily-chronicle.com.

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FIDDLESTIX FIDDLE FEST CELEBRATES
​WINERY’S 30TH ANNIVERSARY
​ POSTED ON JUL 16 2018 BY SEASONS MAGAZINE

Join Fiddlehead Cellars on Saturday, July 28 from 1-4 p.m. in celebrating its 30thAnniversary. The event will be held at Fiddlestix Vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills (Mile Marker 7.28 Santa Rosa Rd., Lompoc).
To celebrate Fiddlehead Cellar’s Anniversary, Owner/Winemaker Kathy Joseph is opening the Fiddlestix barn doors to Drink ‘728’ on 7/28 at 7.28. The event marks the 6th Annual “Drink 728 on 7/28,” but this year guests will have the opportunity to taste the wine in the place where it grows. Throughout the event, the popping and pouring of over 30 vintage wines will occur.
Kathy Joseph started Fiddlehead 30 years ago. When she began, there were very few women who owned wineries or were winemakers, and few people making high-end, quality Pinot Noir or Sauvignon Blanc. There was also a small number of people interested in the viticultural frontiers of Santa Barbara County and the north Willamette Valle

“30 years is a long haul in today’s competitive environment. I remain true to my quest to master place-driven wines with elegance. And I am one of the few who relishes at showing off, without goofy attitude, years of vintages with bottle age. Please come experience and taste the place,” expresses Joseph.
She was mentored by five exceptional winemakers on the North Coast and studied Enology and Viticulture at the University of California, Davis at the graduate level. In 1989, Joseph took a leap of faith and created a winery like no other. She is motivated to think outside the box and sell, market, and promote in her own unique way.
For more information please click here.
--Delaney Mayfield

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Fiddle Fest 2.0 Drink “728” on 7/28 at Fiddlestix &
​ Celebrate the 30 Year Anniversary

By Press Release, May 11, 2018
​Read More →Fiddle Fest 2.0 Drink “728” on 7/28 at Fiddlestix & Celebrate the 30 Year Anniversary
Saturday, July 28 at the Vineyard, 1-4pm
Los Angeles, CA – Fiddlehead Cellars will be celebrating its 30th Anniversary on July 28th at their Fiddlestix Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills. The barn doors will open for Fiddle Fest 2.0 as guests are invited to taste through Fiddlehead’s history. Many older vintages of wine will be opened, including the prized Doyle Pinot Noir dating back to 2002.
Kathy started Fiddlehead Cellars 30 years ago when there were very few women who owned wineries and very few women winemakers. At the time, very few people were making high-end, quality Pinot Noir or Sauvignon Blanc and Kathy focused her efforts on capturing the pure essence of these two distinguished grape varietals. She also began producing Rosé in 2004, before it was trendy, and is now leading the way on growing cool climate Grüner Veltliner. 
“30 years is a long haul in today’s competitive environment.  I remain true to my quest to master place-driven wines with elegance.  And I am one of the few who relishes at showing off, without goofy attitude, years of vintages with bottle age. Please come experience and taste the place,” expressed Kathy Joseph.  
Kathy was drawn to Santa Barbara County, as well as the Willamette Valley, well before the sub-appellations came into play. Her quest was simple. Besides a lesser important desire to satisfy her own palate, her intent was to incorporate European beauty into these domestically grown varietals by working with grapes grown in the right place and wines managed with respect in the cellar.  Her estate vineyard, Fiddlestix, is located in a narrow slot of cool climate Santa Rita Hills AVA at mile marker 7.28 on Santa Rosa Road. It is a gorgeous piece of Pinot Noir paradise and is touted as one of the best in the Sta. Rita Hills. One of the Pinot Noirs produced by Fiddlehead Cellars, “Seven Twenty Eight” is named after the mile marker. 
To celebrate Fiddlehead Cellar’s 30th Anniversary, Kathy is opening the Fiddlestix barn doors to Drink ‘728’ on 7/28 at 7.28. The event will mark the 6th Annual “Drink 728 on 7/28” but this year guests can taste the wine in the place where it is grown. Extensive verticals of all Fiddlehead wines will be available to taste. 
For more information about Fiddle Fest 2.0, contact Kathy Joseph at fiddlenews@fiddleheadcellars.com.  
About Fiddlehead Cellars
Fiddlehead Cellars, established in 1989, is located in the Sta. Rita Hills in Santa Barbara County. Producing age-worthy wines of texture, elegance and expression of place, Fiddlehead Cellars produces Pinot Noir, Grüner Veltliner and Sauvignon Blanc. Fiddlehead Cellars produces 5000 cases of wine annually. 
www.fiddleheadcellars.com 

A Visit to California’s Most Unlikely Wine Town

http://www.lamag.com/culturefiles/santa-rita-hills-wine/
Our guide to the Central Coast’s wine country
​May 1, 2018 Matt Jaffe Drinking, Food, Travel, Wine 

As the Sta. Rita Hills AVA’s reputation for world-class pinot noirs and chardonnays grows, Lompoc has emerged as California’s most unlikely wine country town. Best known for its proximity to Vandenberg Air Force Base and a federal penitentiary (where the likes of rock-and-roll god Chuck Berry and fallen Watergate figure H.R. Haldeman did their time), Lompoc had only scattered vineyards on its outskirts back in the 1980s. Nobody paid them much mind, even though the Lompoc Valley’s longtime identity as the self-proclaimed “flower seed capital of the world” was slipping away as growers moved to cheaper locations in places like Chile and Zimbabwe.
Local farmers never thought that grapes would thrive in the cool, windswept valleys near town, but in 2001, a 30,720-acre area from Lompoc east to Buellton earned designation as what is now the Sta. Rita Hills AVA (the odd spelling is a compromise to avoid confusion with a region in Chile). Now Lompoc’s endlessly mispronounced name (Lom-POKE, for the record) appears on the labels of coveted bottles produced in the surprising wine region on the edge of town.
A roughly 34-mile loop from Buellton to Lompoc and back again easily covers the Santa Rita Hills region. Outside Lompoc along Highway 246, Tuscan-style Melville Vineyards & Winery wouldn’t be out of place in Napa or Sonoma, while Babcock Winery & Vineyards’ vintages include not only wines but also classic vinyl in its Soulstruck Lounge. Mostly unstriped as it parallels the Santa Ynez River southeast of Lompoc, Santa Rosa Road leads to several wineries in a classic California farming valley. If the curves don’t slow you down, a tractor probably will.
Where to Stop
Lompoc Wine Ghetto
Taste of Sta. Rita Hills: Your first stop should be this tasting room, which features top boutique wineries in the appellation as well as selections from owners Jeni and Antonio Moretti’s operation—just 400 cases annually.
LaMontagne Winery: Producing fewer than 1,000 cases a year, owner Kimberly Smith, who became a winemaker after a health crisis, has won acclaim for her single-clone, single-vineyard pinot noirs from the Santa Rita Hills.
Fiddlehead Cellars: Known for pinot noir made from grapes grown at her estate vineyard off Santa Rosa Road (where she also happens to live), Kathy Joseph is among the most celebrated winemakers in the region.
Palmina: Specializing in Italian varietals, Palmina hit the big time when some guy named Barack Obama served the winery’s 2015 vermentino at a 2016 White House state dinner for Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi....

"Continue Reading"

Fiddlehead 2012 Seven Twenty Eight Fiddlestix Pinot Noir (Sta. Rita Hills)
91POINTS
Rose petals, iron, turned earth, slate, hot dirt and black plums show on the nose of this bottling by Kathy Joseph. Thick flavors of black cherry paste, rose hips, rose water and a floral potpourri blend into turned soil, black tea and juniper notes. Firm tannins indicate this will age well, but still needs a little time to reach full potential. -M.K. 

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LA Zoo pairs wine and wildlife in returning dinner series

By SANDRA BARRERA | sbarrera@scng.com | Daily News
March 15, 2018 at 1:01 pm

​People went wild for the Los Angeles Zoo’s Sustainable Wine and Dinner Series last year.
So the zoo is bringing it back. This year’s wine dinner series keeps the focus on sustainable agriculture, food and wine production and wildlife conservation through educational talks, up-close animal encounters and four seasonal farm-fresh courses paired with tastings from four wineries whose work inspires the theme of each event. For the kick-off “Dinner Digest” – at Ludden Plaza inside the Australia habitat Thursday, March 22 – the zoo is partnering with Lompoc-based Fiddlehead Cellars. Founder Kathy Joseph’s background in microbiology and biochemistry plays a significant role in her “Sustainability in Practice”-certified winemaking operation. Microbiology and biochemistry also make it possible for koalas to survive on tough eucalyptus leaves, as the leaves are toxic to most animals. Joseph, who established Fiddlehead Cellars in 1989, is tickled how the zoo marries those two things into an intimate sit-down dinner for about 50 people. “When it was pointed out to me that koalas evolved to have a special diet that ensured their survival, I so get that,” Joseph said. “The bottom line is that sustainability is a survival mechanism in a competitive market, but also in preserving the future environment. And it’s the same for the zoo.”
The Thursday night series continues with “Raptors and Reptiles” with Ramona Ranch Vineyard and Winery on April 26, “Native and Natural” with Robert Hall Winery from Paso Robles on May 31, and “For the Generations” with Ancient Peaks Winery from Santa Margarita on June 28.
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GETTING DOWN TO SEEDS AND STEMS AT 2018 WORLD OF PINOT NOIR

Blog:  CULINARY WINE & FOOD ADVENTURES March 13, 2018
2013 Fiddlehead Cellars, Seven Twenty Eight – Fiddlestix Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills – In recent years Fiddlehead releases have evolved towards more disciplined, tightly wound profiles; a deliberate move away from the voluminous, perfumed styles of today, and even from what Fiddleheads were known for just 10, 15 years ago. In this cuvée, the feel is still broad and full-ish, yet compact, fluid, zippy, layered; ripe toned red berry/cherry cola fruit superimposed in faintly mineral tones, quiet as opposed to chirpy. The more she has come to know her renowned vineyard (85% of which is sold to other vintners), the less owner/grower Kathy Joseph seems willing to resort to cellar manipulation that possibly “overshadows the taste of place... (and) living on the property, the insight into short window ripening trends is a huge benefit... We want our layered spices and black cherry cola to project... allowing the wine to self-extract... Basically no stems, minimal punch-downs, no filtering since this wine settles clean – and no fining, because we really try to pick ‘on point.’”  by Randy Caparoso

Women Who Crush &Progressive Pinot 

https://www.independent.com/news/2018/mar/01/women-who-crush-progressive-pinot/
​Celebrating Female Vintners, Tasting Fresh Pinot Noir Ahead of World of Pinot Noir, and Happy Sauv Blanc
Thursday, March 1, 2018
by MATT KETTMANN (CONTACT)
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Share ArticleThough hard evidence is elusive, anecdotally, it does seem that Santa Barbara County boasts more women winemakers per capita than anywhere else in the state, if not the world. It’s a long tradition here, harking way back to Doña Marcelina Dominguez and her 1800s La Parra Grande grapevine in Montecito, and then reenergizing in the modern movement with Lane Tanner, Kris Curran, Kathy Joseph, and so forth.
One of the newer faces on that scene in Gretchen Voelcker, who grew up on a family farm in Philadelphia but found wine while living in Brussels during high school. School at Georgetown and then UC Santa Cruz delivered her into the wine business. “I really saw wine as an opportunity to express my creative side and still be in touch with the sciences,” said Voelcker, who started at Rideau in 2012 and is now assistant winemaker.
She also worked with Ryan Roark, who taught her the garagiste side of small-batch winemaking and encouraged her to start her own brand. First called Moon Unit Wines (a childhood nickname) ​— ​until Moon Unit Zappa sent a cease-and-desist letter ​— ​the brand is now called Luna Hart, a reference to both the moon and a stag. “I wanted something that was both masculine and feminine representing the energy that I put into my work,” explained Voelcker, who’s now making about 250 cases a year with hopes to grow to 1,000. She’s making cabernet franc, sauvignon blanc, and a white blend. “I like to tinker a lot, so that was an opportunity to tinker with white wines and challenge to see what would pair well with spicy and Asian foods,” she explained. She’s also excited to be adding gruner veltliner from Kathy Joseph’s Fiddlestix Vineyard. 
Voelcker knows that young women winemakers often face unfair challenges but believes it’s different here. “Luckily, in Santa Barbara County, we have such a great support network of women winemakers,” she said. “I’ve always been very fortunate to never feel those pressures.”
Along with Joseph and nearly two dozen other female vintners, Voelcker is taking part in the second annual Women Winemakers Dinner on Thursday, March 8, 5:30-9 p.m., at K’Syrah Catering &Events in Solvang. The event, which coincides with International Women’s Day, is a fundraiser for the Women’s Fund of Northern Santa Barbara County. Tix are $50 for wine and apps, or $125 for the four-course sit-down dinner. See womenswine makerdinner.eventbrite.com.
Pushing Proper PinotA few Mondays ago, South African–raised winemaker Ernst Storm of Storm Wines gathered a group of “progressive” pinot noir makers to Presqu’ile Winery east of Orcutt to taste wines and talk shop. By “progressive,” Storm meant colleagues who focused on the less-extracted, fresher side of the grape, usually without much new oak usage (which could mask the fruit flavors) but with a certain amount of whole-cluster fermentation (which can add earthy spice) in the mix.
Each winemaker brought two single-vineyard wines from their brands, which included Tatomer, Presqu’ile, LaBarge, Piro, Chanin/Lutum, Scar of the Sea, Whitcraft, Bien Nacido/Solomon Hills, Dragonette, Dierberg, and Storm. I’d blind-tasted almost all of the wines before, and scored them all quite highly ​— ​the combination of bright fruit, zesty acidity, and herbal intrigue is fascinating and refreshing, so much that I have a hard time keeping these brands in my cellar.
Though these guys share a lot of similar thinking with the controversial In Pursuit of Balance movement that rose up a few years back, they aren’t so dogmatic about keeping alcohol exceedingly low. Rather, they’re letting the land do the talking and using a soft touch to showcase what the climate, soils, and farming techniques deliver. “I get the cleanest fruit coming in and the cleanest wines going out,” said Drake Whitcraft, who makes wine just like his pioneering dad, Chris, but picks slightly less ripe. “I’m not an enologist, so I don’t know how to manipulate the wines.”
Our county’s cool climate allows a convergence of positive traits to accumulate at the same time, whereas other celebrated regions sometimes must sacrifice certain elements. “To get the concentration and color, I had to pick much riper at Donelan,” said Tyler Thomas of Dierberg, referring to a past Sonoma job. Explained Gavin Chanin, who makes his eponymous brand as well as Lutum, which sources from Sonoma as well, “That’s what’s amazing about the area: We’re so cold, yet there’s so much sunshine.”
Search out these wines and more at World of Pinot Noir this weekend at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara. I’m hosting a panel of some Central Coast favorites on Friday, including Dierberg along with Big Basin from the Santa Cruz Mountains, Stephen Ross from Edna Valley, and our own legend Ken Brown, among others. See wopn.com for tickets, including the truly iconic dinners.
Bottle to Buy 
Courtesy Photo
Coming back to women winemakers with vision, Karen Steinwachs at Buttonwood broke new enological ground in 2016 when she combined pungent hops with her zesty sauvignon blanc to create Hop On. The latest vintage is out now, and this one features hops grown by Pacific Valley Hops near Lompoc. It’s even more hoppy than the last and even hoppier than most beers, as the still-white-wine base really captures the purity of the piney buds while also conveying their tropical, pineapple-ish characteristics. So it’s perfect for hopheads who crave that bite but maybe just worth a sip for those who prefer their wines straight. See buttonwoodwinery.com.
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John D. Finley: Ahi tuna avocado, chickpea salad with Happy Canyon Sauvignon Blanc

• Feb 17, 2018

Tuna, avocado and chickpeas?
At first glance it’s just not something you would think might go together, but I saw it in a buffet line and had to try it. Immediately, I fell in love! This is a feast of protein; and yes, avocados do grow in Southeast Asia. With a local white wine from the Lompoc Wine Ghetto, an often-overlooked production area in Santa Barbara County, this pairing should lift off like a SpaceX Falcon Heavy, soaring above all expectations and sending you around the world with exotic cuisine.
Ahi Tuna Avocado and Chickpea Salad1 lb. sushi-grade 1-inch-thick ahi tuna steaks
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. peanut oil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. mustard
15-oz. can chickpeas, drained
1 avocado, cut into ½-inch cubes
½ red onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. capers

Dressing
Zest from 1 lime
Juice from 1 lime
2 Tbsp. peanut oil
1 Tbsp. sugar
½ tsp. salt
Salt and pepper
⅓ c. fresh cilantro, chopped (for garnish)
Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat. Meanwhile, combine sesame and peanut oil in a medium mixing bowl and the 5 spices in a small cup. Coat tuna steaks with the oil, and then rub in combined spices. Wipe cast iron skillet with a thin layer of the remaining oil. Add tuna steaks to the hot cooking surface and sear for 1 minute on each side. Remove tuna from heat. Meanwhile, slice avocado in half carefully scooping out the inside and dice the avocado into ½-inch cubes. Combine in a large bowl with chickpeas, onion, garlic and capers. In a small mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients for the salad dressing and whisk until well combined. Slice tuna into 1-by-¼-inch-thick strips and then add to the large bowl and toss gently with salad dressing. If needed, season with salt and pepper to taste, and then garnish with chopped cilantro. Chill until ready to serve. Pair this dish with winemaker Kathy Joseph’s Fiddlehead 2013 Happy Canyon Sauvignon Blanc, their signature, Loire-styled sauvignon blanc. This silky textured wine illustrates the beauty of the blend and tames this varietal into amazing elegance: one-third fermented in stainless steel for bright aromatics and zinginess, one-third fermented in new French oak barrels for layered textures and persistent flavors and the final third fermented in neutral French oak barrels to achieve marriage and grace. A chic, less herbal style with little hints of cloves, this wine is intentionally given a few years of bottle age prior to release to assure a seamless entrance onto your palate. Named for both its style and its AVA source, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara, I hope you enjoy this very versatile crowd pleaser. John David Finley is a freelance writer and author of the cookbook "Sacred Meals from our Family Table," which features Santa Barbara County wines. He can be reached at sacredmeals@comcast.net.

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Please The Palate Pick of the Week: Fiddlehead Pink Fiddle 

Written by Allison Levine on February 17, 2018

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​#releasetherose should be the new hashtag as Rosé season is here! This past week, Fiddlehead Cellars in Santa Ynez released the Fiddlehead Cellars 2017 Pink Fiddle, Fiddlestix Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills, their first wine released in 2018 and is the Please The Palate pick of the week.I had the pleasure to taste the wine at Fiddlehead’s annual Pink Dinner Party, an event I look forward to each year as it falls within a few days of my birthday. We were dressed in pink, the winery was decorated in pink and we drink a lot of pink wine. I have been a fan of the Fiddlehead’s Rosé but the 2017 is a real standout!

Fiddlehead’s Rosé, called “Pink Fiddle”, is a Rosé of Pinot Noir with all of the fruit coming from the Fiddlestix Vineyard, located in Sta.Rita Hills. The wine is a vibrant pink color but do not let the color fool you to think it is sweet. The wine is dry with many of the typical characteristics of Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir. The wine has classic notes of strawberry but on the palate there is a both the bright fresh fruit flavor as well as spice.

The Fiddlehead 2017 Pink Fiddle is a fun and flirty wine but it also has nuance and texture that makes it a great wine to pair with food. Enjoy with cheese and charcuterie and then move on to a green salad and finish with fish, chicken or even a simple dish of grilled lamb and this wine can be enjoyed throughout.
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No matter the temperature outside, I am ready for Rosé season and happy to start it off with the Fiddlehead 2017 Pink Fiddle because #pinkwinemakesmehappy!

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WINE OF THE MONTH FOR AUGUST 2017 -FIDDLEHEAD CELLARS PINOT NOIR 2012 SEVEN TWENTY EIGHT FIDDLESTIX VINEYARD STA. RITA HILLS

Due to overwhelming popular demand, we are repeating Fiddlehead Cellars Pinot Noir as the wine of the month for August, 2017.
Kathy Joseph, the dynamic, owner/winemaker of Fiddlehead Cellars, lives in Davis, CA, and makes outstanding Pinot Noir from the Sta. Rita Hills appellation within Santa Barbara County. She also makes Pinot Noir from Oregon. Kathy is a hands-on person. She is meticulous about vineyard management and a perfectionist in her winemaking endeavors. Her Pinot Noir is always top notch, and her wines age beautifully. What more can we ask?
The Fiddlehead Cellars Pinot Noir 2012 is a delicious wine. The Seven Twenty Eight refers to the mile marker 7.28 on Santa Rosa Road within the Sta. Rita Hills AVA. It is dark in color and yet soft, smooth, and satisfying on the palate, with a deft touch of acidity on the finish. Definitely a very, food-friendly wine. I must confess, I am looking forward to a glass of the 2012 Pinot Noir with dinner tonight. This is Pinot Noir at its best.
For the entire month of August 2017 we are offering the Fiddlehead Cellars Pinot Noir 2012 at the reduced price of $60 per 750 ml bottle or $15 per glass. Don’t miss this opportunity to taste a world class Pinot Noir.
Fiddlehead Cellars Winery is located in the “Wine Ghetto” in Lompoc, CA at 1597 East Chestnut Avenue. The tasting room is open only Friday through Sunday. Check with the winery web site for exact hours of operation. If you are in the Santa Barbara County wine region, a visit to the “Wine Ghetto” is a must.
The winery web site is: www.fiddleheadcellars.com​

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​Santa Barbara Wine Country: Appellations And Region’s Layout

• American Wine​  by Charine Tan - August 26, 2017

Sta. Rita Hills AVACreated in 2001, this AVA was known as Santa Rita Hills up until 2006, when the name was changed to Sta. Rita Hills because a Chilean wine producer called Viña Santa Rita objected to the original spelling. This is the westernmost AVA and has direct access to the cool ocean breeze. The hills act as narrow corridors and the breeze shoots through them, creating a cool climate in this wine-growing area.

There are 20 cool-climate wine grapes planted here. The majority of the plantings are Pinot Noir and a good portion is Chardonnay. The sites in Sta. Rita Hills make a distinct difference in the flavor profiles of these two grapes. In Chardonnay, expect to find mineral, smoke, or flint characteristic. For Pinot Noir wines, most are rich and concentrated with red fruit accent. There tends to be more stem inclusion used in the vinification of Pinot Noir here, which can lend interesting flavors and tannins to the wines. Pinot Noirs, especially the single-vineyard bottlings, that bear this appellation are said to perform better after five years of barrel and bottle aging.
Total Area: Over 30,000 acres
Planted Area: ~2,700 acres
Notable Vineyards: Acin, Ampelos, Babcock, Cargasacchi, Clos Pepe, El Jabali, Fe Ciega, Fiddlestix, Hapgood, John Sebastiano, Kessler-Haak, La Encantada, La Rinconada, Lafond, Machado, Melville, Mt. Carmel, Rita’s Crown, Sanford and Benedict, Sea Smoke, Sweeney Canyon, Zotovich

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10 Wines To Try In Santa Barbara County
American Wine  by Charine Tan - May 5, 2017

Check out our wine travel guide to Santa Barbara Wine Country. 

At 3,729 square miles in size, Santa Barbara County offers unique topography and climatic diversity that give birth to six AVAs (American Viticultural Areas): Ballard Canyon, Happy Canyon, Los Olivos District, Santa Maria Valley, Sta. Rita Hills, and Santa Ynez Valley. The distance between the grape-growing area and the cooling effects of the Pacific Ocean is a key factor that shapes the characteristics of each AVA. The western areas are cooler, while the eastern reaches are warmer. The Santa Maria Valley lies to the north and the Santa Ynez Valley is further south. The grapes also show considerable vineyard-to-vineyard variation within each AVA.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are two varieties that are synonymous with Santa Barbara County. However, the county is not all about that. Santa Barbara County is among the world’s most versatile grape-growing regions with a wide array of microclimates. Rhône varieties have taken hold of the land, and the climate in Santa Barbara may be the best place for Syrah in California. The warmer area of Happy Canyon is a proving ground that Bordeaux varieties can flourish in this region. Italian and Spanish varieties such as Cortese, Barbera, Malvasia, Mourvèdre, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, and Tempranillo can also be found in the county.
In this article, we spotlight 10 excellent examples of non-Chardonnay and non-Pinot Noir wines that are coming out of Santa Barbara County.


Fiddlehead Cellars, Sauvignon Blanc, Hunnysuckle, 2010
Appellation: Happy Canyon
Price: $42
Only 164 cases are produced. Barrel fermented with blocked malolactic fermentation. Aged in new French oak for 10 months on the less. Additional four years of bottle aging before release. This Sauvignon Blanc is rich, loud, and eclectic, yet with enough restraint to appease most wine lovers. White peach, pear, lemon, toast, and a host of savory notes give this wine its unique personality, but it is the mouthfeel that stands out the most—rich and smooth to the point of being custard-like, with the perfect acidity to provide freshness. This is a good interpretation of Bordeaux-styled Sauvignon Blanc and a real treat.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar,  Nov/Dec 2012

2009 Pinot Noir Seven Twenty Eight Fiddlestix Sta. Rita Hills - 92pts
2009 Pinot Noir Lollapalooza Fiddlestix Sta. Rita Hills - 92pts
2008 Pinot Noir Seven Twenty Eight Fiddlestix Sta. Rita Hills - 91pts
2010 Sauvignon Blanc Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara - 91pts
2009 Sauvignon Blanc Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara - 91pts
2006 Pinot Noir Seven Twenty Eight Fiddlestix Sta. Rita Hills - 90pts
2011 Sauvignon Blanc Goosebury Santa Ynez Valley - 90pts
2007 Sauvignon Blanc Hunnysuckle Santa Ynez Valley - 90pts

 

Wine & Spirits, April 2012
93 points awarded for The Year's Best Pinot Noir  to
2008 "Seven Twenty Eight" Pinot Noir
2008 "Oldsville Reserve" Pinot Noir

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

2008 Sauvignon Blanc Happy Canyon Santa Ynez Valley Green-tinged yellow. Expressive aromas of pear, lemon pith and melon, with lively notes of chalk and white pepper. Vibrant citrus and pit fruit flavors are given spine by zesty minerality and pick up honeysuckle and baking spice notes with air. Pure, racy sauvignon with very good finishing clarity and tangy persistence. 90 points

2010 Sauvignon Blanc Goosebury Santa Ynez Valley Light yellow. High-pitched aromas of lime zest, jasmine and spices. Sappy, floral-accented citrus and pear flavors show very good depth and a refreshingly bitter quality on the back half. This dry, bright sauvignon finishes clean and taut, with a spicy edge. 90 points

2007 Pinot Noir Seven Twenty Eight Fiddlestix Sta. Rita Hills Bright red. Intensely perfumed scents of strawberry, black raspberry and potpourri, with a touch of smokiness. Bright, incisive red fruit flavors show very good depth, with a note of candied flowers emerging with air. Finishes silky and very long, with repeating raspberry and floral notes. This is delicious right now but has the depth and structure to age. 92 points

The Spirit of Entrepreneurship Foundation's Spirit of Entrepreneurship Awards aim to recognize the contributions of outstanding women entrepreneurs in Santa Barbara County.

In May 2014, Kathy won the Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award for Agriculture and Wineries.

Click HERE to read the whole article
Click HERE to learn more about the Spirit of Entrepreneurship Foundation

Santa Barbara SEASONS magazine journeyed to our very own Fiddlestix Vineyard to highlight
6 female Santa Barbara County winemakers in their video and article "Women of WIne".

To learn more about Kathy's role as a female pioneer in the wine industry,
click HERE to watch the video clip
click HERE to read the article by K. Reka Badger

The Prince of Pinot, Rusty Gaffney, joined us for FiddleFest this year and wrote an in-depth review of Fiddlestix Vineyard and the wines that are produced from its grapes. Visit the PinotFile website and read the full article - you can enter the website for free and read everything ever written about Fiddlestix including all wine reviews.

NBC’s In Wine Country made a visit to Santa Barbara County, with a feature on “The Wine Ghetto”. Also see if you can recognize Fiddlestix in this clip! Click HERE.

The California Wine Institute and the California Travel & Tourism Commission partnered to promote the state's wine & cuisine offerings. Kathy Joseph was invited to make a debut as one of a select few wine representatives for this National campaign.  Watch the video HERE!

The Ten Things Kathy Joseph Can’t Live Without
Destination Wine Country magazine came to visit Kathy and asked her to list the 10 things she simply cannot live without. Read them HERE.

The Santa Barbara News Press recently profiled Kathy, Fiddlestix, FiddleFest and Fiddlehead wines in their article “Creating Music for the Palate – Kathy Joseph makes Fiddlehead a world-class wine.”

"If there's anyone in the Santa Ynez Valley with well-aligned left and right brains, it's Kathy Joseph. The founder, proprietor and self-proclaimed "grape-herder" of Fiddlehead Cellars exhibits a rare balance of free-spirited creativity and analytical zest…"
Click HERE to read the entire article.

Wine Enthusiast had the following to say about the 2005 Lollapalooza Pinot Noir.
“This is beautiful, dark and powerful, but refined and elegant. Packed with red and and dark cherry stone fruit flavors, it has an excitingly smooth, silky texture, and finishes with an explosion of spice." - S.H. Wine Enthusiast, Editor's Choice

Matt Kramer, in the October 15 edition of Wine Spectator, used Fiddlehead as an example of "Euro-beautiful" wine - the sort of wine that "give you a sense of not just goodness, but of a producer's commitment to his or her land" .