Lompoc Wine Ghetto

If The big Santa Ynez Valley corporate machine winery tasting rooms are like fabulous big mega Hiltons and Hyatts, the wine ghetto in Lompoc is like a perfectly cozy little B&B. The person pouring your glass is often the owner, winemaker or close kin of either.Chances are ,if you check into the Four Seasons the guy who takes your bags to your room is not the same guy who owns the building... the bigger and grander the wine operation the more impersonal the experience is. Something to just check off on your Vintners map maybe.Any tasting room in the industrial area behind Home Depot on the South East corner of Lompoc, Ca the is just the opposite. Many times you will be served by the boss. You will meet people passionate about their art form.You will talk with the dreamers themselves, many of whom have left cushy jobs, mortgaged their homes, or moved thousands of miles to roll the dice on a long shot dream.

I love these people.

The summer that my husband and I first dated and fell in love with each other, we also fell in love with wine and the viticulture of Santa Barbara county.The Santa Ynez Valley was a beautiful paradise just over the San Marcos Pass. We spent our weekends driving the Foxen canyon trail, visiting the vineyards and trying the different varieties of grapes that when fermented became the magical nectar known as wine.It was all about God's creation and man's creativity and labor collaborating.In a moment, your palate and your eyes could experience the beauty of the land at the same time. In those days , nobody charged you for tasting their wine!If you liked it , you bought some. The valley has changed, I'm sorry to say.

I blame that movie.
Yes, I'm talking about SIDEWAYS.After that movie came out tasting rooms looked more like State Street bars then the fine art galleries I had come to love.Wine was suddenly cool and suddenly ruined.Everyone and their mother wanted to try the Pinot.Tasting rooms had to accommodate tour buses and bachelorette parties and sold souvenir knickknacks alongside their bottles.And now everyone charges for tastings!
To me, it wasn't about the wine anymore....

But...the Lompoc Wine "Ghetto" is.It is truly about the wine again.Their are no tour buses, but there are people who come from all over the world to try these wines.
My favorites?Palmina for the Italian varietals, refillable jugs of "fresh" wine and the prosciutto and olive oil they serve with tastings.
La Vie for their "Rasta Rita " and late harvest Chardonnay.
New Vineland for the incredible innovative Syrahs, yummy Viognier and Sterling Cooper (mid century modern)style tasting room.
All 3 wineries are run by husband and wife teams.Great people that make great wines.