Tag: Santa Maria

Get to Know Our Winemaking Team Part 3: Enrique Rodriguez

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Great wine is shaped by the people who dedicate their lives to creating it. In Part 3 of our four-part series, we’re honored to introduce Enrique Rodriguez – Au Bon Climat’s very first employee and a true cornerstone of our winery’s history. From joining Jim Clendenen at the beginning of ABC’s journey to becoming a part owner of the winery today, Enrique’s passion, knowledge, and commitment have helped shape the wines and the legacy we continue to build. Through decades of harvests, challenges, and memorable moments, he shares the experiences that have defined his path in winemaking and his enduring connection to ABC.

Enrique stands before the production facility and wine tanks smiling with an unlabeled bottle of wine and glass.
MEET Enrique Rodriguez

What first sparked your love for wine and when did you realize it could become a career?
I started working at the winery at 16 and had no wine exposure at all. I saw how Jim Clendenen had a passion for wine. I began to share his passion, and he motivated me to stay in the wine business. Its’ been 38 years and my passion for wine continues to grow.

Harvest season: adrenaline rush or controlled chaos? (Or a bit of both?)
Both, early on I would get sick every year from the stress and hard work. Now it is controlled chaos as I know what to expect and we have a bigger team. We are all in it together and support each other, so it all works.

What’s something about the wine industry that surprised you once you were on the inside?
Surprised by the level of passion for wine by Jim Clendenen, Bob Lindquist, and Jim Adelman. I had never seen anything like it before.

If you could spend a month drinking your way through one Old World wine region, where would you go and why?
Bourdeaux. I appreciate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and we drink it daily. But I love Cabernet, specifically Bourdeaux.

Do you have a personal or “secret” wine project outside of your day-to-day winemaking?
No, nothing on my own. But I take great pleasure in maintaining Jim Clendenen’s passion and wine style.

What’s your guilty pleasure food?
Sushi, I could eat it every day. For many years at the end of harvest, the winemaking team would all go to Artati-Ya in Santa Maria and eat sushi for hours. Clendenen took me to Uraswa in Beverly Hills. The sushi was amazing, and it was one of the best meals of my life.

Stay tuned for the final installment of our series, coming in our November newsletter.

Get to Know Our Winemaking Team Part 2: Marc Piro

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Great wine doesn’t happen by chance, it’s shaped by the people behind it. In Part 2 of our four-part series, we continue pulling back the curtain to introduce the individuals who bring our wines to life. From long harvest days to lasting inspirations, our winemakers share what drives them, what still surprises them, and what keeps their passion for wine alive year after year.

MEET WINEMAKER, MARC PIRO

What first sparked your love for wine and when did you realize it could become a career?
There was no spark for wine, it was initially a spark for flavor.  Early on I learned to enjoy exotic foods, ingredients and flavors. The love of flavor led me to wine.

Harvest season: adrenaline rush or controlled chaos? (Or a bit of both?)
Harvest season is great if you are able to stay one step ahead of the chaos; a back up plan is usually required though.

What’s something about the wine industry that surprised you once you were on the inside?
I was surprised that someone actually made a decent dolcetto that was enjoyable to drink, but it turns out it was actually a nebbiolo.

If you could spend a month drinking your way through one Old World wine region, where would you go and why?
I would drink and eat in Barolo for the winter, then go to Burgundy for the summer.

Do you have a personal or “secret” wine project outside of your day-to-day winemaking?
My own brand, Piro Wine Company, is no secret.  But within my brand I have a cool project going on. I procured some Mondeuse cuttings that my friend planted at his mom’s homestead in the Los Padres Forest.  The vines are planted at 5,000 feet, own-rooted and head trained. 2023 was the first harvest of these grapes, the wine turned out to be exquisite.

What’s your guilty pleasure food?
Guilty pleasure food is an Old Fashion Hot Dog (dog with burger fixins) from Charlie’s in Los Alamos.

Stay tuned for the next part in our SEPTEMBER newsletter, where we’ll continue the series.

Get to Know Our Winemaking Team Part 1: Sarah Atwood

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Behind every bottle is a person, a story, and a whole lot of passion. In Part 1 of our four-part series, we’re pulling back the curtain and introducing you to the people who bring our wines to life. From long harvest days to lifelong inspirations, our winemakers share what drives them, what surprises them, and what keeps them excited about wine year after year.

MEET WINEMAKER, SARAH ATWOOD

What first sparked your love for wine and when did you realize it could become a career?
Around the time I was heading off for college, I had this huge desire to learn everything I could about wine. I did not grow up around much of a wine culture and never had a specific person introducing me to impactful bottles or tales of the vineyard. It was just a completely new topic to explore which excited me. That motivated me in the early years to completely immerse myself in anything remotely related to wine which brought me to some awesome places and broadened my studies to not only winemaking but many related topics and projects. It has been a great journey so far and I often re-fall in love with wine now working for Au Bon Climat.

Harvest season: adrenaline rush or controlled chaos? (Or a bit of both?)
It depends on the day. There is a lot of experience in the cellar. Collectively, the team seen a lot and are great at getting back on track quickly if things don’t go to plan. There are always curveballs and the adrenaline rush actually keeps you going when you are exhausted and sleep deprived. We have a long harvest, so stamina is key.

What’s something about the wine industry that surprised you once you were on the inside?
Everyone says the wine world is “small.” It really is! You tend to run into the same people again over the years. It is a global community and every connection is valuable.

If you could spend a month drinking your way through one Old World wine region, where would you go and why?
Tough question. I think I would have to go with Portugal. Portuguese wines are still a blind spot for me. They have a huge range of styles and varieties. I don’t think I could ever get bored exploring their wine regions.

Do you have a personal or “secret” wine project outside of your day-to-day winemaking?
Yes! In 2024, I started Domaine Publica wines with my partner Ben. It is a culmination of our experiences in wine, getting to work with some incredible people and vineyards that we have met along the way. We specialize in lesser-known Mediterranean varieties that are incredibly well suited to grow in California’s climate. Really fun to drink and even more fun to pronounce, our first vintage of Falanghina, Assyrtiko, and Refosco will be bottled this spring.

What’s your guilty pleasure food?
Eggplant. With everything. With zero guilt! You can’t beat the flavor. I’ll have eggplant for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if it works out. Every tomato dish benefits from eggplant. Caprese salad, next level when you add sliced grilled eggplant. Baba ghanoush > hummus. Achari Baingan (eggplant curry) I could eat every day.

Stay tuned for the next part in our May newsletter, where we’ll continue the series.

The Return of Kick On Vineyard

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We listened when you said you missed our Kick On Pinot Noir, and we are thrilled to announce the much-anticipated return of Kick On Vineyard wines. Nestled on the north side of the Los Alamos Valley, just 9 miles from the Pacific Ocean, this unique vineyard thrives in an environment where the weeds grow high and the sand runs deep.

Slightly warmer than the Santa Maria Valley, Kick On Vineyard produces Pinot Noir with a distinctive character that is rich, fruit-forward, and deeply expressive. The region’s dramatic diurnal swings contribute to a remarkable balance, where generous fruit is beautifully complemented by lively acidity. The result? It is a full-bodied, harmonious wine that truly captures the essence of this extraordinary terroir. Supplies are limited; add-on to this allotment to ensure you get your fix!

Zaca Mesa Fire Update

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Image Credit: U.S. Forest Service via Santa Barbara Independent

We were all very concerned when the Lake Fire erupted over the 4th of July weekend.  It was within a few miles of the winery but fortunately burned into the Los Padres National Forest heading south and east.  This was deja vu of the Zaca Fire in 2007, which burned 240,000 acres and lasted until October.

For Au Bon Climat and other local wineries, the fire did not come near vineyards, and most importantly, the smoke blew south away from the Santa Maria Valley and Santa Rita Hills vineyards. While it made for a scary few days, the fire will not affect the 2024 vintage. 

We want to thank the thousands of firefighters, pilots, and first responders who fought the fire in hot and harrowing conditions.  Yet again, they have protected us.

Santa Barbara is open for business under clear blue skies and abundant sunshine, with daytime highs generally in the mid-70s. The beach fog dissipates by mid-morning, making for a genuinely divine fall. It’s perfect weather for exploring the region and, of course, for enjoying some exquisite wine.