The Lompoc Wine Ghetto is a collective of nearly two dozen tasting rooms that are all located in the same industrial park. I find the name genius as it doesn’t convey any of the snobbishness that is sometimes associated with wine tasting. I find the idea equally as brilliant as they have found a way to share wine in one place instead of driving from place to place. You may miss the vineyard view, for about a minute, as a winemaker or assistant winemaker, that will be more than happy to discuss terroir and winemaking practices, commands each tasting room. Tasted Winemaker Antonio Moretti runs Taste of Santa Rita Hills which pours a selection from Clos Pepe, Huber, Seasmoke, Brewer-Clifton, Gypsy Canyon, El Rey, Thorne, Prodigal, Diatom and Moretti. He also runs the Moretti Wines tasting room in the Ghetto. Visit both. I enjoyed the sweet lychee in the 2011 Moretti Bianchetto, cinnamon in the 2011 El Rey Pinot Noir, burst of cherries in both the 2010 Seagrape Jump Up Vineyard Pinot Noir and the 2010 Ken Brown Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills Cuvee, the Rhone-styled 2010 Kessler-Haak Syrah and a port-styled wine made from blueberries from Cebada, called Forbidden Fruit Libation. I loved winemaker Mark Cargasacchi’s energy and obvious excitement for his work at Jalama Wines. I found great tangerine notes in his 2011 Riesling and Sauvignon Blend called, “Clementina”, depth and balance in his 2010 Jalama Vineyard Pinot Noir, darker fruit in the 2010 Cargasacchi Vineyard “Carg” Pinot Noir, bright cherry in the 2010 Grenache, both juicy and dried fruits in the 2011 Mourvedre, spice rack in the 2009 Syrah and the heartiness of the 2009 El Capitan blend of Syrah, Mourvedre and Cabernet Sauvignon. At Fiddlehead Cellars I tasted some fun strawberry in their 2012 “Pink Fiddle” Rose of Pinot Noir, cantaloupe and lemon peel in the 2012 “Goosebury” Santa Barbara Sauvignon Blanc, black cherry in the 2009 “728” Pinot Noir, bright cherries in the 2010 “Oldsville Reserve” Oregon Pinot Noir and creamy French bread in the 2010 “Happy Canyon” Santa Barbara. One of the first wine tasting rooms to open was Palmina in 2006, and focused on all Italian varietals. We tasted a 2011 Arenis, 2011 Malvasia Bianca, 2011 Dolcetto, 2010 Barbera, 2007 Nebbiolo, 2010 Alisos and a 2009 Undici. Different from others I had tried that day, I enjoyed the reds the best. Also found on the day I visited, a “pop up” tasting: Solminer employed a method of winemaking that was more “natural” requiring “minimum intervention” and lower alcohol levels. I fell in love with their Dry Riesling, Gruner Veltliner, Linus Rose and Rubellite Syrah. With Peter Stolpman we tasted and loved everything: L’Avion Roussanne, several Syrahs, Sangiovese, and the Reserve La Cuadrilla blend of Syrah, Grenache, Petite Syrah and Viognier. Richard Longoria served up his pear/apple 2011 Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay, dark cherry 2010 Bien Nacido Vineyard Pinot Noir, peppered cherry jam 2009 Fe Ciega Vineyard Pinot Noir, smoky 2009 Alisos Vineyard Syrah, plummy 2010 “Evidence” and a jam-on-toast port-styled 2010 Syrah “Vino Dulce.” At Zotovich I enjoyed the pineapple in the 2012 Viognier, a balance of spice and cream in the 2010 Chardonnay, strawberries and grapefruit in the 2012 Rose of Pinot Noir, cinnamon and cherries in a perfect 2010 Pinot Noir and the big and jammy 2010 Syrah. Not To Be Missed Flying Goat, Longoria, Taste of Santa Rita Hills, Jalama, Stolpman and Zotovich. The Current Ghetto Line Up Ampelos Cellars, Arcadian Winery, Bratcher Winery, De Su Propia Cosecha, Fiddlehead Cellars, Flying Goat, Jalama Wines, Joseph Blair Wines, La Vie Vineyards, Longoria Wines, Loring Wine Company, Moretti Wines, Palmina Wines, Piedrasassi, Samsara Wines, Stolpman Vineyards, Taste of Sta. Rita Hills, Tyler Winery and Zotovich Cellars. More Pali Wines, Montemar, and La Montagne opened in September of this year. If you want to bring a group contact the ghetto and make a reservation at www.lompoctrail.com.
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