The Wonderful Wine World of Ballard Canyon
You forget, living in Los Angeles, that literally one hour and fifteen minutes up the coast is some of the best wine in the world. As my family and I ventured up the coast for a weekend getaway to the beach, I promised to only do one wine tour. So, I picked one everyone could enjoy: a morning hike through the vineyards of Stolpman.
Stolpman vineyard is in the heart of the Ballard Canyon AVA, which is one of the newer AVAs in Santa Barbara County. It sits between the Sta. Rita Hills AVA in the west and the Los Olivos District AVA in the east. It is also considered America’s only Syrah-focused AVA. Stolpman’s wine, I think, is one of the best expressions of that area. There is so much to love about this winery, such as their sheer dedication and devotion to family, land, and crew. Let’s start with family. We pulled up to the winery to meet up with Jessica. Jessica is the managing partner with her husband, Peter Stolpman, and mother of two boys (August and Otis), ages 1 and 3. Somehow she carved out some time for us. We were running late. She was running late.
As we arrived, we were greeted by the legend: Tom Stolpman, probably wondering who these strange people were who were wandering around his house. We said we were meeting with Jessica and going for a hike in the vineyard. He said, “Well since you’re here, let’s jump in the truck, and I will take ya through the vineyard myself!” Now, my friends, this is a win/win for me! No hiking and I am sitting next to the man who put Ballard Canyon on the map. He showed us the unique and experimental farming techniques he used to find the best place where the grape will yield its optimal expression. Then, there’s the main reason he bought the property—the limestone soil (mirroring that of the Côtes-du-Rhône) that brings the energy to the grapes.
Since we are on the topic of land: Tom found a perfect home for his grapes—great microclimates, rolling hills, varying temperatures, and, of course, that limestone soil. He employs experimental canopy management, interplanted field blends, and dry farming—all under the watchful eyes of Ruben and Maria Solorzano. These two forces of nature keep the vineyard in perfect harmony. Ruben, “the Grape Whisperer,” always has his hands in the soil, and Maria oversees the day-to-day operations. You can’t have one without the other.
Stolpman has a year-round vineyard staff and has given them a dedicated plot dubbed "La Cuadrilla." All profits from the grapes grown in this plot and made into La Cuadrilla wine goes directly to the workers. The Stolpman team is actively giving their vineyard workers a place to put down roots. Also, as they are full-time, they don’t have to migrate from vineyard to vineyard, home to home, and school to school. These key workers can keep steady work in one place, which is unheard of in most of the vineyards throughout the world. Hats off to the Stolpman team! We need more of that in the world.
After the “hike” through the vineyard, it was time to taste the wine. Jessica brought all my favorites, the Classic Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Grenache, and Sangiovese. But the one wine that stole my heart is from their zero-sulfur-added "So Fresh" lineup. “Love You Bunches” is made via a carbonic maceration of Sangiovese. What a wonderful play of fresh and fruity but with a remarkable balance of acidity. It is super drinkable and, slightly chilled, it is the perfect pizza, pasta, BBQ, Thai food, Indian food, (I can go on) everyday wine! The whole So Fresh lineup of wines is young, playful and vibrant. It's got a crazy unique and fun taste in every variation. On the more serious side, we tasted their Sun and Earth project with Ruben and a Nebbiolo wine that Tom previewed. I can’t wait to get my hands on that one. There are so many great things to write about this winery and the people who live it every day. What I walk away from all is this: the harmony with family, land, and crew is possible. I think they call it Paradise.
- Illya Haase