Wine lovers worldwide know the ancient Latin saying “In vino veritas” or “In wine, there is truth.” Few in Santa Barbara wine country understand this more than Matt Kowalczyk, the co-owner of Buscador, the newly opened tasting room on Industrial Way in Buellton.
Meaning “seeker” in Spanish, Buscador is the culmination of Kowalczyk’s many years seeking the meaning of life. Kowalczyk opened the tasting room in the beginning of April with wife Stephanie Lopez as a way to showcase wines that he says are truthful in taste and price. “My brand is about truth and integrity in wine,” he said. “It’s not about charging $50 a bottle if it’s not worth $50 a bottle.” Kowalczyk focuses on all French varietals, with grapes culled throughout vineyards in the Santa Rita Hills and even out to Happy Canyon, presenting them without pretense. “There are plenty of places where you can go to a million-dollar estate winery that’s quiet with Vivaldi playing in the background,” he said. “This is Buellton. We’re creating our own new Funk Zone up here.”
Born and raised in “South” Detroit, Kowalczyk is a world traveler on a nonstop journey. Back in the early ’90s, he took several globe-hopping trips, going throughout Europe, Australia, and Asia. A studious soul, he graduated with a master’s from UCLA’s toxicology program, having examined, somewhat funnily enough, alcohol poisoning.