Riesling is not a grape that gets much attention these days in Santa Barbara County. But that hasn’t stopped a determined group of winemakers from working to make the grape relevant again in a region where it has a surprising history.
In fact, the region’s first riesling vines were planted in Rancho Sisquoc back in 1968. Pierre Lafond followed in 1972 by planting his eponymous vineyard along Santa Rosa Road with riesling, and then took a serious stab at making it in a dry style under his Santa Barbara Winery label. Even Sanford & Benedict Vineyard was first planted in riesling before the more fashionable pinot noir and chardonnay took over in later years.
Today, the cool climate and loamy sand soils of Kick-on Ranch, just west of the town of Los Alamos, is a leading site for riesling in the region. Although the grape still carries the stigma of the sweetness that was popular in the 1980s, most Santa Barbara County producers tend toward the bone-dry style of Germany and Austria. These racy, low-alcohol wines, laden with floral aromas, citrus flavors, and the zing of minerality, are fantastic with food and perfect for summer quaffing.