News

A Wine-Themed European River Cruise – Sailing with AmaWaterways

Enhanced Tasting Experiences, New-World vs. Old-World Wine Comparison

Tricia Conover

I have sailed away this week on AmaWaterways, AmaDante ship along the Seine from Le Havre/Normandy Beaches to Paris. Onboard is President/CEO Mike Lewellen of Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards, Santa Barbara, California. Mike’s comparison of these Lucas & Lewellen New-World wines along with those Old-World wines from France, including those from Burgundy and Bordeaux, is a palate-teasing, terroir-driven experience. I have an appreciation for what each brings as a “sense of place” from their origins. Featured for the wine cruise were four distinct events: New world vs.

Mike Lewellen conducting a wine tasting and history of Normandy wines on the AMAWaterways photo by T

One With the Vines

Hands On Viticulture is Paramount at Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards

Ellen Clifford
August/September 2024

AT LUCAS & LEWELLEN, founded by Louis Lucas and the late Royce Lewellen in 1996, three distinct Santa Barbara vineyards accentuate the collaborative nature of viticulture and winemaking. Lucas oversees vineyard management for the winery, working closely with winemaker Megan McGrath Gates, now in the 17th year of her tenure.

Inspiring Inclusion in Wine

Fifteen Women Who Are Redefining The Wine Industry

Brook Martin
March 9, 2024
VintnerProject.com

The world of wine has long been a boy’s club. As Portuguese winemaker Ana Diogo Draper once noted, “Being a woman in the wine industry is like being a woman in any other industry. You have to work twice as hard to prove yourself worthy of the position you hold.” And yet, women have undeniably made significant strides in wine, marking a journey of progress that continues to unfold.

Megan McGrath Gates sampling wine by barrels

The 12 Wines of Christmas

Local Corks to Pop This Holiday Season

Gabe Saglie
December 5, 2023
Montecito Journal

With last week’s Thanksgiving feasting behind us, the season of holiday eating has officially arrived! Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing meals that will run the gamut in terms of flavors and textures, and that means our lineup of wines will need to be just as diverse, to match. Here are 12 wines grown right here on the Central Coast that would be a fine add to any holiday table – a wine shopping list of sorts that’s made up of the best wines I’ve tasted in 2023 and that showcases the awesome diversity of the Central California wine scene.

Lucas & Lewellen owner Louis Lucas holding a bottle of Lucas & Lewellen Carmenere

WWC21 – Julia's Vineyard, California

Clayton Fox
August 29, 2021
Jancis Robinson

'Hello again! My name is Clayton Fox and I wrote about Frog's Leap last year and the inimitable John Williams. I recently left my position in sales at Winebow to focus more on writing and I really enjoyed working on this piece about Julia's Vineyard, Louis Lucas, and Lane Tanner.' See our WWC21 guide for more old-vine competition entries.

Louis Lucas & Lane Tanner standing in Julia's Vineyard - photo by Clayton Fox

The True Story of the Birth of the Bottle of Bubbly

Gus Clemens
01/06/2021
Go San Angelo

If you enjoyed Champagne or sparkling wine last week while gleefully celebrating the demise of 2020, you may not have thought about the heavy bottle containing the bubbly. But there is a story there.

Wood emerged as a precious commodity in the 1500s. The population of England and Wales soared, escalating demand for wood. Wood was used to construct and heat buildings. It was used in glass making. It was vital to ship building.

Bottle of Lucas & Lewellen Sparkling Wine with chocolates

Solving the World in Solvang, One Glass of Wine at a Time!

California's Stand-In for Europe

By Kat Thomas Editor in Chief, Edible Skinny Dot Com
December 10th, 2020
Santa Monica Observer

Some say a vacation isn't defined by the length of the distance you go, but the ability to allow yourself to step into another world. And with Covid severely restricting airplane expeditions, the day-trip adventure has become the way to hack travel in 2020. Which is why Edible Skinny delighted in voyaging to the perfect Los Angeles Stand-In for Europe: Solvang, CA. The trip might have been just two hours north of the City of Angels, but it sure felt like a world away.

Mike Lewellen at Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards - outdoor wine tasting

Pairings - Cuban Sliders

Father John David Finley
Santa Maria Times

This ham, Swiss cheese, dill pickle sandwich on a slider bun topped with a Dijon mustard spread will certainly team up with the World Series. A glass of Gewürztraminer wouldn’t hurt, either!

Retired judge and winery owner Royce Lewellen passes away at 89

09/02/2020
Santa Ynez Valley Star

Royce Rutledge Lewellen, a lifelong Santa Barbara County community leader and the man for whom the Santa Maria courthouse complex is named, has died.

He passed away Sept. 2, 2020, at the age of 89 in Santa Barbara, California.

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, but raised in Jefferson City, Lewellen graduated from the University of Missouri and UC Berkeley School of Law.

A retired Santa Barbara County Superior Court judge, businessman, vintner and philanthropist, those who knew him say his impact on the community was beyond measure. 

Photo of co-founder Royce Lewellen by Jeremy Ball of Bottle Branding

Pairings - One Pot Chicken

Father John David Finley
Santa Maria Times

One-pot meals have a great appeal for those who don’t like to do dishes. Here is an Italian offering using none other than that omnipresent fowl – chicken.

Father John Finley blesses the first fruits of harvest at the Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards first crush

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