Welcome to another year! One thing about the grape business is that we always have something to look forward to and that is next year’s grapes and last year’s wines. This year continues to be filled with unusual circumstances, but let’s get all that behind us. We received a nice gift the other day in the form of six inches of rain, which has us off to a very good start. We are busy putting together the wines that need to be bottled for this year from previous vintages and tracking the progress of last year’s new wines. We are getting ready to plant and graft some vines to Sangiovese. This variety has really taken hold the last few years, both as an individual wine and in blending with other varieties.

We will soon be releasing the new Sparkling Wine for Toccata. It will be similar to what we have done in the past - pink and delicious and a reason to celebrate! We are looking forward to getting back to things being more normal. We hope you have a chance to visit our new Tasting Room. This month we can offer wine tasting in the street, reminding me of that song “Dancing in the Street!”

2019 Sole Bianco: This is our “white wine made to taste good” blend. It’s a fun wine, is resaonably priced, and should be enjoyed with friends. Serve chilled. This one is great with just about anything. Make it happen and often.

2018 Sangiovese: Sangiovese has become the key wine in our Italian wine program. This one is exceptional just by itself. It also blends well with other varieties, primarily in our Classico and Riserva blends. We keep this wine at 100% Sangiovese so that you can experience the classic grape of Chianti and Tuscany as it should be experienced.

2017 Barbera: If I were going to describe Barbera, I’d use words like big, robust, jammy, and deep color. This wine has a lot going on and complements most Italian dinners. Barbera is one of the primary varieties of Piemonte, along with Nebbiolo and Dolcetto. Very little is grown in Santa Barbara County. Our acreage is small. Our vines are over 40 years old and were planted with special cuttings brought over from Italy.

We have a new vaccine that will help you increase your wine consumption. Just kidding! No one wants to be immune to wine. I am looking forward to a new and exciting year and would like to see us all get together soon. Stay good and stay healthy.