News

Finley's Pairings

Gyro Meatloaf with Tzatziki Sauce

Father John Finley
May 24, 2015
Santa Maria Times

This is definitely a “fusion” dish, but one you will enjoy -- the flavors of Greece rolled into a classic meatloaf and served with a Lucas & Lewellen Malbec wine.

A photo of Gyro Meatloaf with Tzatziki Sauce

Sparkling Wine for my Real Friends

Louis Villard
May 1, 2015
California Spiltwine

The following three were my top picks of the night.  Lucas & Lewellen Blanc de Noirs was my favorite on the night. Nectarines, apricot and brioche. Perfectly balanced. – $30 (great price) Summerland Winery Brut using Sonoma fruit was very crisp, and tasted of granny smiths and lime. $30 While Brewer-Cliftons straight Chard, from their own 3D vineyard, has more mouthfeel and a bit heavier with nutty, yeasty flavors and baked peach. You could age this one for 10 years or so. $50  

A bottle shot of Lucas & Lewellen sparkling wine

Women in Wine

Celebrating Women's History Month

March 19,2015
Santa Ynez Valley News

Long before Congress designated March as Women’s History Month, women have been making wine history here in Santa Barbara County.

Megan McGrath Gates hard at work in the winery

One Wine's Revenge

Sideways Anniversary Inspires Merlot Tasting - Gabe Discusses with Louis

Gabe Saglie
August 28, 2014

It took just one line. Granted, it was delivered dramatically, and with angst. But just one infamous line is all it took.

"I am not drinking any (expletive) merlot!"

A promotional poster of the Sideways movie

The Liquid Legacy of Louis Lucas

Santa Barbara Wine Country Pioneer Is Driving Force Behind Lucas & Lewellen Winery

Matt Kettman
10/30/2013

In 1970, when Louis Lucas left his table grape-growing family in California’s hot Central Valley to try his hand at wine grapes in comparably cool Santa Barbara County, the 28-year-old Notre Dame graduate found himself staring at a blank canvas. 

Louis Lucas & Royce Lewellen

Interview with Louis Lucas, Viticulturist and co-owner of Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards

Mr. Hill's notes on an interview with Louis Lucas

Thomas R. Hill
09/13/2013
http://www.grape-nutz.com/tomhill/index.html

My sense is that the wines are more polished and restrained and balanced than many SBC wines. And I now know that there's some mighty good farming behind the wines.

First Wine Grape Harvest gets a Blessing

Lucas & Lewellen marks the start of harvest

Frank Cowan, Staff Report
September 12, 2013
Santa Ynez Valley News

With prayers and sprinkles of Holy Water on a half-ton bin of hand-picked pinot grigio grapes, the Rev. John Finley performed a special “blessing of the grapes” last week at the Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards facility in Buellton.

Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards owners and winemakers

A First Crush Blessing on the 2013 Vintage

Father John gives a blessing for harvest

Megan McGrath Gates and the Lucas & Lewellen winery team began crushing the first few lots of 2013 Pinot Grigio from our Los Alamos Vineyard today, September 5th.  Father John Finley met us at the winery to receive the grapes and solemnly offered petition for the harvest in our traditional "Blessing of the Grapes" service. 

The first Lucas & Lewellen grape crush of 2013

Eve’s Wine 101:

Tasting, and Learning, from Louis Lucas of Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards

Eve Bushman
August 16, 2013

Walking into the Lucas and Lewellen Vineyards tasting room on the popular Copenhagen Drive in Solvang, I was pleased to have my winery appointment set up with Louis Lucas himself.  Before we even sat down he started giving us some history of his winery.

With 400 acres, and four different properties, Lucas and Lewellen grows 25 grape varietals.  The tasting room had been open for 10 years – serving up to 25 wines.  The planting began in 1970 and Lucas has been in the area for 40 years.   

Petite Tender Beef Roast & Lucas & Lewellen Malbec

Best of Class Wine Pairs with Dish

John David Finley
July 28, 2013
Santa Maria Times

Also known as “Baja steak”, the petite tender is a boneless, cylindrical portion of a beef shoulder clod — the same area from which the top-blade or flat-iron steak is taken — and shaped like a mini-beef tenderloin. No wonder some butchers call it a Baja Steak… who wants to eat a clod, or a shoulder?

It cooks up like any steak, and each petite tender weighs about 10 ounces, so it would be safe to buy one tender per person served.

The cross-section has that same type of honeycombed structure as a beef brisket, and if cooked properly, is as tender as a New York steak.

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