SUMMER VISITORS TASTE SEASON'S WINES; LOCAL WINERY OWNER TELL WHY THE MAKING OF WINE IS LIKE NO OTHER BUSINESS.

Byline: P. CATHERINE SHANKS Community Columnist

The centuries-old fine art of winemaking is alive and well and prospering in Ventura County. At the Leeward Winery in Ventura and the Giessinger Winery in Fillmore, summer visitors can see the winemaking process up close and taste the results.

Leeward Winery co-owners Chuck Brigham and Chuck Gardner have been making wine in Ventura County for 20 years. The winemakers combine modern technology with age-old techniques to ensure quality. Brigham attributes the popularity of Leeward Wines to the three main ingredients - more customary ones such as grapes, tannins and sulphur dioxide aside.

``Yeah, it's a science, but it's also an art and a business,'' Brigham said. ``All of making wine is a balance. You can't forget any of those three things.''

The Leeward Winery is the largest in the county, featuring 10 state-of-the-art tanks, a separate temperature-controlled barrel fermentation room, a compact bottling area and a unique membrane press for processing the delicate white grape varieties. Average production at the facility is 10,000 cases per vintage year.

Every machine and every aspect of the process comes with its own story at the Leeward Winery. Like the grapes and the wines, even the French oak barrels take on a varietal significance - the crafting of the barrel and the type of oak the cooper uses are both important and can make a difference in the taste of the wine.

The balance in winemaking is also noticeable in the psychological approach Brigham and Gardner take to their chosen line of work. Winemaking is a business where one learns to expect the unexpected and make something wonderful out of whatever the weather dictates and the harvest yields. Their success is evident - more than 300 ribbons and medals adorn the walls of the Leeward tasting room.

``Our job is not to disappoint,'' Brigham said.

For him, customer appreciation and the knowledge that the end result is worthy of praise are of primary importance. ``You can have all the machines in the world, but if you don't care for and watch over the wine, it doesn't make any difference,'' Brigham said.

Edouard Giessinger has brought a family tradition and more than 150 years of winemaking expertise to his 2-year-old winery in Fillmore. The smallest of three California Giessinger Wineries, the tasting room, cafe and winery occupy a converted welding factory adjacent to the Fillmore and Western Railway operation within steps of the downtown City Hall.

``There is nothing else like it,'' Giessinger said of the site.

He walked to a window and gestured broadly toward the hills.

``What do you see?'' Without hesitation, enthusiastically, he answered his own question. ``It's a beautiful location.''

Clearly the master of his domain, Giessinger deftly pours samples of various wines for weekend tasters. An assistant placed small plates of pretzels before the visitors. While exchanging conversation and bits of humor with his guests, the host described the characteristics and qualities of each wine. His face lit up each time a guest showed appreciation for one of the Giessinger creations.

``It's fun. They have a good time,'' Giessinger said. ``If they like something, they buy it. If you make a good product, they buy it.''

Giessinger looks on his establishment as a place for visitors to have a good time, far from the big city, and a pleasant rest stop for weary Los Angeles- or Santa Barbara-bound travelers. He makes an effort to accommodate every person who enters his threshold. In fact, close to 600 people visit the winery every weekend. On any given weekend, from 20 to 50 people might pay a visit and try a sip of sirah or a bite of hot dog a la pesto.

Giessinger plans to expand the winery in the near future and open a French restaurant on the premises. The facility hosts a number of weddings and special events, in addition to the personally guided impromptu tours and tastings taking place on a daily basis.

Coming events will showcase both wineries.

Today and Sunday, Leeward Winery will host A Taste of Ventura for the seventh year. The event will feature a range of edibles from Boccali's, Boskovich Farms, Driscolls, Fillmore Citrus Association, Mission Produce, Pictsweet, Saticoy Fruit Exchange, Somis Nut House, Underwood Farms and Blossoms Etc. Epicure Catering will prepare the tasting. Admission, food sampling and wine tasting are all free. Event hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., both days at Leeward Winery.

On Aug. 8, Jonathan's at Peirano's Mediterranean Restaurant in Ventura will host a special wine maker dinner featuring Edouard Giessinger and a selection of his most popular wines. The cost is $70 per person. For information, call [phone].

For information about the wineries, call Leeward Winery at [phone] or Giessinger Winery at [phone].

CAPTION(S):

3 Photos

PHOTO (1--Color) Ribbons earned in wine competitions hang on the wall as Chuck Brigham, co-owner of Leeward Winery in Ventura, tests a glass of merlot.

(2) Leeward winemaker Michael Meagher filters the chardonnay. The winery's state-of-the-art facility is the largest in Ventura County.

(3) Co-owner Chuck Gardner stands among the wine barrels at Leeward Winery, which will host A Taste of Ventura this weekend. The winery has earned hundreds of ribbons and medals. Its production averages 10,000 cases in a vintage year.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer