TOASTWORTHY WINES : SOUTHLAND VINTNERS SEE FRUIT FROM THEIR LABOR.Byline: Sherry Joe Crosby Daily News Staff Writer When Chuck Brigham and his partner, Chuck Gardner, established Leeward Winery 17 years ago in Ventura, theirs was the only one there. Now there are five. In Lancaster, Cyndee Donato quit her job as an escrow officer to run the Antelope Valley This article is about the Los Angeles County region. For the census-designated place in Wyoming, see Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming. The Antelope Valley Winery full time. She regularly receives calls from people interested in starting their own vineyards. And in Santa Clarita Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, , where the first wine-tasting bar is expected to open next February, a restaurateur res·tau·ra·teur also res·tau·ran·teur n. The manager or owner of a restaurant. [French, from restaurer, to restore; see restaurant. and the owner of a car stereo shop have planted vines, hoping eventually to start their own commercial wineries. From the Ventura County coastline to the arid hills of the Santa Clarita and Antelope valleys, small Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, wineries and vineyards are taking root, giving birth to a new class of local entrepreneurs. ``We're seeing a little renaissance,'' said Eileen Fredrikson of Gomberg, Fredrikson & Associates, a San Francisco-based wine industry consulting firm Noun 1. consulting firm - a firm of experts providing professional advice to an organization for a fee consulting company business firm, firm, house - the members of a business organization that owns or operates one or more establishments; "he worked for a . ``Money, interest and marketing momentum are coming together.'' Fredrikson said. ``There are people who have money to invest and who have an interest in wine.'' According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Fredrikson, California has more than 1,000 wineries, many of them small, family-owned operations like Donato's Antelope Valley Winery, which annually produces 5,300 cases of wine from merlot, cabernet and red zinfandel grapes grown on the family's six-acre vineyard in Leona Valley and others in Paso Robles Robles is a common surname in the Spanish language meaning oaks, and may refer to:
Donato is among an emerging group of vintners striving to bring attention to local wineries. She said competition is the key to success. ``If we can get other people growing and getting awards, that's where you get recognition,'' said Donato, whose 1991 cabernet sauvignon Cab·er·net Sauvignon n. 1. A variety of black grape used to make red wine, notably in Bordeaux and the Napa Valley. 2. A dry red wine made from this grape. [French. , Dante's Reserve and Antelope Valley Burgundy won silver medals. ``If they do well, it's a reflection on your wine. We welcome the competition.'' But as more wineries have entered the fray, some vintners have started to feel growing pains grow·ing pains pl.n. Pains in the limbs and joints of children or adolescents, frequently occurring at night and often attributed to rapid growth but arising from various unrelated causes. . ``It was a lot easier to get into the wine business when we did,'' said Brigham, who helped found Leeward Winery in 1979. ``There were only 250 wineries. From a business standpoint, it's got a lot more crowded.'' Increasing sophistication so·phis·ti·cate v. so·phis·ti·cat·ed, so·phis·ti·cat·ing, so·phis·ti·cates v.tr. 1. To cause to become less natural, especially to make less naive and more worldly. 2. among American wine American wine production in the United States wine has existed for over 300 years. Today wine production exist in all fifty states, with California leading the way in wine production followed by Washington State, Oregon and New York.[1]. drinkers and a robust economy have helped fuel the growth in the local wine industry, Fredrikson said. ``There is a generation of people who are well traveled and who are becoming real wine lovers,'' Fredrikson said. ``And when you acquire a certain amount of knowledge, you start wanting to make this product yourself.'' The wineries mostly attract local connoisseurs looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. premium table wines at a reasonable price, but they also include sophisticates in the San Francisco Bay Area “Bay Area” redirects here. For other uses, see Bay Area (disambiguation). The San Francisco Bay Area, colloquially known as the Bay Area or The Bay , Seattle, New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of and Washington, D.C. ``We're selling all we can make and selling it throughout the country,'' said Brigham, whose winery annually produces about 24,000 gallons of wine made from chardonnay, pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon grapes raised in vineyards stretching from Santa Barbara Santa Barbara (săn'tə bär`brə, –bərə), city (1990 pop. 85,571), seat of Santa Barbara co., S Calif., on the Pacific Ocean; inc. 1850. to Sonoma. At Philippe's Restaurant in downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area. The sprawling, multi-centered megacity is such that its downtown core is often considered just another district like Hollywood or , The Ojai Vineyard's chardonnay is a favorite among customers. ``It sells pretty well - that's an indication it's good,'' said general manager Richard Binder Richard Binder (26 July 1839 - 26 February 1912) was an American Civil War Marine Corps Sergeant and a recipient of America's highest military decoration - the Medal of Honor. , who likes Ojai Valley's pinot noir and white varietals. ``I buy wines for big, big flavors. I don't go for a taste that's watered down. When it goes in your mouth, you have something there.'' The biggest competition for local vintners comes from the fabled wine country of Napa and Sonoma valleys, where hundreds of wineries make their home. Because Ventura and Los Angeles counties are not considered distinct grape-growing regions, their wines do not receive the same acclaim as those from Northern California. But local winemakers said quality more than makes up for their small size. ``You're not mass producing something,'' Brigham said. ``You can watch over things a little bit more carefully.'' Crafting wines is a passion requiring skill, knowledge and creativity, Brigham said. ``It is a lifestyle,'' he said. ``You have to understand that it's not all romance. It's an art, science and business. If you don't take all three of those into proper perspective you will fail. It's a balancing act.'' Some wine experts said Southern California, birthplace of California's wine industry, has what it takes to recapture its former glory. ``We have a good climate for growing wines, and with our open space, rolling hills and access to water, it's going to be the next Temecula,'' said DiMaggio Washington, who plans to open Santa Clarita's first wine-tasting bar in February. Long hot summers, cool nights and relatively little rainfall make Ventura and Los Angeles counties even better places to grow grapes than famed Napa Valley, winemakers said. ``It's almost easier,'' said Donato, who compares Leona Valley to southern Italy's warm climate. ``We have less challenges as far as the weather goes.'' But constant pressure from encroaching urban neighborhoods and high land prices has retarded the growth of the local wine industry. But that hasn't stopped Juan Alonso and Danny Mascari from planting their own grape vines in Santa Clarita. Mascari, owner of a car stereo installation shop, planted two acres of cabernet and sangiovese grapes and hopes to produce his first wines next September. ``I got tired of buying wine, and my wine bill was getting too expensive,'' said Mascari, who hopes to turn his vines into a long-term commercial venture. He's not alone. This year, Alonso planted 400 vines of merlot and cabernet sauvignon grapes on an acre near his French restaurant, Le Chene. The experiment worked so well that he is planning to triple the number of vines and add syrah grapes. ``My grapes are growing rapidly,'' said Alonso, whose family made wine in Galicia, Spain. ``Next I'll be looking for someone to produce the first wines.'' CAPTION(S): 3 Photos PHOTO (1) Eric Cinnamon, winemaker for Leeward Winery, e xamines a 1995 merlot. The 17-year-old Ventura winery is being joined in the Southland by a slew of companies. Phil McCarten/Daily News (2) A healthy climate is one factor that has proved helpful to Southern California vintners. Jeff Goldwater/Daily News (3) Cyndee Donato quit her previous job to run the Antelope Valley Winery. Jeff Goldwater/Daily News (4) Leeward Winery's Eric Cinnamon puts the winemaker's 1995 pinot noir through some quality tests. Phil McCarten/Daily News |
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