I’ve written in the past about the plethora of wines made from grapes grown here in Rancho Santa Fe, some 29 vineyards at last count. Well, here’s your chance to see if these wines really do deserve the accolades people have bestowed upon them.
This coming Saturday May 21st at the Spring Wine Festival, three local winemakers will be pouring their wines:
- Jon Williams, The Cov, Bordeaux Blend (2015, 2016 and 2017)
- Scott Kahn, Chateau de la Terre Choisie, Merlot (2020), Rosé (2021)
- Steve Rosetta, Rosetta Red, Sangiovese/Merlot (2017, 2019)
At $89/person which includes “hundreds” of wines and a buffet (Seafood station, Risotto Station, Meatball Sliders, Brisket, Cheese and Charcuterie, Lamb Chops etc.), it is a steal. Reservations are available by calling 858-756-1182.
Random Thought Of The Day
People are surprised when I tell them local “homegrown” wines made from grapes grown here are just as good as really nice Napa wines. How can that be they ask? Two reasons: Terroir and Economics.
Terroir is the French term for what makes a wine growing region: climate, soil, pests, all the usual agricultural concerns. Turns out that Rancho is very, very similar to Napa. So we have the “bones” to make good wines.
Second, our local wine makers are not producing their wines at a profit. Far from it. They have small (relative to a Napa winery) harvests so that they can afford to underwrite the operation. What they care about is making the best wine they can. So they don’t use those marginal grapes you can get in a harvest that a commercial winery would use. And on the backend, the production methods are no different than a large winery – indeed The Cov uses a commercial winery’s barrel room, winemaker’s expertise, and bottling facility.
Try and Buy
Right now, The Cov is the only local Rancho Santa Fe wine available for purchase. Others are expected to be made available in the next couple of years. Even if you can’t make it to the Spring Wine Festival, you can buy The Cov wine through the Clubhouse Restaurant via this form (4th page). It is also available by the bottle while dining in the Clubhouse Restaurant, and at Mille Fleurs.
