By K. Reka Badger
Like promising new shoots grafted from old vine root stock, the second generation of Central Coast winemakers looks to the future with the same hope and purpose of their predecessors. But these “Wine Brats,” with their legendary last names and enviable heritage, already have roots firmly planted in the Santa Ynez Valley’s wine history.
“My family planted vineyards here when I was in high school,” says Gary Mosby of Mosby Winery. “As a kid, I was just always around wine. It was second nature.” After high school, Gary went off to assist the winemaker at Chalone and then became the winemaker at Edna Valley. He returned to the Valley, started the Chimere Winery in 1989, and now works with his parents at Mosby where he says “I was meant to be.”
Ethan Lindquist, son of renowned winemaker Bob Lindquist, remembers taking dinner to his dad who was working late hours during harvest. “I’d come in and help with the foot stomping, climb up the racks and top the barrels, play with the power hoses or clean the tanks and fermenters for a little extra money,” says Ethan. “We’d sneak barrel samples when we were teenagers and I’d smell the wine, swish it in my mouth, and imitate the swirl—I thought I was really cool!”
As with many European families, wine was always served with meals in the Lindquist home. “I knew that I preferred Syrah when I was 8 years old,” laughs Ethan. “Most normal people had never even heard of the varietal until a few years ago.” Ethan attributes a large part of his flair for winemaking and a well-developed palate to this early childhood exposure to the smells of wine in the barrel and the taste of grapes off the vine.
Like Gary Mosby, Ethan is grateful for the help, encouragement, and expert advice of his pioneering father. Ethan is quick to admit that his dad’s reputation has helped his career. “My dad infused me with a passion for winemaking. When he started back in 1982, he took me along on his wine deliveries and sales calls in Santa Barbara and Los Angeles. By the time I was ready to release my own wines, I already knew a lot of the people I’d be working with. I’d stop in to ask them to taste and they’d say, ‘Ethan, I remember when you were a little boy, tagging along with your Dad...’”
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Despite the obvious benefits, there is a great deal of pressure for Wine Brats who choose to follow in their parents’ distinguished footsteps. Says Ethan, “I’m always under a microscope. People can be more critical and they leave me no room for error like they would for any winemaker who’s new to the business.” Not that Ethan has reason to complain. Following up four highly acclaimed vintage years, he has just released a 2004 Grenache, two Syrahs, and a Sangiovese. With a projected case production of 1,250 next year, Ethan is pacing himself comfortably and letting his market grow with him.
“I’m taking things slowly. This is a fun industry, not at all the stressful 9-to-5 deal that you dread doing every day,” says Ethan. “I love to look at my grapes, watch them grow, hike through the rows and taste them as they develop. I love the whole process, all the way to the glass, the parties and the enjoyment of wine, the way friends come together at the winery and the kids all play out in the vineyards—this life is very natural for me. It feels like I’m doing what I am supposed to do.”
Both Gary and Ethan foresee the continued growth and expansion of the Santa Ynez Valley’s thirty-something-year old wine industry. As tighter regulations make it harder to build winemaking facilities in rural parts of the Valley, Gary expects small wine operations to move into the industrial areas in town.
“There will be more vineyards planted in the county, but I think people are going to be a lot more thoughtful about what they’re planting. Pinot Noir and Syrahs from this area will always be a big deal, but I’m looking for a surge in Pinot Grigio planting,” says Gary.
By the time those vines mature, so will his two teen-aged daughters. Will they carry on the family tradition for the next thirty years? Muses Gary, “You know, they really do have good palates...”
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