There’s not much middle ground when it comes to pinot noir. When grown for quality in cool climates with rocky soils, the yields are shockingly low, meaning that prices are frighteningly high. When grown for quantity so that the rest of us can actually afford a taste, it usually tastes like grape punch. Then along came Pali Wine Co., which set up shop in Lompoc seven years ago and focused on making pinots that were both reasonably priced and solidly made.
“Those are the wines that have allowed us to grow,” said Aaron Walker, Pali’s winemaker since 2008, now overseeing the production of nearly 20,000 annual cases that are sold in 30 different states. “There is a niche there for sure, which we’ve found.”
In addition to the five regional blends that Pali sells for around $25 or less (sourced from properties in Santa Barbara, Sonoma, and Oregon), Walker also oversees a robust vineyard-designate pinot program, with $50 bottles coming from such renowned vineyards as Cargasacchi, Fiddlestix, and Windsor Oaks. “They are almost exclusively sold to our mailing-list customers,” said Walker, a San Diego State grad who fell for wine while working restaurant jobs. “Those wines rarely make it out of California.” Though the company recently planted 44 acres of its own pinot, plus six acres of chardonnay, on Highway 246 in the Sta. Rita Hills, Walker explained, “We’ll continue to source from those vineyards. They’ve become name brands.”