Santa Barbara Wine Pioneers Open Their Libraries
Second Ever Event Honors Those Who Put Santa Barbara Wines on the Map
When winemaker Morgan Clendenen picks up my call to chat about the upcoming Pioneers Pour Again Heritage Tasting, she takes a break from capturing photos at Alma Rosa Winery for social media posts heralding the event. For she’s not just the owner/winemaker at Cold Heaven, she’s an unstoppable marketing force for the wine region, both here and now in North Carolina, where she lives part time.
Clendenen created The Pioneers of Santa Barbara County last year, when the Santa Barbara Vintners decided to no longer host the grand tasting at Celebration of Harvest. But more importantly, Clendenen wanted the tasting to be an “ode to those who helped build the reputation of the area and mentored the mavericks who came after them,” she explained. “Everyone wants to spotlight the new hot thing, but these wineries have been perfecting wine for decades — they’re not making science experiments. They have a history and put this place on the map.”
While not every pioneer will be at the November 17 event, attendees can sip superior juice from Alma Rosa to Zaca Mesa with 17 other wineries in between. Clendenen is particularly happy Bob Lindquist will be pouring his Qupe wines with last week’s news his winery has been sold by Terroir Life to Vintage Wine Estates, making him an employee, not an owner. “This could be the last vintage of hands-on Bob Lindquist wines for Qupe,” worries Clendenen.
