Quick Take

In her biweekly column, Lookout wine expert Laurie Love reports on a Santa Cruz County pinot noir grape harvest coming early due to the summer’s warm temperatures, the risk of too much sun, a magical night of local food and wine pairings at Persephone Restaurant, and the resumption of the Cabrillo College Wine Program this fall.

Welcome to Laurie Love on Wine! I am Laurie Love, a WSET Level 3, CSW, FWS, professional wine writer and educator based in Santa Cruz. In this column I share my wine passion, knowledge, and experience with Lookout readers. Stay in touch: Follow me on Instagram at @LaurieLoveOnWine, my wine blog, Laurie Loves Wine, or connect by email at laurie@lookoutlocal.com. Join me as we journey together through the wonderful world of wine. 

Santa Cruz 2024 vintage check-in with local viticulturist Ken Swegles

How is the 2024 vintage progressing in our local Santa Cruz Mountain vineyards? To get the answer to that question, I caught up with Ken Swegles, local viticulturist and owner of Rhizos Viticulture. The exciting news is that, with our unusually warm and sunny summer, 2024 is shaping up to be a great vintage, and pinot noir harvest will probably happen a full two months earlier than last year.

Ken Swegles
Local viticulturist Ken Swegles. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

Our local vineyards are loaded with good, clean fruit thanks to a warm period during the growing season. “Compared to last year, when there was a lot more mildew because it was so cold and wet, this year the disease pressure is much lower. So most of our vineyards, especially pinot noir, have set a fantastic crop,” said Swegles. Read the story here.

Perfect Pairing: Madson Wines dinner at Persephone Restaurant

Laurie Love and Chef Cori
Persephone Restaurant Chef Cori Goudge-Ayer, left, with Lookout’s Laurie Love at Madson Wines dinner Credit: Laurie Love

What happens when you have the perfect food and wine pairing? Magic! And wizardry was in abundance at the Madson Wines dinner at Persephone Restaurant in Aptos last Sunday. Through six expertly paired courses, Chef Cori Goudge-Ayer showcased her incredible culinary artistry, bringing elevated sophistication to each dish, created specifically to match each of six Madson wines, personally presented by Ken Swegles and Abbey Chrystal, Madson Wines’ partners and viticulturists. The result was truly magical. Read the story here.

MORE WINE NEWS

Cabrillo College Wine Program Fall 2024 starts Aug. 26

The Cabrillo College Wine Program resumes this fall with three courses: “Wine & Wine Service,” “Sensory Evaluation of Wine Varietals” and “California Wines.” Deborah Parker Wong teaches “Wine & Wine Service” and “Sensory Evaluation of Wine Varietals,” both of which are entry-level eight-week hybrid classes. Fred Swan teaches the semester-long “California Wines” course, and he also heads the San Joaquin Delta College Wine Studies program. Both instructors have extensive experience as wine educators and wine writers, and deep professional credentials in the wine field. The fall course selections are intended to start a student’s journey through the two-year program on the path toward a Wine Studies Certificate of Achievement or associate degree in wine studies, a new degree being offered starting this academic year. Courses start Aug. 26 and are open to anyone 18 years and older. For more information, check the Wine Program’s webpage, or sign up for classes here. If you’ve been waiting to take a wine class at Cabrillo, now is a great time to start.

Cabrillo College Wine Class
A student sniffs a glass of red wine during a Cabrillo College wine class. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

Farm Cottage Wines score big

Wine Enthusiast wine critic Matt Kettman recently reviewed Farm Cottage Wines’ spring releases, and gave them big scores. Farm Cottage 2022 Ryan Spencer Vineyard Santa Cruz Mountains Syrah scored an incredible 97 points, while Farm Cottage 2022 Lester Family Vineyard Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir received 94 points. These are honorable accolades for Ryan Alfaro, winemaker and family member of Alfaro Family Vineyards, who started his own label, Farm Cottage, in 2019. The wines are in limited supply and available online. Congratulations, Ryan!

A selection of Farm Cottage Wines
A selection of Farm Cottage Wines. Credit: Farm Cottage Wines

Saison Cellar & Wine Bar opens in San Francisco

Coming off its success in Scotts Valley, Saison Cellar & Wine Bar just opened a San Francisco location at 234 Townsend St., down the block from the Michelin-starred Saison restaurant. The San Francisco wine bar follows the same concept as the one in Scotts Valley, offering world-renowned wines by the taste, glass or bottle from world wine regions such as France and Italy and from local Santa Cruz Mountains wineries as well. Food pairings will include truffle fries, charcuterie, Michael Mina’s “caviar parfait” and Maison Nico’s pastries, pâtes and spreads. Both wine bars, Saison restaurant, Saison Winery and other restaurants are owned by Mark Bright and the Saison Hospitality Group. Click here for more information and to sign up for updates.

Inside the Saison Wine Bar in Scotts Valley. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

“Widow Clicquot” film just released

“Widow Clicquot,” a new film released July 19, celebrates one of Champagne’s most famous women, Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin, aka Veuve Clicquot. A piece of historical fan fiction, the film brings romance and intrigue to the story of the woman who in 1816 invented two of the specialized techniques still used today in making traditional method sparkling wine today: riddling and disgorging. Based on the book “Widow Clicquot” by Tilar Mazzeo (published in 2008), the film is currently playing at the Santa Cruz Cinema and stars Haley Bennett, Tom Sturridge and Sam Riley.

LAURIE’S PICKS: UPCOMING WINE EVENTS 

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Until next time!

Cheers,

Laurie

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Laurie Love is a professional wine educator and writer based in Santa Cruz, where she has lived for 34 years. She shares her wine passion, knowledge and experience with Lookout readers as Lookout’s wine...