Wining in Lompoc...with LaMontagne...

Back in September 2013, JD and I were happy to meet LaMontagne Winery owner and winemaker, Kimberly Smith. I wrote a short blurb about her delicious wines, and hoped that we would find ourselves tasting them again soon. We were able to make that happen during a short trip to the Central Coast in December. We headed into the Lompoc Wine Ghetto on a surprisingly warm December day, where Kimberly opened her tasting room exclusively for us!

The first thing you need to know about Kimberly is that she is driven to make things happen. When she wondered why she loved Pinot Noir so much, she went back to college to find out what it was about that grape that made her happy. The class changed her life. That was the night she met winemaker, teacher, writer, activist, and all-around Renaissance man, Wes Hagen of Clos Pepe Estate.

She knew right away that he was the guy who had the answers. She asked him to mentor her, and the next morning she was in the vineyard!

Wining in the Santa Ynez Valley...

The Goddess and JD received an invitation from the Santa Ynez Valley Wine Club to attend the Harvest of Love - A Winemaker Affair on September 28th at the Santa Ynez Inn in the tiny hamlet of Santa Ynez. This intimate event featured 6 small wineries: Roark Wine Company, Solminer Wine, Turiya Wines, LaMontagne Winery, Kaena Wines and Shai Cellars in a lovely shady green setting on a perfect California autumn day.

I've mentioned before that I rarely go to big wine events because it's too hard to talk to the people making/selling their wines. At a small event like this one, JD and I were able to meet the wine makers in person (some of whom we already knew) and find out what drives their passion for winemaking.