PAST EVENTS
08.13.2011
Reception begins at 6:30, Dinner at 7:30
Memphis dinner at Wine Cask The evening will begin with a reception in the courtyard of the Wine Cask where you’ll be able to meet and greet the Memphis and Wine Cask chefs while tasting a selection of Margerum made wines. We’ll then move inside for a multicourse dinner at 7:30.
813 Anacapa St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
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08.13.2011
1:00 PM — 4:00 PM
Memphis BBQ vs Santa Maria BBQ Join us as four of the top chefs from Memphis face off against the BBQ crew from our trusted vineyard management company; Coastal Vineyard Care. This is sure to be a great afternoon of food and wine. We will be pouring wines from Margerum, Cimarone/3CV, Happy Canyon, and CENT’ANNI. Space is limited to 100 people and tickets are selling fast. Tickets are $50 and include unlimited BBQ and tasting of over fifteen wines.
49 Foxen Canyon Rd. Los Olivos, CA 93441 (behind Curtis Winery)
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07.31.2010
3:00 PM — 6:00 PM
The Wine Cask Exclusive Sunlight and Water Preview and Wine Tasting Joining Mr. Halper will be the winemakers for MARGERUM, Happy Canyon Vineyard, Cimarone, and others. This special preview event of the Sunlight and Water exhibition will include many images that have never been publicly presented. This event at The Wine Cask is free to anybody who would like to attend. There are still a limited number of dinner reservations available for that evening.
813 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
805-966-9463
WineCask.com
11.09.2009
October 8, 2009 : TTB Announces Establishment of Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara Viticultural Area
Washington, D.C. — The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) published a final rule in the Federal Register establishing the 23,941–acre “Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara” American viticultural area in Santa Barbara County, California. This viticultural area lies within the larger Santa Ynez Valley viticultural area and the multicounty Central Coast viticultural area. TTB designates viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase.
This final rule becomes effective November 9, 2009.
07.10.2009
2:30 PM — 4:15 PM
Central Coast Wine Classic Bordeaux Varietal Blend Symposium, focusing on Wines from the Napa Valley and featuring Alpha Omega, Chappellet, Continuum, David Arthur, Dominus, Far Niente, Gargiulo, Hall, Happy Canyon Vineyards®, Harbison, Viader and Vineyard 29.
archie@slonet.org, 805-544-1285 for registration.
centralcoastwineclassic.org
Dolphin Bay Resort & Spa
06.06.2009
1:00 PM — 5:00 PM (VIP)
2:00 PM — 5:00 PM (General Admission)
The Santa Barbara County Wine Futures Tastings In an unprecedented collaboration to promote the wines of Santa Barbara County, The Winehound and The Wine House are delighted to announce their 2009 futures tastings, featuring a dazzling roster of the central coast’s famous (and soon-to-be-famous) labels.
Advance tickets required, call 800-626-9463 or 310-479-3731 to reserve.
Visit wineaccess.com for more information.
The Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel, 2025 Avenue of the Stars
05.09.2009
4:30 PM — 7:30 PM
The Santa Barbara County Wine Futures Tastings In an unprecedented collaboration to promote the wines of Santa Barbara County, The Winehound and The Wine House are delighted to announce their 2009 futures tastings, featuring a dazzling roster of the central coast’s famous (and soon–to–be–famous) labels.
Advance tickets required, call 805-845-5247 to reserve.
Visit wineaccess.com for more information.
Fleischmann Auditorium at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
04.30.2009
Wine Maker’s Dinner at Spanish Hills. Happy Canyon Vineyards® & Margerum Wine Maker’s Dinner at Spanish Hills Country Club
805.388.5000
999 Crestview Avenue, Camarillo, CA 93010
04.26.2009
Happy Canyon Vineyards® at the Cheese Shop in Santa Barbara. More details to follow.
04.18.2009
1:00 — 4:00 PM
Happy Canyon Vineyards® at the Vintners’ Festival. The annual Santa Barbara County Vintners’ Festival attracts wine lovers from near and far for an opportunity to meet the HCV vintners team, taste our wines, and enjoy great food and music in a festive outdoor environment.
River Park in Lompoc.
04.16.2009
Wine Maker Dinner — Glen Annie. Happy Canyon Vineyards® & Margerum Wine Company Wine Maker Dinner at Glen Annie Golf Club
glenannie@valleycrest.com, Contact Scott at 805-968-6400
405 Glen Annie Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93117
03.13.2009
5:30 — 7:30 PM
CHUKKER release party. Taste of the Valleys — A tasting of all of the Happy Canyon Vineyards® wines: PIOCHO, BRAND and TEN–GOAL.
ashm@charter.net, 805-688-7111
1672 Mission Drive, Solvang, CA 93463
03.12.2009
CHUKKER Release Date. Spring Equinox.
02.26.2009
5:30 — 7:30 PM
Sigel’s Fine Wines & Great Spirits. Price for the consumer event will be $30.00/person. Chef Chris Ward is world famous and has promised all the hors d’oeuvres you can eat along with all the great wines from Santa Barbara.
214–350–1271
2960 Anode Lane, Dallas, TX 75220
10.11.2008
Celebration of Harvest, sponsored by the Santa Barbara County Vintner’s Association was a huge success and enjoyed by all who flocked to taste some of the finest wines in the valley. The festival that was held at Rancho Sisquoc Winery attracted dedicated wine enthusiasts as well as locals and visitors looking to expand their own palates. Happy Canyon had many wine lovers comment on how much they enjoyed both the 05 Piocho and 05 Ten–Goal. “This Cabernet Sauvignon is clearly the most interesting and complete wine I have tasted here this afternoon.”
WINE REVIEWS
A Pair of Surprises from Santa Barbara
When I unbagged a couple of delicious Cabernets in one of my recent blind tastings, I hadn’t paid attention to the appellation. So I was pleasantly surprised times two to see these two wines came from Happy Canyon in Santa Barbara’s Santa Ynez Valley. And I had to look twice at the winery name on the label: Barrack. But it's not the president.
Cabernet has been a tough nut to crack in Santa Barbara, even though it’s been tried many times by many people in many sites, only to largely uninspiring results, to my taste. Much of the time Cabernet has been planted in areas too cool for it to ripen, and this heat–seeking grape can be herbal and vegetal with hard green tannins when it doesn’t sufficiently ripen.
Both of these 2005s — Piocho (Cabernet Franc, Cabernet and Merlot) and Ten Goal (Cabernet, Merlot and Franc) — show what can be achieved in this appellation, at the eastern, inland portion of Santa Ynez.
The Piocho (the Indian name for the property) is elegant and stylish, with rich layers of loamy earth, black cherry and cedary oak. No price yet. The Ten Goal ($60) shows more toasty, mocha and oak and is richer and broader.
Doug Margerum, who has been involved in the winemaking, has been politely encouraging me to keep an open mind about Santa Ynez Valley Cabernet, and he’s right. These are exciting wines.
The owners are Tom and Laural Barrack (pronounced Bare-ick), who own Ch�teau Lascombes in Bordeaux, a second-growth estate in the heart of Margaux, so it figures that they would have success with this grape.
— James Laube, Wine Spectator, April 06, 2009
“The 2004 vintage of Happy Canyon Vineyards® PIOCHO yielded barely 1,000 cases of a truly ‘heavenly’ red blend. Robert Parker has hailed the 2004 PIOCHO as ‘The finest Bordeaux–styled red that has been produced in the Santa Ynez Valley. It boasts superb minerality…beautiful blueberry, raspberry and black currant characteristics, crunchy fruit, great texture as well as intensity, and a magnificent finish.” His 92 point score places it in his “Outstanding’ category: a wine of exceptional complexity and character.
—Wally’s (Los Angeles)
“The dark ruby/purple–colored 2004 Barrack Brand, a blend of primarily Merlot with small quantities of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Syrah, is Santa Ynez’s version of a St. Emilion. Well–integrated, high quality French oak is accompanied by hints of mocha, raspberries, graphite, and blueberries. Medium–bodied and elegant with good underlying acidity, beautiful depth of fruit, and a firm, tannic edge, it may merit an even higher score after some additional bottle age.“ Rating: 90 Points
— Robert Parker (Aug 2006)
“The 2004 Barrack Ten Goal is a blend of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 20% Cabernet Franc. This Pomerol–styled red exhibits a deep ruby/purple color as well as aromas of juicy black fruits, espresso roast, chocolate, cherries, and flowers. A sensational effort, it could easily compete with some of the 2005 Bordeaux barrel samples reviewed in issue #164. Fresh, delineated, juicy, and pure, with a lovely texture, full body, and a layered mouthfeel, this stunning red should be at its finest in 2—3 years, and last for 15 or more. This seriously endowed, inspirational offering is one of the finest Bordeaux–styled red that has been produced in the Santa Ynez Valley.” Rating: 91 Points
— Robert Parker (Aug 2006)
“The 2004 Piocho is a Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot blend. It boasts superb minerality, terrific acidity, plenty of tannin, beautiful blueberry, raspberry, and black currant characteristics, crunchy fruit, great texture as well as intensity, and a magnificent finish. This seriously endowed, inspirational offering is one of the finest Bordeaux–styled red that has been produced in the Santa Ynez Valley.” Rating: 92 Points
— Robert Parker (Aug 2006)
