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 Maybe
it was just luck, or maybe intuition, but back in
those days most vineyards were further inland and
away from the cooling influence of the ocean and the
coastal fog. Since then, Santa Rita Hills has been
recognized as perhaps the premier area in the United
States for growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Norman and Traudl originally hail
from Germany, with family backgrounds in carpentry
and farming. A few years ago, friends were visiting
from Munich, and upon their return decided that a
bit of the “old country” was needed in
the vineyard, and sent a gift of certified nursery
stock of Dornfelder vines. The vines flourished, and
a little bit of the Chardonnay has been grafted over
to Dornfelder each year. Huge, bold wines that are
almost ink black and loaded with flavor – not
your typical German wine. A bit of heritage, with
a California attitude, perhaps!
Grapes from the estate have always
been used to produce great wines from Santa Barbara
County wineries such as Gainey and Rusack, who continue
to purchase fruit today. As with most vineyards, there
was always a little wine made on the side –
the estate wine. Beginning with the 2000 vintage,
we decided to let a few others in on the secret and
released the first commercial wine under the Huber
label. |
