Alma Rosa

So, Alma Rosa! You want to hear about them. It seems that many of their wines are quite affordable if you are able to get your hands on them. Alma Rosa was started by Richard Sanford in 1970. He was one of the first to recognize potential in the Santa Rita Hills area, realizing that the westward facing valleys allowed cool ocean air to blow in and moderate the growing climate. He likened the climate to Burgundies, and found that the well drained soil was well suited to growing the Burgundian varieties of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. He married his wife, Thekla, in 1978, and together they create some of the most refined and yummy wines in Santa Barbara.

In 2000, all of the Sanford estates were certified organic by the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). More on organic certifications later- this is a topic that I am very interested in and I plan to explore in many future posts. But it is good to know that all of Alma Rosa’s wines are organic, and in fact they take their commitment to the environment even further, supporting other earth-friendly causes such as the reintroduction of the peregrine falcons to the Santa Ynez Valley. More than a bunch of talk, they take their commitment to the environment very seriously. Personally, I don’t see how you cannot if you grow grapes and make wine for a living.

So now you know about Alma Rosa winery. Look out for their yummy pinots and chardonnays. I have to admit their labels are pretty lame, but this isn’t a design blog so I’ll keep those thoughts to myself. Well actually I just told you what I thought. But I wont elaborate anymore. Look out for more posts soon on the lovely pairing of Pinot Noir and Autumn…