Future Perfect Wine Future Perfect Wine is made from hand-gathered fruit, and is hand crafted from brilliant vineyards in Santa Barbara County, California. We spoke with Winemaker Sunny Doench Stricker, whose name is the perfect description of her approach to wine.
How did you get into winemaking? I learned about wine growing up and traveling throughout Europe. Wine is a staple in the Old World and an integral part of the lifestyle. Traditionally, with lower alcohol wines in Europe, you can enjoy a glass at lunch or dinner and still achieve the business of your day. I enjoy wines like that: bright fruit, balanced acid, lower in alcohol that don’t knock you to the ground but rather, feel elegant and sexy. Those are the wines I try to make. When I moved to Los Olivos about five years ago, my husband and I bought a tiny farm with goats and chickens and I started mentoring under female winemaker, Jessica Gasca and subsequently with Amy Christine (MW) and Peter Hunken of Holus Bolus. 36 | ONE LUXE MAGAZINE VOLUME IV
All the while, I saved my dough and started making my wine until Amy Christine encouraged me to open a tasting room and to just go for it. That is how Future Perfect was born – out of the belief and encouragement from a friend and female winemaker who convinced me that my wines were special. Amy and Peter invited me to share their winery space to get started. That’s the kind of supportive and incredible community you’ll find in Santa Barbara County. What do you think it is that makes curling up with a good bottle of wine on a chilly, winter night so luxurious? Well, aside from the fact that Hollywood has done a beautiful job romanticizing that very image, curling up with a good bottle of wine on a chilly night is like being swallowed in the arms of a loved one and reminded that everything will be okay. It’s the sensation that, for a moment, all is well and you’re invited to feel comfort, peace and joy. You’re valuable, and carving out time like that always feels very luxurious.