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Behind the Vine by Hana-Lee Sedgwick
Hana-Lee Sedgwick is a writer, wine consultant and lover of all things wine and food. As a Certified Specialist of Wine and Sommelier, she loves to explore the world of wine in and around her hometown of Santa Barbara. When not trying new wines or traveling, she can be found practicing yoga, cooking, entertaining and enjoying the outdoors. Visit her popular blog, Wander & Wine, for wine tips, tasting notes and adventures in wine and travel: wanderandwine.com
A CHAMPION FOR THIS REGION
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reg Brewer has been a fixture on the Santa Barbara wine scene for the past three decades. As co-founder and winemaker of Brewer-Clifton, he’s spent the last 25 years producing acclaimed Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the Sta. Rita Hills appellation of Santa Barbara County. In 2005, he launched Diatom, a project exclusively dedicated to Chardonnay raised in the diatomaceous earth of the Sta. Rita Hills, and in 2016, started his cool-climate Syrah-focused label, Ex Post Facto. With a career deeply rooted in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA – an appellation he helped define and establish in 1997 (later receiving AVA status in 2001) – Greg Brewer has spent countless hours sharing his love and passion for this appellation, and has earnestly acted as an advocate for the entire wine growing region of Santa Barbara County. This dedication has earned him much recognition over the years, most recently by Wine Enthusiast Magazine who named him “Winemaker of the Year” as part of its Annual Wine Star Awards. Greg is the first winemaker from Santa Barbara County to win this prestigious award in its 21-year history. I sat down with Greg to learn more about what this award means to him, reflect on his years making wine, and discuss what’s in store for the next decades of his career. Q. First of all, congratulations! What an amazing feat to be named Winemaker of the Year. How does it feel to receive this recognition and how does it feel to be representing this entire region through this award? A. Thank you! It still feels a little bit surreal that I was singled out, but I really see the award being owned and earned by all of us in this region. Santa Barbara County is really my identity as a winemaker and the ultimate goal is to portray and demonstrate this place with as much clarity and discipline as possible. So really this is a testament to how special Santa Barbara is, and to see Santa Barbara gain this awareness on a global platform is really the most exciting and rewarding element for me. You’ve spent the past three decades making wine in Santa Barbara County and just celebrated your 25th harvest with Brewer-Clifton. How has this region shaped you as a winemaker? It’s totally shaped me, because I am professionally born here. I started at Santa Barbara Winery in 1991 when I was 21 years old, and have never worked or desired to work in other regions, so basically my entire adult life has been in the Santa Barbara wine industry. While I find inspiration from other regions and other fields, like art, music, and fashion, Santa Barbara is my place and I’m very prideful of that. I feel that having that intimacy with one place is a gift. The entirety of your career has been working specifically with Sta. Rita Hills fruit. What makes Sta. Rita Hills so special to you? Something I’ve been reflecting on a lot over the past five to ten years is my relationship to the Sta. Rita hills. It’s much like being with a significant other – you have confidence in that person, you can surrender to that person. You don’t erase yourself exactly, but you can be vulnerable and give your all to that person. I’ve given myself to the Sta. Rita Hills in that way, to make wines that sincerely channel this region. As for what makes the Sta. Rita Hills special, it’s multifaceted. It starts with the ocean. There’s a duality of spirit with the ocean for me: it can be calming and contemplative but it can also be a little bit intimidating and savage, which can be reflected in the fruit. I love that the landscape is somewhat desolate and empty in a lot of ways, with a beautifully predictable climate and a long, slow season that really gives one the opportunity and privilege to do whatever one wants stylistically. Speaking of wine style, how would you describe your winemaking philosophy? My approach is neutral – it’s all about quieting my voice and erasing myself because this region is so strong. I aim to celebrate the raw nature of the Sta. Rita Hills and pursue that with refinement and purity.
Do you have a favorite grape variety or clone to work with? No, I don’t really see things in favorites. Obviously Chardonnay and Pinot Noir have been the main vehicles for me to convey place, but clonal diversity, vineyards, different blocks and soils, they all play an important part. Much like different musicians and instruments in an orchestra, they all contribute something important on a singular level but it’s really the collective of those components that make it all work. Going back to your early days in wine... how did you become interested in a career in wine in the first place? I was working on my Masters in French Lit and teaching French to undergrad students, and wanted to get a side job. I happened to see an ad in the newspaper Greg Brewer, recently named “Winemaker of the for a tasting room job at Santa Barbara Year” by Wine Enthusiast Magazine as part of its AnWinery. When I walked in the winery for nual Wine Star Awards (photo credit: Jackson Family my interview, I was in heaven… the smell, Wines | Jeffrey Braverman) the people, it all felt so right. I didn’t get the job at first, but an opportunity opened up a month later and I got hired. After that first day behind the bar, I drove home and bought a wine book… I still have it actually. I thought the sooner I learn more about this, the sooner I’ll be able to make people feel more comfortable about wine – not in a presumptuous way, I just wanted to help people feel less freaked out about it. I quickly fell in love with the whole scene and helped out in the cellar whenever I could. At the end of 1992, I wasn’t super happy in grad school and I knew the assistant winemaker at Santa Barbara Winery was leaving, so I wrote to [Santa Barbara Winery Winemaker] Bruce McGuire. He ended up giving me that opportunity, even though I didn’t know anything about making wine. I owe him the world. Santa Barbara Winery is also where Steve [Clifton] and I started Brewer-Clifton. Who were the people you looked to as mentors or who influenced you as a winemaker when you were starting out? For sure Bruce McGuire – he gave me that first shot and really taught me everything. Chris Whitcraft and his best friend Burt Williams [of Williams Selyem in Sonoma] were also both very instrumental in my career, providing guidance during my formative years. Also Bryan Babcock, Bruno D’Alfonso, and Lane Tanner, who have always been so kind. They were like heroes of mine, and still are! I could go on and on. What is something that’s been significant to you over the course of your career? Besides being able to tell the story of Santa Barbara through wine, being linked to the local food and wine community has been so special to me. Seeing the stamina and perseverance of the people in this community and being a part of it all, there’s something beautifully deep in those connections and I treasure those. Is there a specific wine or even a certain vintage that you’re most proud of? Every year has played an important role, so nothing can be singled out for me. Looking back, every vintage is a snapshot of what’s happening in our lives. From the development years to the years of getting acclaim, to economic challenges and colder vintages, punctuated by personal growth and personal challenges – it’s all reflected in the wines and there’s really a fondness for it all. So, what’s in store for the next few decades? I think just staying the course and using my platform to further message Santa Barbara around the world, especially to expose people outside of the realm of food and wine to the wines and people here. I also want to nurture and mentor others, instilling confidence by offering leadership, guidance, and inclusivity to the next generations in wine. My ultimate fantasy as I ease into retirement – if I ever retire because working is my life and my identity – is to get my job back at Santa Barbara Winery when I’m like 80 years old. I want to be that old guy giving tours and telling stories about the early ‘90s, riding around on my scooter [laughs]. But really, it was such a beautiful beginning for me and I think wrapping it all up where it started would be very poignant.