October 1, 2025 • 42 mins
Alma Rosa Winery in Santa Barbara County's Sta. Rita Hills is dedicated to making Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Rhône varietal wines that express the unique terroir of the appellation. Alma Rosa’s wines are layered, vibrant and balanced, reflecting the cool-climate influence from the nearby Pacific Ocean. Founded in 2005 by Richard Sanford—the first to plant Pinot Noir in the Sta. Rita Hills in 1971, Alma Rosa continues to build its legacy of pioneering excellence. In 2014, Bob and Barb Zorich purchased the winery and have since committed to elevating the winery in all aspects. In 2019, Samra Morris took the helm as winemaker and is now recognized as one of the region’s top winemakers. Alma Rosa is a must-visit destination, with two unique locations: the chic indoor-outdoor tasting room in downtown Solvang and the historic Ranch House located on the winery’s breathtaking 628-acre estate off Santa Rosa Road in Buellton.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Wine Soundtrack USA. Listen to the passion with
which producers narrate their winery and their worlds. In thirty
answers discover their stories, personalities, and passions.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Hello, friends and listeners of Wine Soundtrack. This is Alison
Levine and today I'm sitting up at the top of
a hill in the middle of the estate of the
beautiful Alma Rossa Vineyards and Winery. I'm here in the
Santa Rita Hills in Santa Barbara County, and I'm with
Winemacker Summer Morris Summer. Welcome and tell us about Alma Rosa.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Hi, nice to meet too, and thank you for having me. Yes, So,
al Ma Rosa is a winery in Santa Rita Hills,
and that we are located in a Santa Rosa Road,
and we have a gorgeous, stunning estate that we are
sitting here today. We all six hundred and twenty eight
acres property and currently forty seven acres is planted with grapes.
(00:54):
We mostly have Pino Nora and chardonnay, but we also
have Sarah Greenage Pinot blanc. And we planted this sierra
acre and a half of oligate. So it's very exciting.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
So, yeah, what's the story of Almerosa When? When does it?
When was it established? And I know the little story,
I mean the background is Richard Sandford had actually started it.
Can you talk a little bit about the history of
this winery.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Yes, of course, So Richard Sandford started Almerosa. So first
grapes he planted actually here, it was in eighty four
and we had those wines in front for many years.
He lived on the property since the eighties as well.
Once when he left the Sanford and Benedict he started
he planted line Cantata vineyard and after that, in two
(01:42):
thousand and five he started Almerosa Winery. And yeah, he
the beauty of he'll fall in love with the property.
And in twenty fifteen he sold property to our current owners,
Bob and Bob and Barb zoric He still he still
lives here on the property. He joined us for the
(02:03):
parties he's and get to enjoy and walk the vineyards
in the morning. I see him when I'm pulling samples
walking the vineyards. And they are owners. Pop and Borb
Zorich purchase the property. They studied us in Santa Barbara
and fall in love with the region during their studies
and always wanted to come back. And when they purchased
(02:24):
this property, the idea was to plant the forty At
that moment, they planted forty acres of pin on our
shorteney Sarah and greenage, and.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
The rest is history.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
They got me in twenty nineteen as a head winemaker
and here we are, here, we are here.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
And now you mentioned you have the forty four acres
planted here on the property. Are you purchasing any other fruit?
Do you have vineyards anywhere else?
Speaker 3 (02:52):
We used to purchase from the few vineyards on the
Santa Rosa Road, which was fun if they were on
the same We purchased from Lane Cantata. We purchased from Rancho,
Lavina and Radian.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
So one or two of those Richard had planted.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
Yes, yes, exactly, Plane Cantata he planted, and it was
the idea in connection and we decided now to be
fully a state. So now we have our young wines
are producing well, and we planted more and more. So
at this point the idea always with Bob was to
be a state winery. And we're very excited at.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
We and what is your total case production?
Speaker 3 (03:32):
We are currently now around five thousand cases.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
And are your wines available in states across the country.
Are they nationally distributed, are they internationally available or is
it more local?
Speaker 3 (03:44):
So eighty percent so of our production is going direct
to consumer. Twenty percent we make Santa Rita Hills Sharnay
in Santa Rita Hill's pino that is going to our distribution.
We are here in California, in Texas, Colorado, New York.
We're trying to go a few more other different states.
And we are in Norway. In Norway, yes, in Norway.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Well, so, Samma, you have a little accent. I know
you're not from here, and you are from Bosnia, right,
And if I'm not mistaken, you are the first female
Bosnian winemaker.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
Yes, that's correct, Yes, in the United States.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Yeah, which is amazing. So I'm curious. You know, growing
up in the Balkans, there's a little more of a
tradition of grape growing and wines and also a tumultuous
area at times, especially when you were growing up. But
what is your first memory relevant to wine?
Speaker 3 (04:37):
I think, you know, just having my parents drink wine
would be or my first memory was I think, you know,
just going to a southern part of my country. You're
going to the coast of Croatia, like where everybody's making
wine and it's fun. You staying with the lady in
on the island and I was like, I want some wine,
(04:59):
and she just give you some wine in a plastic
bottle that she made in the backyard. So that's like
my first That's all the memories, and it's very, very
cute and very.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
Even as a child.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
Yes, even as a child, it's normal to you know,
in Balkans at that time, when I was a child,
we didn't have a restriction how old you can be,
so it's normal your parents and grandparents give you a
glass of wine or something that's great.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
So you know, as you as you grew up and
you decided to pursue wine, is there a particular memory,
like one of those aha moments that really either set
you on your path to studying wine and making wine,
or a wine along the way that has changed some
perspective or opened up your eyes.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
Yeah, I think you know, when I was trying to
decide in which college to go, like I was like
an every nineteen year old, like I don't know what
I want, but I do and my parents, what do
you want to do this, this or this, And then
they were like, well, why don't you do study food sciences.
I was like, give me, let me try to do it.
And I just fall in love college. I love. I
fall in love with the chemistry and I love. And
(06:03):
then I remember just I want you to be a
brewmaster during bachelors and then they send us, send me
at the end to do at end of Butchelor's to
do the internship in brewery, and then I hate it.
Smell of beer. I'm like, oh my god, this is
too much. I hated it. So during my masters, I
started working more with the professor in anology at the
(06:24):
university and I start to intrigue me more like a chemistry,
the aging of wine, how interesting it's always changes. And
I was like, oh, I think I want to be
a wine maker. So that was the moment I was like,
I want to do this. It's so much fun, Like
you can have something like that. It's now you bottled
this year and five years it changes so much. So
I think that was that aha moment that changed for me,
(06:46):
like I want to be a wine maker.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Yeah. Well, when we're just showing the agent because We're
sipping a rose where everyone thinks you have to drink
it young, and this is five years old and it's
still drinking pretty fresh. So there you go.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
Yes, Yes, definitely.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
So is there a particular wine that stands out in
your mind as one of those that you remember tasting
and went a ha, you know, like maybe it was
a food and wine pairing, maybe it was the location
or who you were sharing it with, but one of
those special wines.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
I think. Yes. When I was working for Thomas Rivers,
Brown Wine Maker and we were in cellar and making
all these different cavernests Agnon's for him, and I remember
my back Cabernet Savignon that was like my favorite tank
and I was in love and it was just like
perfect wine. It didn't get hundred points later on, so
I was like, Okay, maybe I have some talent here.
(07:36):
But yeah, that was like the wine I remembered, and
I think it's still my favorite wine I ever tasted.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Wow. Wow, a Napa cabernet one hundred points.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
Yes, since it was twenty fourteen vintage my buck.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Wow wow. So you used to work in Napa, as
you just said, so you came over to the States
you've worked in Napa, you're down here now in Santa
Barbara County. You're from Europe, You've been exposed to wines
of the world. If we were to come to your
house right now and look in your wine cellar or
wherever you store your wine, what kind of wines would
(08:12):
we find? Are you drinking your own wines? Are you
drinking your friends wines locally? Or do you have a
lot of international wines? And are there any particular grapes
you tend to focus on.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
I think it's a mixture of all the different wines.
Like I have some wines from Bosnia and Croatia. I
like to show people because a lot of times people
that never tasted them. So I have some connections here
where I can purchase, like some of the wines from
the area. So it's always fun to have some of
those wines because people love to taste something new and different.
(08:43):
I love to have the wines from the area where
I'm here, from Santa Rita Hills, and it's always too
good to support our small wineries and the area, and
overall I have wines from everywhere, so it's fun my
friends come. I actually make a lot of red wines,
but I love to drink more white wines. So my
friends love when they come and I have my old
(09:05):
red wine fridge and they can choose whatever they wanted.
I'll go for it.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
So is there a wine that you opened up recently
that drank really well? Anything you opened up for dinner
or maybe went out to eat, but something from your
cellar perhaps.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
Well, I would say, let me think about it. I
did a Boston and Creatian wine tasting and there was
a few. It was a it was a winery from Croatia.
I forgot the name. What was the name of the winery,
but it was the the The variety is a native
(09:42):
variety from my country. And it was really really nice
wine and we really loved it that night. It was
one of our favorite wines.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
What is the variety? Do you remember?
Speaker 3 (09:51):
Uh? Now, I'm like, well I should know this right.
It's like, it's okay, the pressure I have. Yeah, it's
a variety from my prignac. Yes, that's very hard. Is
it a white grape, No, it's a red grape, redrap. Yeah,
it's really it was really showing beautifully, it was thinking
and we loved it. And then I did recently also
(10:11):
brought the bottle of my Radiant twenty nineteen, my first vintage,
and I've always love to see how it's aging and
how it's growing. It was showing also very very pretty,
which I'm like super happy to see. They're developing nicely
in the age.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
I love it. So you're working with a number of
grapes here. We are really in Pino Land. Many say
all the beautiful chartenays and cool climate surahs and grenaches
come out of here too. But do you think, in
working with grapes, and also having worked in now but
that there's a such thing as a perfect variety?
Speaker 3 (10:47):
I I don't. For me personally, I think my perfect
variety is Sarah. I just think as a as a wine,
as as a clusters and a leaf, there's just still gorgeous.
They just look perfect. I just like feel like when
you look at the serah graves, they look like a
pearls on your like a necklace. They're just like like that.
(11:10):
So I think they can be challenging to grow, but
there's that perfectness in them because they look so beautiful.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
So for somebody who has never tasted Almrosa wines, what
do you think they're missing out?
Speaker 3 (11:25):
On everything. So yeah, I think it's they're missing on
a like being a woman wine maker to taste the
You know, we are in a most of the wine
makers are male, so it's exciting to have a woman
wine maker to come and taste our kind of like
I think our wines are little more on a prettier side,
(11:45):
so like, so there's that elegance to my wines. I
feel like that I would love people to come and taste.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
So I know that you mentioned that you made a
wine and napp but they got a hundred points, which
is very exciting, and that you are wearing a necklace
that says ninety seven that is representative of the first
ninety seven points that you got. And I know we
were walking, we were in the cellar here at the
house on the top of the hill, and there's a
wine that you say got ninety nine points. So obviously scores,
(12:15):
scores are flattering and quite important, But how important to
you as a wine brand or as a wine drinker
do you think wine critics and scores are. Obviously you
stand up a little straighter when you get those scores,
But you know, do you think that that's an end
all be all? Do you think that's a really valuable,
you know, thing to have.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
I think so. I think it means a lot to me.
I mean even if you were like you know, every
time and you see they release it, you're going opening
email and it's like, okay, let me see what. I think.
It puts a big value on our lines. It helps
us with the customers who are reading certain critics to
understand our wines better and approach. And like you said,
if I did never taste it al Marosa, and I
(12:57):
see one of the critics mentioning all marosas this is
what is this wine about and why you should taste it?
I think it's definitely puts a good value for us.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
And so you've got some good scores, so I'm sure
you have only good things to say.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
Yes, I hope so.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
So you know, I normally asked this question, but I
think you answered it already. As a wine consumer red
white or rose.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
Rose and white and sparkling.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Wine, I was gonna say still sparkling.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
Yeah. I love bubbles. Margarita and bubbles.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
Margarita and bubbles, those are gonna think.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
Not together, not together, no, no, no, just I love
I love good bubbles, and I love a rose and
white wine. I it's just I don't know it. I
love a red red wine too, of course to drink,
but I feel like we're in California. It's always sunny,
it's always nice and warm. I like to like if
it's November, then I will go towards the reds, but
(13:54):
just the.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
Perfect So so if wine is sort of seasonal in
that way where this warm, you know, the beautiful weather
and everything makes you want to drink something white or
bubbles or rose and colder weather red, how do you
approach it when it comes to food pairing?
Speaker 3 (14:09):
Do you do you.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
See it sort of? Do you follow rules very similar
or do you follow the old rules of red wine
and meat, white wine and fish, or how do you
approach it?
Speaker 3 (14:17):
No, I really don't. Actually I feel like well, I
think also like me as a person, like I love
to experiment, I always taste. I feel like every time
when I do Winemaker dinner, I bring my rose. It's
always one of my favorite pairings. And it can go
with fish, it can go with lamb, it can go
with all of these different dishes. And it depends also
(14:38):
like what chef is preparing for you, and if you
do you know I always love to do pre tasting
and doesn't and have open mind and try the different things.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
So I mean, you have the luxury of not only
having the information of knowing your wines and kind of
having an idea of how to parrot. If somebody you
know doesn't have the experience, it doesn't have the benefit
of being able to open up five lines and pre taste.
Are there certain things that you look for that help
you decide, Okay, I'm tasting this dish. This is how
I want to pair my wine? Or do you go
(15:08):
the other way? Here's my wine? I mean, what do
you look at first? And also what are you looking for?
You're looking for similarities or contrasts.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
And I feel like the good thing about our varieties
that we grow here. You make pino ra and sharpenay,
and those two mostly pair with all the food. And
PINOI is are pino you know that we make here.
It has that nice complexity, but the beauty of Santa
Rita Hills. It has its freshness and acidity, and you know,
you can drink carpino in a summer, in a winter,
you can pair it with any food. I feel like
(15:35):
just it can go with lamb, it can go with steak,
it can go with a fish with the light salad
with shrimp. I feel like it's such a great pairing wine,
and it's that the beauty of peano r. You can
just have it with anything, no.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
Rules, just have fun, yeah, or just why no not rules?
So do you have any tricks if you drink too much?
Any any tricks to combat the over drinking? When you're
just to have enjoying wine so much and you've opened
up so many bottles, what happens the next day?
Speaker 3 (16:04):
I think if that happens, Always trying to beat Friday
so I can have Saturday and Sunday off and to
take just stay in a bed, drink a lot of
water and a lot of soup. Soup, yes, soup. I
like to buy a lot of amiso soup. That always
helps me super light and it's kind of oh, like
(16:25):
that's a fun time. I've replenished my electra lights and
it makes me feel good.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
So we are sitting here at the top. We're in
the private home of the owner, sitting at the top
of the hill, looking out at the hills behind us,
which are all part of your property. And then on
the other side of the window, it's the Caracle vineyard.
So it's really beautiful from up here. And if space
aliens were to land on the hill right over here,
come walking down and knock on this door, which of
(16:52):
your wines would you want to welcome them with?
Speaker 3 (16:56):
Probably my Tente that'll be fun for them to taste.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
And tell us about. Attenta.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
Attente is a blend of our sera and greanache that
we make from our estate here, and it's really what
I love. We have two clones of serra here and
I plant a tente with with a Tablas clone, and
which what I noticed the other one is eight seven
seven when I walked the vineyard and I taste it.
(17:24):
Seven for me is a meaty surran like characteristics, nice
pretty long clusters. Compared them to Tablas, it's giving me
a smaller cluster and it's that nice fruit notes to it,
which is so interesting. So I planned the tablas with
the greenage in this wine we co ferment and it's
just like marry them together and it's just a nice
it's it's really showing the beauty of Santa Rita Hills.
(17:47):
It's it's it has a nice, beautiful perfuming notes. A
lot of wines in Santa Rita. I just want to
put them in a perfume. I had to talk to
It's just like, oh my god, I need to make
perfume out of this. It's just like has a beautiful lilax,
a beautiful violette notes, but it still has a nice
fruit on it. And I think that would be the wine.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
I love that. I still have not tasted that whine.
Of all the wines yours that I've tasted, I'll.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
Send one model but too home today.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
No. I love that because you know, again Sanria Hills,
most people think of Peano noir and chardenay, but they're
such beautiful, like cool climate surround grenache grown here that
it just it might change your mind on san ganache.
Speaker 3 (18:32):
Definitely on Syrah because a lot of times when I
taste with people, they don't want to taste serah for
some reason. They taste it and then I was like, okay,
you have to just give it a try, and they're like,
oh wow, this is nice. So it's really nice. I
love to sometimes it's you know, to push people to
try different things. It's nice and to have them change
(18:53):
mind always makes me happy.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
Yeah, yeah, hard to have preconceived ideas. You got to
have an open mind. Yes, So thinking of an open mind.
You mentioned you have different clones out there, and you
spend a lot of time in the vineyards, and you
have trails all over so you can walk around. You
can really get into the vineyards here. So I'm curious
what kind of relationship you have with your vines. Do
(19:15):
you talk to them, do they talk to you? What
kind of communication is there?
Speaker 3 (19:19):
I think we walk. Yeah, we definitely talk to each other.
You nuture them, their babies, their old babies, You give
them all you have to give them a lot of attention.
I'm very proud that we have our own vineyard team.
I've worked together with our foreman Pedro, and we walk
the vineyards all the time and making sure that everything
is detailed and focused and like almost like try to
(19:42):
be as perfect as we can in a vineyard and
winery to grow our wine wines here, and it's I'm
very proud of it. And we also have some planted
wildflowers in between, and you know, to to just kind
of beautify and bring the bees and and butterflies to
our vineyard. So I'm really putting a lot of thought,
(20:04):
attend details in our vineyard.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
And your vines talk to you and tell you they
appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
Yes, they do. Some yards not that so much, but yes.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
And it's great too because you said you are on
what six hundred acres of property. You put fences around
the vineyard blocks so that you could have a wildflow,
wild wildlife corridor. Yeah. And so even as I was
driving up here, I had to stop because the deer
were crossing the road and the turkeys were on the
(20:34):
side of the road. So you had a lot of
animals sitting around here.
Speaker 3 (20:37):
Yes, I love it. The idea of when Richard's planted
and when we planted first fines, the idea that was
the perfect like to live agriculture and nature to live together.
And that's why we just fence so you have all
We have so many deer and I always tell everybody
has to drive slow because they're just everywhere. We have
(20:57):
three mamas now with like six seven. It's just well,
they're very comfortable. That's like they're very getting more and
more closer to us. We have a lot of bobcats,
we have foxes, we have coyotes, we have a mountain
lion in a cave in the hills, a lot of turkeys.
It's just a beautiful and we do hikes here at
a property with customers and for customers to experience their nature.
(21:18):
It's it's really precious.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
It's amazing. So I'm curious you've been here since twenty nineteen.
Being in the Santa Rita Hills. We know every vintage
tells a different story in the years that you've been here.
Do you see a lot of variation from ear to
year or is it a nuance variation? What do you
kind of see here in the Sarrita Hills and compared
(21:40):
to even your experience working in Napa.
Speaker 3 (21:43):
I think like it's it's very The beauty of Santa
Rita Hills is that fog that we have, that breeze
that we constantly have, and it's always you always have
that constant temperature like it's from January until now we're
in August. It's been nice, balmy seventy five degrees throughout
the whole day, and that the morning, cold mornings and
(22:03):
cold nights just captures that freshness and acidity, and that
give us opportunity to have this beautiful, long growing season.
I think out of my all years that were pretty consistent,
one year we had like a huge heat spike that
a little bit was changes. But it's so nice to
see consistency.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
And so are there any sort of signs or predictors
or omens that you look for that are at some
point throughout the season that help you predict what you're
going to get?
Speaker 3 (22:34):
Not really like we're very here, like you know, we
get it gets really cold during pruning, so we have
to make sure when we're gonna prune. The other thing
about Santa Rita Hills can get really can be a
little bit chilly during flowering. So that's like where that's
the time, how crop it's going to be, Like are
we gonna lose some flowers? Are not? Grenage is very sensitive,
(22:54):
so I always see a little bit lose some of
most flowers during this year was perfect and we didn't
lose any flowers. So it gives you kind of like
an idea like, Okay, what's gonna be happen about crop?
And I feel like you have to just drove out
the whole season, keep an eye on it. We have
powdery mild issues, so we give a lot of attention
to that, and then you know once now we're this
(23:15):
time getting closer towards the harvest. We give a lot
of attention to keep the yields very low so to
have that quality in a grape. So we a few
times we go and drop the fruit and just to
keep that nice small yields. And then now we are
in August. But always until I pick, and you never Yeah,
it's like, okay, let's see we're still having nice warm
(23:37):
water better. So I hope it stays like this until
we start picking.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
God forbid, everything can change tomorrow and make you reassess exactly.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
That's why it's it's it's a fun job to do,
but it's also a lot of stress.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
So because have you set up any sort of good
luck rituals for you and your team? Do you have
any true that you do at the start of harvest,
either as an individual, you know, like those lucky socks
or something, or as a team.
Speaker 3 (24:07):
As a team, Well, there's definitely. We we always have
a little gear and I think, uh, you know, we
always have a good uh with the first fruit, good
bottle of bubbles. But I think our favorite A lot
of us are August babies, and I bring our rose
from Pino r end of Fogus, which is my birthday.
(24:28):
So we have a special music list we have. It's
kind of like the whole party in a winery. So
there's like all this little ritual. I'm the one who's
going to inaccolate that that particular rose. And so it's
really that's how we start off the season and bring
that to good, the luck to better.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
Hope it's not a late harvest. You got to start
picking in August.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
Yes, it's going pretty the same as what we see
in Santa Rita Hills. I'm gonna bring my rose.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
End of August, perfect time for birthday celebration.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
It's a big one.
Speaker 2 (24:59):
This I love a nice tradition.
Speaker 3 (25:02):
You know.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
So obviously you fell in love with science, chemistry, you know,
that's what drew you. But when you were a little girl,
what did you want to be when you grew up?
Speaker 3 (25:13):
Oh, a lot of things. A bat. I wanted to
take care of animals, I think that, and then I
like sports, and you know, like I love volleyball and
I love roller skaters, ice skating, so all of those
things I wanted. But I did notice I never told
it's gonna be my talent later on in the years,
(25:35):
like I can't sing, so no, I couldn't be a singer.
But I always would smell things and like taste and
like even like if it's a clothes I always always smell.
And then even when my husband met me, it was
it's like you're weird, Like it was weird to him,
and I never thought. I was like I don't need
that ever, but now it's a wine maker. It's like,
what just makes total sense. I love to smelt. I
(25:56):
always smell. I always taste, So maybe some type of
talent that helped me today to be a winemaker.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
Right as a child, I was a good smeller.
Speaker 3 (26:06):
Yeah I smell because even now I smell, like when
I watched clothes, I smell every single like fabric soft
and I love it and into it like a lot.
And my husband's like, do you have to smell every
single thing? It's like, yes, don't worry about me.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
I love it. You must have a very very very
very good nose.
Speaker 3 (26:23):
Yeah I think so.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
My husband, because I sometimes not in some smell, was
like how did you notice it? It's like really, I
was like, yeah, I better have a good smell and taste.
Speaker 2 (26:32):
So when you're not working, aside from smelling everything that
you come across, how do you like to spend your
free time.
Speaker 3 (26:38):
I love beach. I'm a summer kid. I love beach.
I go a lot to Santa Barbara le in the sun.
I love to hike. We are in a gorgeous place
here where we can hi. There's so many beautiful hiking
trails we can do here. And then I like to travel.
I like to go Las, two hours away from us.
I like to go on a weekend. I like to taste,
go to different restaurants, or go up nor to just
(27:01):
try to explore as much as California I can. Because
I've been here since twenty twelve, I've seen a lot
of California, but I feel like I still didn't see
even like twenty percent of this state can offer.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
It's a big state. It is a lot of hiking
and a lot of beaches.
Speaker 3 (27:18):
Yes, definitely yes, and a good food and good food.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
So if you're planning a romantic evening for you and
your husband, what sort of wines do you open to
say this is not just an average night, but the
special night.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
I think'm not sure like exactly which Bonla would open.
But I guess it depends like what is the celebration,
what's happening, So I would choose like something just.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
A romantic evening to say you're special.
Speaker 3 (27:49):
Well, I have to say this, you know, as a child,
as you know, I'm from Bosnia. I survived the war
and I saw my family lost a lot of in
one day, lost everything. I lost a lot of them
members and my story and what I do. I was like,
there's no special if I want to open tonight one
hundred points bottle of wine, it's Tuesday night, I go
for it and I open it. So I think that's
(28:11):
my motto to live just you know, whatever you feel like,
just open it. Life is too short. You never know
what can happen tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
So think that's I think that's a really good point. Yeah,
because just opening wine is a special occasion and it
can be every day.
Speaker 3 (28:25):
But day Tuesday night, I had a long day at
work and I'm like, it's a beautiful Tuesday night. I'm tired.
It's like, why not to open something good and enjoy it.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
She smells a lot, but you know her husband must
enjoy that too.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
Yeah, he gets a little bit of a wine, most
of it I drink.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
So you just shared a really a really good piece
of advice just to enjoy life and not to save
for special occasions, but be present. Is there a good
piece of advice somebody gave you along the way that
you try to live by?
Speaker 3 (29:00):
Uh? I think?
Speaker 2 (29:02):
I guess.
Speaker 3 (29:03):
Oh, my family, like I feel like they're always what
I love like about my like grandma or my mom,
like my mom's mom. Grandma she is she's a very
positive person and she always like tell me to think
positive and just have that good energy and stuff. And
that's the always what takes me to life, just to
be a big believer and then be positive and good
(29:26):
things happen to you.
Speaker 2 (29:27):
And good things have happened to you. Yes, So when
you look back at your career so far and you
have a long way to go, You've got decades work
to work because you have a big birthday, but you
still have ways I still have more to do. Yeah,
But when you look back at your career so far,
(29:48):
what would you say is one of your proudest achievements.
Speaker 3 (29:53):
Come to a different country, it's a different language, and
become a winemaker. That's a huge I don't think I
realized in a time when I came here and I
just I want to be a winemaker and did it.
But every day when I look at my achievements and
being a winemaker in a different country, it's a huge deal.
That's like big a complimishment to me.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
I agree when you go back home. Are you famous
for being a female winemaker in the US?
Speaker 3 (30:19):
Yes, My family and my friends and my professors, they
love it. They're really very happy and excited for me.
It's a big achievement absolutely to be in one of
the top regions in the world a winemaker.
Speaker 2 (30:31):
Making delicious wines.
Speaker 3 (30:32):
Yes, so they're very happy. They celebrate with me every
step when all the points and everything was fun. Like
my mom, you know, now she's like so into it
and she's like telling everybody. So it's very nice to
see that.
Speaker 2 (30:47):
Has she been able to come here and visit.
Speaker 3 (30:49):
No, I'm planning to bring my mom and my uncle.
My uncle lives in Germany, so I'm trying to convince them.
My cousin did come here with her husband and they
loved it. They're like Osimra. Every day here is your
vacation day, Like you live in a beautiful place and
it really put me in thought. It's like, you know what,
You're right, it is gorgeous. So I am going to
(31:10):
bring my ad rest of the family to come, and.
Speaker 2 (31:13):
They may never leave.
Speaker 3 (31:14):
I know. Well, my uncle is like, I'm scared of planes.
I was like, I don't care. You have to come
and sit. So maybe it doesn't come after he enjoys
this beautiful better. Maybe he's like, you know what, I'm
not going back.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
Yeah, And you can really get distracted. You can't when
you look out the window and you see the hills,
the rolling hills and the vines. I mean, it's easy
to take that in every day when you see it
all the time, but just to remember how spectacular it.
Speaker 3 (31:39):
Is, Oh my god. Yes, I start my day in
the vineyard every morning and just look to be in
a nature every day. It's a it's a luxury to
be at your job. And I'm like, I enjoy it
every day. Even sometimes it's a little bit too cold
and I complain it's too cold, but still it's like
it's it's just beautiful too, and so lucky to just
(32:00):
opportunity to wake up and be in a vineyard and
start my day like that.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
So we're sitting at a table. Your wine's on the table,
whine you made, and there's an empty seat next to you.
Who from any walk of life, living or deceased. Do
you wish you could share a bottle of al Marissa
that you made emotional?
Speaker 3 (32:18):
Probably my great grandma. I think that would be cool.
She was a very strong person and you knew her. Yes,
she was with me and war and I think she
will be very proud.
Speaker 2 (32:31):
Oh yeah, for your great grandmother. So you're the four
four generations ago.
Speaker 3 (32:37):
Yeah, yeah, she survived War War two as a younger woman,
and then she survived bossy and war vitas. So very strong,
very strong personality, very and she she was the biggest
I don't know. I loved her a lot.
Speaker 2 (32:51):
And it's yeah, well it cheers and cheers to your grandma,
who would be very proud to see her great granddaughter
being a wine maker. Yes, so when you, I want
you to complete this sentence for me, A table without wine.
Speaker 3 (33:05):
Is like no table there boring. It's a great opportunity
to conversation because it's such a beautiful thing because you
have a food you can bring in, talk to your friends,
your family.
Speaker 4 (33:23):
It's just such a it's not just like a drinking
and it's just enjoying and the smells and the tastes
and sharing it to your friends and family and bring
the food that we all love and share the food.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
It's connecting, it is and it's the conversation because just
in a bottle of Almrosa, there's a story of the
history of Richard Sandford being the person who basically founded
the Sanerita Hills of Summer Morris, the first Bosnian female
winemaker in the US. The grapes, you know, like each
(33:54):
thing tells a story, and then you have the vintage
which can tell a story, and the travels and everything
tells a story.
Speaker 3 (33:59):
Yes, And then I always say it's like and the
and the people I've worked with who are my biggest
support and I am a winemaker and I'm like guiding them,
but they are the hard workers, and you know each
of their stories in this bottle too, And it's it's
it's it's a lot in a in a bottle of wine.
Yeah too, to tell a long, long story.
Speaker 2 (34:22):
So tell me something. If you were sent to a
deserted island and can only take three wines with you,
what three wines would you want to.
Speaker 3 (34:31):
Take definitely good bottle of champagne.
Speaker 2 (34:34):
A particular brand come to mind, you know.
Speaker 3 (34:38):
Barlinger like, it's really I'm probably notnouncing good French words
because they're so tough for me, but I love that champagne.
It's really like beautiful. Uh. And then second bottle would
be let me think about it, that my back probably
Governess Sagnon that I was telling you about and fourteen
(35:00):
twenty fourteen, my Governess Savignon. And then third bottle would
be one of the bottles I make to share with
whoever is on the island with me, any particular wine.
Speaker 2 (35:13):
Maybe I know, I know when you opened up the
reset for me, you said my favorite, my favorite white,
So I think it.
Speaker 3 (35:18):
Would be my l hubbly pino no r. That is
my baby I give the most attention to. And it's
my it's my baby baby, like my favorite, and that
would be the bottle.
Speaker 2 (35:29):
Why does El Hubby get your get to be the favorite?
What makes it your favorite child?
Speaker 3 (35:33):
It gives me the most headache. It's a it's a
pino no r. It's a fragile grape with the tiny skins.
It's very sensitive, but it's also it's always changes in
a cellar. When you have pino, comparing to other varieties,
it's every day, it's like changing, progressing, and I just
love that about it. And I give the most attention
(35:54):
to our l hubbly pino because that's like the top
of from our state. That's what our state is. So
that's why it's my special.
Speaker 2 (36:03):
The favorite. So we've been talking for a while. We're
almost finished. You did such a good job. I know
you're not nervous because we know each other. But still
we're gonna play a little game because it's the end
about your wines, wine and music. It's called wine soundtrack.
So at the very end, we always play this game
(36:23):
where we pair wine with music more too, as a
way to describe some of your wines, but also kind
of the sensation they give you music wise. So we
have been sipping your san Rita Hill's pino noir vungrie,
a beautiful almost golden rose. What would what would you
(36:44):
pair this music wise? Song genre? Musician?
Speaker 3 (36:48):
Oh, I already have, yeah, definitely, So this is the
that what I was telling you, the song that I'm
playing cellar. When I make my rose, we start with
the roses uh from and it's Imanbek remix from Saint John's.
So that is that song with this.
Speaker 2 (37:03):
Baby here, and because this is a wine that I mean,
I'm we're having the twenty twenty, but this is a
wine that's very fresh but textured.
Speaker 3 (37:11):
And it's a house music song, so it's kind of
like it's a summer it's like music. It's why being
it's a good energy.
Speaker 2 (37:18):
So yeah, start off the season. Okay, what about your
El Hubby Pino noir?
Speaker 3 (37:26):
M what what? I don't know. I think more that
something would be I don't know which song particular, but
genre would be more like jazz or something like that,
a little bit more smoother and more laid back.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
And you're a tente.
Speaker 3 (37:45):
A tente what fun? What'll do with that fun?
Speaker 4 (37:49):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (37:49):
You know what? I love? I love maybe some with
some bad bunny songs. I love to listen to him. Oh,
I have an Elguel, my favorite DJ. I love his music.
So Na, he has a really good song. I think
that will be a bit.
Speaker 2 (38:07):
Okay, so you describe those wines that we talked about.
I'm gonna do one more wine so that you can
just talk about that one a little bit and give
me a song and that is your shordinay, Yeah, I
know your owner's favorite wine.
Speaker 3 (38:18):
Yes, I love Shardonay. It's fun. It's so hard, but
all of there are my favorite as well. But with
what that would do, I think it's very pretty, ladies,
so I would it's put something very like like hmhm
for genre, I would do with that maybe more like
a blues or something like that, like very mystique.
Speaker 2 (38:41):
And good job son, right, thank you you did it.
Speaker 3 (38:47):
Yeah, the interview.
Speaker 2 (38:51):
So I have one more question. This should be a
pretty easy question. It's got two parts. This is the
first question. Is you love to travel? You said that
you've traveled, you know, obviously around California and travel internationally.
What region in the world wine region in the world
is at the top of your bucket list that you
want to go to.
Speaker 3 (39:11):
I would love to go to New Zealand area. Probably.
I hope I have opportunity as a country, as a winery.
I would love to explore New Zealand. I hear nothing
but beautiful things and how pretty country is. So I
hope next on my list next time your list.
Speaker 2 (39:25):
Yeah, And for people who want to come here to
the Santa Rita Hills, how can they find you? Where
can they find Alma Rosa. I know you have both
a tasting room and the winery, so what are the
experiences and.
Speaker 3 (39:39):
So we have a we have a two locations. We
have a gorgeous tasting room downtown Solvane. It's open every
day so it's walking star welcome, so people can go
any time or they're walking a queute to Solvane. But
we also have a ranch house on our property which
is over one hundred years old. It used to be
a dairy farm, so it's really really cool ranch house
(40:02):
where we do private tastings and also welcome. Our welcomes
are wilkins, are welcome, and we offer tasting. This is
my appointment. You can do tasting. You can do a
little drive through the vineyard and a tasting and the
coolest party. We have hikes. We have a one mile
and three mile hike and a tasting.
Speaker 2 (40:23):
Are these guided hikes or you go on your self guided?
Speaker 3 (40:26):
No, no, this is a guide that hikes with our
with our sales teams and they tell you the whole
history of the property. You get to see Bobcat next
to the Serra block. He's very famous. I think one
of our bendy She named him Fred, so he come
out and see him often. He's like living right next
(40:47):
to the block in a tree, so ninety percent of
a time you get to see him and all these
beautiful other animals you get to see. But come taste
our wines, but I highly highly recommend you do the
hike and tasting. It's really a something special or a
state is gorgeous.
Speaker 2 (41:02):
Yeah, and it is a hike because it's hills. So
I've done the hike, yes.
Speaker 3 (41:06):
Yes, because a lot of people thinking it's a plant. No,
it's a hike it and you get to go on
the top of the hills and you see these gorgeous
vineyards and mountains and the sky is just something special.
Speaker 2 (41:18):
It's it's not straight up, but it it'll get the
heart pumping. But the views when you get to the
top are worth.
Speaker 3 (41:25):
It, Yes, definitely.
Speaker 2 (41:27):
And you can hike up to the top of the caricle,
which is planted kind of circular.
Speaker 3 (41:32):
Yes, in three hundred and sixty degrease, and the it's
cold characle because in Spanish is a snail shell. And
the beauty of that block is actually it's a mixture
of different penal clones. So when Richard planted. It was
the idea instead of blending it in a winery when
not planted in a field. So it's a very special
block and it's really interesting wine. And when I first
(41:54):
made it in twenty twenty, it was so unique than
the rest of the blocks that we bottle it as
itself and it has really story.
Speaker 2 (42:00):
So there you go. You can come toward it and
probably even taste a glass of carocle while you're standing
in the carical vineyard. So, Summa, thank you so much.
This is such a magical place and such a great
place to discover. So I highly recommend everyone come out
to the Sandry Hills and come to Almerosa. It's a
piece of history because of its founder, because of its
location and summer. You're just doing an amazing job.
Speaker 3 (42:23):
So thank you so much for having me. Sure she
feel it, she believe she feel it.
Speaker 1 (42:29):
Thanks for listening to a new episode of Wine Soundtrack USA.
For details and updates, visit our website windsoundtrack dot com.
Welcome to Wine Soundtrack USA. Listen to the passion with
which producers narrate their winery and their worlds. In thirty
answers discover their stories, personalities, and passions.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Hello, friends and listeners of Wine Soundtrack. This is Alison
Levine and today I'm sitting up at the top of
a hill in the middle of the estate of the
beautiful Alma Rossa Vineyards and Winery. I'm here in the
Santa Rita Hills in Santa Barbara County, and I'm with
Winemacker Summer Morris Summer. Welcome and tell us about Alma Rosa.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Hi, nice to meet too, and thank you for having me. Yes, So,
al Ma Rosa is a winery in Santa Rita Hills,
and that we are located in a Santa Rosa Road,
and we have a gorgeous, stunning estate that we are
sitting here today. We all six hundred and twenty eight
acres property and currently forty seven acres is planted with grapes.
(00:54):
We mostly have Pino Nora and chardonnay, but we also
have Sarah Greenage Pinot blanc. And we planted this sierra
acre and a half of oligate. So it's very exciting.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
So, yeah, what's the story of Almerosa When? When does it?
When was it established? And I know the little story,
I mean the background is Richard Sandford had actually started it.
Can you talk a little bit about the history of
this winery.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Yes, of course, So Richard Sandford started Almerosa. So first
grapes he planted actually here, it was in eighty four
and we had those wines in front for many years.
He lived on the property since the eighties as well.
Once when he left the Sanford and Benedict he started
he planted line Cantata vineyard and after that, in two
(01:42):
thousand and five he started Almerosa Winery. And yeah, he
the beauty of he'll fall in love with the property.
And in twenty fifteen he sold property to our current owners,
Bob and Bob and Barb zoric He still he still
lives here on the property. He joined us for the
(02:03):
parties he's and get to enjoy and walk the vineyards
in the morning. I see him when I'm pulling samples
walking the vineyards. And they are owners. Pop and Borb
Zorich purchase the property. They studied us in Santa Barbara
and fall in love with the region during their studies
and always wanted to come back. And when they purchased
(02:24):
this property, the idea was to plant the forty At
that moment, they planted forty acres of pin on our
shorteney Sarah and greenage, and.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
The rest is history.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
They got me in twenty nineteen as a head winemaker
and here we are, here, we are here.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
And now you mentioned you have the forty four acres
planted here on the property. Are you purchasing any other fruit?
Do you have vineyards anywhere else?
Speaker 3 (02:52):
We used to purchase from the few vineyards on the
Santa Rosa Road, which was fun if they were on
the same We purchased from Lane Cantata. We purchased from Rancho,
Lavina and Radian.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
So one or two of those Richard had planted.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
Yes, yes, exactly, Plane Cantata he planted, and it was
the idea in connection and we decided now to be
fully a state. So now we have our young wines
are producing well, and we planted more and more. So
at this point the idea always with Bob was to
be a state winery. And we're very excited at.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
We and what is your total case production?
Speaker 3 (03:32):
We are currently now around five thousand cases.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
And are your wines available in states across the country.
Are they nationally distributed, are they internationally available or is
it more local?
Speaker 3 (03:44):
So eighty percent so of our production is going direct
to consumer. Twenty percent we make Santa Rita Hills Sharnay
in Santa Rita Hill's pino that is going to our distribution.
We are here in California, in Texas, Colorado, New York.
We're trying to go a few more other different states.
And we are in Norway. In Norway, yes, in Norway.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Well, so, Samma, you have a little accent. I know
you're not from here, and you are from Bosnia, right,
And if I'm not mistaken, you are the first female
Bosnian winemaker.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
Yes, that's correct, Yes, in the United States.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Yeah, which is amazing. So I'm curious. You know, growing
up in the Balkans, there's a little more of a
tradition of grape growing and wines and also a tumultuous
area at times, especially when you were growing up. But
what is your first memory relevant to wine?
Speaker 3 (04:37):
I think, you know, just having my parents drink wine
would be or my first memory was I think, you know,
just going to a southern part of my country. You're
going to the coast of Croatia, like where everybody's making
wine and it's fun. You staying with the lady in
on the island and I was like, I want some wine,
(04:59):
and she just give you some wine in a plastic
bottle that she made in the backyard. So that's like
my first That's all the memories, and it's very, very
cute and very.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
Even as a child.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
Yes, even as a child, it's normal to you know,
in Balkans at that time, when I was a child,
we didn't have a restriction how old you can be,
so it's normal your parents and grandparents give you a
glass of wine or something that's great.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
So you know, as you as you grew up and
you decided to pursue wine, is there a particular memory,
like one of those aha moments that really either set
you on your path to studying wine and making wine,
or a wine along the way that has changed some
perspective or opened up your eyes.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
Yeah, I think you know, when I was trying to
decide in which college to go, like I was like
an every nineteen year old, like I don't know what
I want, but I do and my parents, what do
you want to do this, this or this, And then
they were like, well, why don't you do study food sciences.
I was like, give me, let me try to do it.
And I just fall in love college. I love. I
fall in love with the chemistry and I love. And
(06:03):
then I remember just I want you to be a
brewmaster during bachelors and then they send us, send me
at the end to do at end of Butchelor's to
do the internship in brewery, and then I hate it.
Smell of beer. I'm like, oh my god, this is
too much. I hated it. So during my masters, I
started working more with the professor in anology at the
(06:24):
university and I start to intrigue me more like a chemistry,
the aging of wine, how interesting it's always changes. And
I was like, oh, I think I want to be
a wine maker. So that was the moment I was like,
I want to do this. It's so much fun, Like
you can have something like that. It's now you bottled
this year and five years it changes so much. So
I think that was that aha moment that changed for me,
(06:46):
like I want to be a wine maker.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Yeah. Well, when we're just showing the agent because We're
sipping a rose where everyone thinks you have to drink
it young, and this is five years old and it's
still drinking pretty fresh. So there you go.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
Yes, Yes, definitely.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
So is there a particular wine that stands out in
your mind as one of those that you remember tasting
and went a ha, you know, like maybe it was
a food and wine pairing, maybe it was the location
or who you were sharing it with, but one of
those special wines.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
I think. Yes. When I was working for Thomas Rivers,
Brown Wine Maker and we were in cellar and making
all these different cavernests Agnon's for him, and I remember
my back Cabernet Savignon that was like my favorite tank
and I was in love and it was just like
perfect wine. It didn't get hundred points later on, so
I was like, Okay, maybe I have some talent here.
(07:36):
But yeah, that was like the wine I remembered, and
I think it's still my favorite wine I ever tasted.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Wow. Wow, a Napa cabernet one hundred points.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
Yes, since it was twenty fourteen vintage my buck.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Wow wow. So you used to work in Napa, as
you just said, so you came over to the States
you've worked in Napa, you're down here now in Santa
Barbara County. You're from Europe, You've been exposed to wines
of the world. If we were to come to your
house right now and look in your wine cellar or
wherever you store your wine, what kind of wines would
(08:12):
we find? Are you drinking your own wines? Are you
drinking your friends wines locally? Or do you have a
lot of international wines? And are there any particular grapes
you tend to focus on.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
I think it's a mixture of all the different wines.
Like I have some wines from Bosnia and Croatia. I
like to show people because a lot of times people
that never tasted them. So I have some connections here
where I can purchase, like some of the wines from
the area. So it's always fun to have some of
those wines because people love to taste something new and different.
(08:43):
I love to have the wines from the area where
I'm here, from Santa Rita Hills, and it's always too
good to support our small wineries and the area, and
overall I have wines from everywhere, so it's fun my
friends come. I actually make a lot of red wines,
but I love to drink more white wines. So my
friends love when they come and I have my old
(09:05):
red wine fridge and they can choose whatever they wanted.
I'll go for it.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
So is there a wine that you opened up recently
that drank really well? Anything you opened up for dinner
or maybe went out to eat, but something from your
cellar perhaps.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
Well, I would say, let me think about it. I
did a Boston and Creatian wine tasting and there was
a few. It was a it was a winery from Croatia.
I forgot the name. What was the name of the winery,
but it was the the The variety is a native
(09:42):
variety from my country. And it was really really nice
wine and we really loved it that night. It was
one of our favorite wines.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
What is the variety? Do you remember?
Speaker 3 (09:51):
Uh? Now, I'm like, well I should know this right.
It's like, it's okay, the pressure I have. Yeah, it's
a variety from my prignac. Yes, that's very hard. Is
it a white grape, No, it's a red grape, redrap. Yeah,
it's really it was really showing beautifully, it was thinking
and we loved it. And then I did recently also
(10:11):
brought the bottle of my Radiant twenty nineteen, my first vintage,
and I've always love to see how it's aging and
how it's growing. It was showing also very very pretty,
which I'm like super happy to see. They're developing nicely
in the age.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
I love it. So you're working with a number of
grapes here. We are really in Pino Land. Many say
all the beautiful chartenays and cool climate surahs and grenaches
come out of here too. But do you think, in
working with grapes, and also having worked in now but
that there's a such thing as a perfect variety?
Speaker 3 (10:47):
I I don't. For me personally, I think my perfect
variety is Sarah. I just think as a as a wine,
as as a clusters and a leaf, there's just still gorgeous.
They just look perfect. I just like feel like when
you look at the serah graves, they look like a
pearls on your like a necklace. They're just like like that.
(11:10):
So I think they can be challenging to grow, but
there's that perfectness in them because they look so beautiful.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
So for somebody who has never tasted Almrosa wines, what
do you think they're missing out?
Speaker 3 (11:25):
On everything. So yeah, I think it's they're missing on
a like being a woman wine maker to taste the
You know, we are in a most of the wine
makers are male, so it's exciting to have a woman
wine maker to come and taste our kind of like
I think our wines are little more on a prettier side,
(11:45):
so like, so there's that elegance to my wines. I
feel like that I would love people to come and taste.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
So I know that you mentioned that you made a
wine and napp but they got a hundred points, which
is very exciting, and that you are wearing a necklace
that says ninety seven that is representative of the first
ninety seven points that you got. And I know we
were walking, we were in the cellar here at the
house on the top of the hill, and there's a
wine that you say got ninety nine points. So obviously scores,
(12:15):
scores are flattering and quite important, But how important to
you as a wine brand or as a wine drinker
do you think wine critics and scores are. Obviously you
stand up a little straighter when you get those scores,
But you know, do you think that that's an end
all be all? Do you think that's a really valuable,
you know, thing to have.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
I think so. I think it means a lot to me.
I mean even if you were like you know, every
time and you see they release it, you're going opening
email and it's like, okay, let me see what. I think.
It puts a big value on our lines. It helps
us with the customers who are reading certain critics to
understand our wines better and approach. And like you said,
if I did never taste it al Marosa, and I
(12:57):
see one of the critics mentioning all marosas this is
what is this wine about and why you should taste it?
I think it's definitely puts a good value for us.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
And so you've got some good scores, so I'm sure
you have only good things to say.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
Yes, I hope so.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
So you know, I normally asked this question, but I
think you answered it already. As a wine consumer red
white or rose.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
Rose and white and sparkling.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Wine, I was gonna say still sparkling.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
Yeah. I love bubbles. Margarita and bubbles.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
Margarita and bubbles, those are gonna think.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
Not together, not together, no, no, no, just I love
I love good bubbles, and I love a rose and
white wine. I it's just I don't know it. I
love a red red wine too, of course to drink,
but I feel like we're in California. It's always sunny,
it's always nice and warm. I like to like if
it's November, then I will go towards the reds, but
(13:54):
just the.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
Perfect So so if wine is sort of seasonal in
that way where this warm, you know, the beautiful weather
and everything makes you want to drink something white or
bubbles or rose and colder weather red, how do you
approach it when it comes to food pairing?
Speaker 3 (14:09):
Do you do you.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
See it sort of? Do you follow rules very similar
or do you follow the old rules of red wine
and meat, white wine and fish, or how do you
approach it?
Speaker 3 (14:17):
No, I really don't. Actually I feel like well, I
think also like me as a person, like I love
to experiment, I always taste. I feel like every time
when I do Winemaker dinner, I bring my rose. It's
always one of my favorite pairings. And it can go
with fish, it can go with lamb, it can go
with all of these different dishes. And it depends also
(14:38):
like what chef is preparing for you, and if you
do you know I always love to do pre tasting
and doesn't and have open mind and try the different things.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
So I mean, you have the luxury of not only
having the information of knowing your wines and kind of
having an idea of how to parrot. If somebody you
know doesn't have the experience, it doesn't have the benefit
of being able to open up five lines and pre taste.
Are there certain things that you look for that help
you decide, Okay, I'm tasting this dish. This is how
I want to pair my wine? Or do you go
(15:08):
the other way? Here's my wine? I mean, what do
you look at first? And also what are you looking for?
You're looking for similarities or contrasts.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
And I feel like the good thing about our varieties
that we grow here. You make pino ra and sharpenay,
and those two mostly pair with all the food. And
PINOI is are pino you know that we make here.
It has that nice complexity, but the beauty of Santa
Rita Hills. It has its freshness and acidity, and you know,
you can drink carpino in a summer, in a winter,
you can pair it with any food. I feel like
(15:35):
just it can go with lamb, it can go with steak,
it can go with a fish with the light salad
with shrimp. I feel like it's such a great pairing wine,
and it's that the beauty of peano r. You can
just have it with anything, no.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
Rules, just have fun, yeah, or just why no not rules?
So do you have any tricks if you drink too much?
Any any tricks to combat the over drinking? When you're
just to have enjoying wine so much and you've opened
up so many bottles, what happens the next day?
Speaker 3 (16:04):
I think if that happens, Always trying to beat Friday
so I can have Saturday and Sunday off and to
take just stay in a bed, drink a lot of
water and a lot of soup. Soup, yes, soup. I
like to buy a lot of amiso soup. That always
helps me super light and it's kind of oh, like
(16:25):
that's a fun time. I've replenished my electra lights and
it makes me feel good.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
So we are sitting here at the top. We're in
the private home of the owner, sitting at the top
of the hill, looking out at the hills behind us,
which are all part of your property. And then on
the other side of the window, it's the Caracle vineyard.
So it's really beautiful from up here. And if space
aliens were to land on the hill right over here,
come walking down and knock on this door, which of
(16:52):
your wines would you want to welcome them with?
Speaker 3 (16:56):
Probably my Tente that'll be fun for them to taste.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
And tell us about. Attenta.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
Attente is a blend of our sera and greanache that
we make from our estate here, and it's really what
I love. We have two clones of serra here and
I plant a tente with with a Tablas clone, and
which what I noticed the other one is eight seven
seven when I walked the vineyard and I taste it.
(17:24):
Seven for me is a meaty surran like characteristics, nice
pretty long clusters. Compared them to Tablas, it's giving me
a smaller cluster and it's that nice fruit notes to it,
which is so interesting. So I planned the tablas with
the greenage in this wine we co ferment and it's
just like marry them together and it's just a nice
it's it's really showing the beauty of Santa Rita Hills.
(17:47):
It's it's it has a nice, beautiful perfuming notes. A
lot of wines in Santa Rita. I just want to
put them in a perfume. I had to talk to
It's just like, oh my god, I need to make
perfume out of this. It's just like has a beautiful lilax,
a beautiful violette notes, but it still has a nice
fruit on it. And I think that would be the wine.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
I love that. I still have not tasted that whine.
Of all the wines yours that I've tasted, I'll.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
Send one model but too home today.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
No. I love that because you know, again Sanria Hills,
most people think of Peano noir and chardenay, but they're
such beautiful, like cool climate surround grenache grown here that
it just it might change your mind on san ganache.
Speaker 3 (18:32):
Definitely on Syrah because a lot of times when I
taste with people, they don't want to taste serah for
some reason. They taste it and then I was like, okay,
you have to just give it a try, and they're like,
oh wow, this is nice. So it's really nice. I
love to sometimes it's you know, to push people to
try different things. It's nice and to have them change
(18:53):
mind always makes me happy.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
Yeah, yeah, hard to have preconceived ideas. You got to
have an open mind. Yes, So thinking of an open mind.
You mentioned you have different clones out there, and you
spend a lot of time in the vineyards, and you
have trails all over so you can walk around. You
can really get into the vineyards here. So I'm curious
what kind of relationship you have with your vines. Do
(19:15):
you talk to them, do they talk to you? What
kind of communication is there?
Speaker 3 (19:19):
I think we walk. Yeah, we definitely talk to each other.
You nuture them, their babies, their old babies, You give
them all you have to give them a lot of attention.
I'm very proud that we have our own vineyard team.
I've worked together with our foreman Pedro, and we walk
the vineyards all the time and making sure that everything
is detailed and focused and like almost like try to
(19:42):
be as perfect as we can in a vineyard and
winery to grow our wine wines here, and it's I'm
very proud of it. And we also have some planted
wildflowers in between, and you know, to to just kind
of beautify and bring the bees and and butterflies to
our vineyard. So I'm really putting a lot of thought,
(20:04):
attend details in our vineyard.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
And your vines talk to you and tell you they
appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
Yes, they do. Some yards not that so much, but yes.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
And it's great too because you said you are on
what six hundred acres of property. You put fences around
the vineyard blocks so that you could have a wildflow,
wild wildlife corridor. Yeah. And so even as I was
driving up here, I had to stop because the deer
were crossing the road and the turkeys were on the
(20:34):
side of the road. So you had a lot of
animals sitting around here.
Speaker 3 (20:37):
Yes, I love it. The idea of when Richard's planted
and when we planted first fines, the idea that was
the perfect like to live agriculture and nature to live together.
And that's why we just fence so you have all
We have so many deer and I always tell everybody
has to drive slow because they're just everywhere. We have
(20:57):
three mamas now with like six seven. It's just well,
they're very comfortable. That's like they're very getting more and
more closer to us. We have a lot of bobcats,
we have foxes, we have coyotes, we have a mountain
lion in a cave in the hills, a lot of turkeys.
It's just a beautiful and we do hikes here at
a property with customers and for customers to experience their nature.
(21:18):
It's it's really precious.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
It's amazing. So I'm curious you've been here since twenty nineteen.
Being in the Santa Rita Hills. We know every vintage
tells a different story in the years that you've been here.
Do you see a lot of variation from ear to
year or is it a nuance variation? What do you
kind of see here in the Sarrita Hills and compared
(21:40):
to even your experience working in Napa.
Speaker 3 (21:43):
I think like it's it's very The beauty of Santa
Rita Hills is that fog that we have, that breeze
that we constantly have, and it's always you always have
that constant temperature like it's from January until now we're
in August. It's been nice, balmy seventy five degrees throughout
the whole day, and that the morning, cold mornings and
(22:03):
cold nights just captures that freshness and acidity, and that
give us opportunity to have this beautiful, long growing season.
I think out of my all years that were pretty consistent,
one year we had like a huge heat spike that
a little bit was changes. But it's so nice to
see consistency.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
And so are there any sort of signs or predictors
or omens that you look for that are at some
point throughout the season that help you predict what you're
going to get?
Speaker 3 (22:34):
Not really like we're very here, like you know, we
get it gets really cold during pruning, so we have
to make sure when we're gonna prune. The other thing
about Santa Rita Hills can get really can be a
little bit chilly during flowering. So that's like where that's
the time, how crop it's going to be, Like are
we gonna lose some flowers? Are not? Grenage is very sensitive,
(22:54):
so I always see a little bit lose some of
most flowers during this year was perfect and we didn't
lose any flowers. So it gives you kind of like
an idea like, Okay, what's gonna be happen about crop?
And I feel like you have to just drove out
the whole season, keep an eye on it. We have
powdery mild issues, so we give a lot of attention
to that, and then you know once now we're this
(23:15):
time getting closer towards the harvest. We give a lot
of attention to keep the yields very low so to
have that quality in a grape. So we a few
times we go and drop the fruit and just to
keep that nice small yields. And then now we are
in August. But always until I pick, and you never Yeah,
it's like, okay, let's see we're still having nice warm
(23:37):
water better. So I hope it stays like this until
we start picking.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
God forbid, everything can change tomorrow and make you reassess exactly.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
That's why it's it's it's a fun job to do,
but it's also a lot of stress.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
So because have you set up any sort of good
luck rituals for you and your team? Do you have
any true that you do at the start of harvest,
either as an individual, you know, like those lucky socks
or something, or as a team.
Speaker 3 (24:07):
As a team, Well, there's definitely. We we always have
a little gear and I think, uh, you know, we
always have a good uh with the first fruit, good
bottle of bubbles. But I think our favorite A lot
of us are August babies, and I bring our rose
from Pino r end of Fogus, which is my birthday.
(24:28):
So we have a special music list we have. It's
kind of like the whole party in a winery. So
there's like all this little ritual. I'm the one who's
going to inaccolate that that particular rose. And so it's
really that's how we start off the season and bring
that to good, the luck to better.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
Hope it's not a late harvest. You got to start
picking in August.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
Yes, it's going pretty the same as what we see
in Santa Rita Hills. I'm gonna bring my rose.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
End of August, perfect time for birthday celebration.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
It's a big one.
Speaker 2 (24:59):
This I love a nice tradition.
Speaker 3 (25:02):
You know.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
So obviously you fell in love with science, chemistry, you know,
that's what drew you. But when you were a little girl,
what did you want to be when you grew up?
Speaker 3 (25:13):
Oh, a lot of things. A bat. I wanted to
take care of animals, I think that, and then I
like sports, and you know, like I love volleyball and
I love roller skaters, ice skating, so all of those
things I wanted. But I did notice I never told
it's gonna be my talent later on in the years,
(25:35):
like I can't sing, so no, I couldn't be a singer.
But I always would smell things and like taste and
like even like if it's a clothes I always always smell.
And then even when my husband met me, it was
it's like you're weird, Like it was weird to him,
and I never thought. I was like I don't need
that ever, but now it's a wine maker. It's like,
what just makes total sense. I love to smelt. I
(25:56):
always smell. I always taste, So maybe some type of
talent that helped me today to be a winemaker.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
Right as a child, I was a good smeller.
Speaker 3 (26:06):
Yeah I smell because even now I smell, like when
I watched clothes, I smell every single like fabric soft
and I love it and into it like a lot.
And my husband's like, do you have to smell every
single thing? It's like, yes, don't worry about me.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
I love it. You must have a very very very
very good nose.
Speaker 3 (26:23):
Yeah I think so.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
My husband, because I sometimes not in some smell, was
like how did you notice it? It's like really, I
was like, yeah, I better have a good smell and taste.
Speaker 2 (26:32):
So when you're not working, aside from smelling everything that
you come across, how do you like to spend your
free time.
Speaker 3 (26:38):
I love beach. I'm a summer kid. I love beach.
I go a lot to Santa Barbara le in the sun.
I love to hike. We are in a gorgeous place
here where we can hi. There's so many beautiful hiking
trails we can do here. And then I like to travel.
I like to go Las, two hours away from us.
I like to go on a weekend. I like to taste,
go to different restaurants, or go up nor to just
(27:01):
try to explore as much as California I can. Because
I've been here since twenty twelve, I've seen a lot
of California, but I feel like I still didn't see
even like twenty percent of this state can offer.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
It's a big state. It is a lot of hiking
and a lot of beaches.
Speaker 3 (27:18):
Yes, definitely yes, and a good food and good food.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
So if you're planning a romantic evening for you and
your husband, what sort of wines do you open to
say this is not just an average night, but the
special night.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
I think'm not sure like exactly which Bonla would open.
But I guess it depends like what is the celebration,
what's happening, So I would choose like something just.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
A romantic evening to say you're special.
Speaker 3 (27:49):
Well, I have to say this, you know, as a child,
as you know, I'm from Bosnia. I survived the war
and I saw my family lost a lot of in
one day, lost everything. I lost a lot of them
members and my story and what I do. I was like,
there's no special if I want to open tonight one
hundred points bottle of wine, it's Tuesday night, I go
for it and I open it. So I think that's
(28:11):
my motto to live just you know, whatever you feel like,
just open it. Life is too short. You never know
what can happen tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
So think that's I think that's a really good point. Yeah,
because just opening wine is a special occasion and it
can be every day.
Speaker 3 (28:25):
But day Tuesday night, I had a long day at
work and I'm like, it's a beautiful Tuesday night. I'm tired.
It's like, why not to open something good and enjoy it.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
She smells a lot, but you know her husband must
enjoy that too.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
Yeah, he gets a little bit of a wine, most
of it I drink.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
So you just shared a really a really good piece
of advice just to enjoy life and not to save
for special occasions, but be present. Is there a good
piece of advice somebody gave you along the way that
you try to live by?
Speaker 3 (29:00):
Uh? I think?
Speaker 2 (29:02):
I guess.
Speaker 3 (29:03):
Oh, my family, like I feel like they're always what
I love like about my like grandma or my mom,
like my mom's mom. Grandma she is she's a very
positive person and she always like tell me to think
positive and just have that good energy and stuff. And
that's the always what takes me to life, just to
be a big believer and then be positive and good
(29:26):
things happen to you.
Speaker 2 (29:27):
And good things have happened to you. Yes, So when
you look back at your career so far and you
have a long way to go, You've got decades work
to work because you have a big birthday, but you
still have ways I still have more to do. Yeah,
But when you look back at your career so far,
(29:48):
what would you say is one of your proudest achievements.
Speaker 3 (29:53):
Come to a different country, it's a different language, and
become a winemaker. That's a huge I don't think I
realized in a time when I came here and I
just I want to be a winemaker and did it.
But every day when I look at my achievements and
being a winemaker in a different country, it's a huge deal.
That's like big a complimishment to me.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
I agree when you go back home. Are you famous
for being a female winemaker in the US?
Speaker 3 (30:19):
Yes, My family and my friends and my professors, they
love it. They're really very happy and excited for me.
It's a big achievement absolutely to be in one of
the top regions in the world a winemaker.
Speaker 2 (30:31):
Making delicious wines.
Speaker 3 (30:32):
Yes, so they're very happy. They celebrate with me every
step when all the points and everything was fun. Like
my mom, you know, now she's like so into it
and she's like telling everybody. So it's very nice to
see that.
Speaker 2 (30:47):
Has she been able to come here and visit.
Speaker 3 (30:49):
No, I'm planning to bring my mom and my uncle.
My uncle lives in Germany, so I'm trying to convince them.
My cousin did come here with her husband and they
loved it. They're like Osimra. Every day here is your
vacation day, Like you live in a beautiful place and
it really put me in thought. It's like, you know what,
You're right, it is gorgeous. So I am going to
(31:10):
bring my ad rest of the family to come, and.
Speaker 2 (31:13):
They may never leave.
Speaker 3 (31:14):
I know. Well, my uncle is like, I'm scared of planes.
I was like, I don't care. You have to come
and sit. So maybe it doesn't come after he enjoys
this beautiful better. Maybe he's like, you know what, I'm
not going back.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
Yeah, And you can really get distracted. You can't when
you look out the window and you see the hills,
the rolling hills and the vines. I mean, it's easy
to take that in every day when you see it
all the time, but just to remember how spectacular it.
Speaker 3 (31:39):
Is, Oh my god. Yes, I start my day in
the vineyard every morning and just look to be in
a nature every day. It's a it's a luxury to
be at your job. And I'm like, I enjoy it
every day. Even sometimes it's a little bit too cold
and I complain it's too cold, but still it's like
it's it's just beautiful too, and so lucky to just
(32:00):
opportunity to wake up and be in a vineyard and
start my day like that.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
So we're sitting at a table. Your wine's on the table,
whine you made, and there's an empty seat next to you.
Who from any walk of life, living or deceased. Do
you wish you could share a bottle of al Marissa
that you made emotional?
Speaker 3 (32:18):
Probably my great grandma. I think that would be cool.
She was a very strong person and you knew her. Yes,
she was with me and war and I think she
will be very proud.
Speaker 2 (32:31):
Oh yeah, for your great grandmother. So you're the four
four generations ago.
Speaker 3 (32:37):
Yeah, yeah, she survived War War two as a younger woman,
and then she survived bossy and war vitas. So very strong,
very strong personality, very and she she was the biggest
I don't know. I loved her a lot.
Speaker 2 (32:51):
And it's yeah, well it cheers and cheers to your grandma,
who would be very proud to see her great granddaughter
being a wine maker. Yes, so when you, I want
you to complete this sentence for me, A table without wine.
Speaker 3 (33:05):
Is like no table there boring. It's a great opportunity
to conversation because it's such a beautiful thing because you
have a food you can bring in, talk to your friends,
your family.
Speaker 4 (33:23):
It's just such a it's not just like a drinking
and it's just enjoying and the smells and the tastes
and sharing it to your friends and family and bring
the food that we all love and share the food.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
It's connecting, it is and it's the conversation because just
in a bottle of Almrosa, there's a story of the
history of Richard Sandford being the person who basically founded
the Sanerita Hills of Summer Morris, the first Bosnian female
winemaker in the US. The grapes, you know, like each
(33:54):
thing tells a story, and then you have the vintage
which can tell a story, and the travels and everything
tells a story.
Speaker 3 (33:59):
Yes, And then I always say it's like and the
and the people I've worked with who are my biggest
support and I am a winemaker and I'm like guiding them,
but they are the hard workers, and you know each
of their stories in this bottle too, And it's it's
it's it's a lot in a in a bottle of wine.
Yeah too, to tell a long, long story.
Speaker 2 (34:22):
So tell me something. If you were sent to a
deserted island and can only take three wines with you,
what three wines would you want to.
Speaker 3 (34:31):
Take definitely good bottle of champagne.
Speaker 2 (34:34):
A particular brand come to mind, you know.
Speaker 3 (34:38):
Barlinger like, it's really I'm probably notnouncing good French words
because they're so tough for me, but I love that champagne.
It's really like beautiful. Uh. And then second bottle would
be let me think about it, that my back probably
Governess Sagnon that I was telling you about and fourteen
(35:00):
twenty fourteen, my Governess Savignon. And then third bottle would
be one of the bottles I make to share with
whoever is on the island with me, any particular wine.
Speaker 2 (35:13):
Maybe I know, I know when you opened up the
reset for me, you said my favorite, my favorite white,
So I think it.
Speaker 3 (35:18):
Would be my l hubbly pino no r. That is
my baby I give the most attention to. And it's
my it's my baby baby, like my favorite, and that
would be the bottle.
Speaker 2 (35:29):
Why does El Hubby get your get to be the favorite?
What makes it your favorite child?
Speaker 3 (35:33):
It gives me the most headache. It's a it's a
pino no r. It's a fragile grape with the tiny skins.
It's very sensitive, but it's also it's always changes in
a cellar. When you have pino, comparing to other varieties,
it's every day, it's like changing, progressing, and I just
love that about it. And I give the most attention
(35:54):
to our l hubbly pino because that's like the top
of from our state. That's what our state is. So
that's why it's my special.
Speaker 2 (36:03):
The favorite. So we've been talking for a while. We're
almost finished. You did such a good job. I know
you're not nervous because we know each other. But still
we're gonna play a little game because it's the end
about your wines, wine and music. It's called wine soundtrack.
So at the very end, we always play this game
(36:23):
where we pair wine with music more too, as a
way to describe some of your wines, but also kind
of the sensation they give you music wise. So we
have been sipping your san Rita Hill's pino noir vungrie,
a beautiful almost golden rose. What would what would you
(36:44):
pair this music wise? Song genre? Musician?
Speaker 3 (36:48):
Oh, I already have, yeah, definitely, So this is the
that what I was telling you, the song that I'm
playing cellar. When I make my rose, we start with
the roses uh from and it's Imanbek remix from Saint John's.
So that is that song with this.
Speaker 2 (37:03):
Baby here, and because this is a wine that I mean,
I'm we're having the twenty twenty, but this is a
wine that's very fresh but textured.
Speaker 3 (37:11):
And it's a house music song, so it's kind of
like it's a summer it's like music. It's why being
it's a good energy.
Speaker 2 (37:18):
So yeah, start off the season. Okay, what about your
El Hubby Pino noir?
Speaker 3 (37:26):
M what what? I don't know. I think more that
something would be I don't know which song particular, but
genre would be more like jazz or something like that,
a little bit more smoother and more laid back.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
And you're a tente.
Speaker 3 (37:45):
A tente what fun? What'll do with that fun?
Speaker 4 (37:49):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (37:49):
You know what? I love? I love maybe some with
some bad bunny songs. I love to listen to him. Oh,
I have an Elguel, my favorite DJ. I love his music.
So Na, he has a really good song. I think
that will be a bit.
Speaker 2 (38:07):
Okay, so you describe those wines that we talked about.
I'm gonna do one more wine so that you can
just talk about that one a little bit and give
me a song and that is your shordinay, Yeah, I
know your owner's favorite wine.
Speaker 3 (38:18):
Yes, I love Shardonay. It's fun. It's so hard, but
all of there are my favorite as well. But with
what that would do, I think it's very pretty, ladies,
so I would it's put something very like like hmhm
for genre, I would do with that maybe more like
a blues or something like that, like very mystique.
Speaker 2 (38:41):
And good job son, right, thank you you did it.
Speaker 3 (38:47):
Yeah, the interview.
Speaker 2 (38:51):
So I have one more question. This should be a
pretty easy question. It's got two parts. This is the
first question. Is you love to travel? You said that
you've traveled, you know, obviously around California and travel internationally.
What region in the world wine region in the world
is at the top of your bucket list that you
want to go to.
Speaker 3 (39:11):
I would love to go to New Zealand area. Probably.
I hope I have opportunity as a country, as a winery.
I would love to explore New Zealand. I hear nothing
but beautiful things and how pretty country is. So I
hope next on my list next time your list.
Speaker 2 (39:25):
Yeah, And for people who want to come here to
the Santa Rita Hills, how can they find you? Where
can they find Alma Rosa. I know you have both
a tasting room and the winery, so what are the
experiences and.
Speaker 3 (39:39):
So we have a we have a two locations. We
have a gorgeous tasting room downtown Solvane. It's open every
day so it's walking star welcome, so people can go
any time or they're walking a queute to Solvane. But
we also have a ranch house on our property which
is over one hundred years old. It used to be
a dairy farm, so it's really really cool ranch house
(40:02):
where we do private tastings and also welcome. Our welcomes
are wilkins, are welcome, and we offer tasting. This is
my appointment. You can do tasting. You can do a
little drive through the vineyard and a tasting and the
coolest party. We have hikes. We have a one mile
and three mile hike and a tasting.
Speaker 2 (40:23):
Are these guided hikes or you go on your self guided?
Speaker 3 (40:26):
No, no, this is a guide that hikes with our
with our sales teams and they tell you the whole
history of the property. You get to see Bobcat next
to the Serra block. He's very famous. I think one
of our bendy She named him Fred, so he come
out and see him often. He's like living right next
(40:47):
to the block in a tree, so ninety percent of
a time you get to see him and all these
beautiful other animals you get to see. But come taste
our wines, but I highly highly recommend you do the
hike and tasting. It's really a something special or a
state is gorgeous.
Speaker 2 (41:02):
Yeah, and it is a hike because it's hills. So
I've done the hike, yes.
Speaker 3 (41:06):
Yes, because a lot of people thinking it's a plant. No,
it's a hike it and you get to go on
the top of the hills and you see these gorgeous
vineyards and mountains and the sky is just something special.
Speaker 2 (41:18):
It's it's not straight up, but it it'll get the
heart pumping. But the views when you get to the
top are worth.
Speaker 3 (41:25):
It, Yes, definitely.
Speaker 2 (41:27):
And you can hike up to the top of the caricle,
which is planted kind of circular.
Speaker 3 (41:32):
Yes, in three hundred and sixty degrease, and the it's
cold characle because in Spanish is a snail shell. And
the beauty of that block is actually it's a mixture
of different penal clones. So when Richard planted. It was
the idea instead of blending it in a winery when
not planted in a field. So it's a very special
block and it's really interesting wine. And when I first
(41:54):
made it in twenty twenty, it was so unique than
the rest of the blocks that we bottle it as
itself and it has really story.
Speaker 2 (42:00):
So there you go. You can come toward it and
probably even taste a glass of carocle while you're standing
in the carical vineyard. So, Summa, thank you so much.
This is such a magical place and such a great
place to discover. So I highly recommend everyone come out
to the Sandry Hills and come to Almerosa. It's a
piece of history because of its founder, because of its
location and summer. You're just doing an amazing job.
Speaker 3 (42:23):
So thank you so much for having me. Sure she
feel it, she believe she feel it.
Speaker 1 (42:29):
Thanks for listening to a new episode of Wine Soundtrack USA.
For details and updates, visit our website windsoundtrack dot com.
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