October 15, 2025 • 39 mins
Cambria is a women-owned, women-led producer of 100% certified sustainable, estate-grown Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the Santa Maria Valley AVA in Santa Barbara County, California.
Founder Barbara Banke was an early champion of the region and established Cambria Winery in 1986. Barbara’s two daughters are co-proprietors of the winery and the namesakes for the two main vineyards, Julia’s Vineyard and Katherine’s Vineyard. A winemaker’s paradise, the estate is situated on a West Coast transverse valley a rare geological feature that funnels in Pacific Ocean breezes and blankets the vines in maritime fog, creating one of California’s longest growing seasons. The ocean influences the soils as well, with seashells and fossils lending a signature Santa Maria spice note to the Pinot Noirs. Winemaker Jill Russell believes that “happy people make great wine” and passionately crafts wines that show the best of the estate and are prized for their texture, harmony, and energy. Jill leads vineyard and cellar crews who have worked at Cambria on average for more than 20 years and whose drive for excellence earned Cambria the title of a Top 100 Winery of 2020 from Wine & Spirits.
Founder Barbara Banke was an early champion of the region and established Cambria Winery in 1986. Barbara’s two daughters are co-proprietors of the winery and the namesakes for the two main vineyards, Julia’s Vineyard and Katherine’s Vineyard. A winemaker’s paradise, the estate is situated on a West Coast transverse valley a rare geological feature that funnels in Pacific Ocean breezes and blankets the vines in maritime fog, creating one of California’s longest growing seasons. The ocean influences the soils as well, with seashells and fossils lending a signature Santa Maria spice note to the Pinot Noirs. Winemaker Jill Russell believes that “happy people make great wine” and passionately crafts wines that show the best of the estate and are prized for their texture, harmony, and energy. Jill leads vineyard and cellar crews who have worked at Cambria on average for more than 20 years and whose drive for excellence earned Cambria the title of a Top 100 Winery of 2020 from Wine & Spirits.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Wine Soundtrack USA. Listen to the passion with
which producers narrate their winery and their world. Team 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 am with Jill Russell, who is
the wine maker at Cambria Estate Winery in the beautiful
Santa Maria Valley. We're sitting here in the tasting room
looking out at the vineyards and the sun is shining
and the breeze is going. Jill tell us a little
bit about Cambria, of course.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Yeah, we've been around since nineteen eighty six, so getting
up to forty years. We've been in Santa Maria Valley
this whole time. We have vines planted in the seventies.
So this property was really exciting for Kennel Jackson, so
purchasing the grapes for Kennel Jackson, but they decided how
(00:51):
beautiful and how special the grapes are, we need it
to be a winery. So we have our winery here
and the vineyards are named after their daughters. Our prietors
are Katie Jackson, so Catherine's Vineyard and Julia Jackson is
the pedo noar wonderful.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
So this is this property here in the Santa Maria Valley.
How many acres are on property?
Speaker 3 (01:13):
So we are about twelve hundred acres, but we only
use about twenty percent of that.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
So twelve hundred planted acres.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
Now as you drove in, give or take. So what's
really cool about this family is the devotion to the land.
And we've been we have so planted the seventies, planted
in ninety five, twenty ten, twenty twenty, and this year
you see fallow ground that's going to stay follow for
(01:44):
a little bit and be planted. So right now it's
probably about nine hundred acres planted.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
No, that's quite big, quite big. And I know that
you said you only keep twenty percent of the fruit
for Cambria, So what's your total case production for Cambria.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
So we we make our Catherines vineyard and it's a
really special wine from our state that gets out to
the US. So it's around thirty to sixty thousand cases
depending on the vintage job. And then so the Pino
Noir is about fifteen thousand cases. So again big enough
(02:22):
gets out there tells our story, tells Santa Barbara, Santa
Maria Valley. And then what's really fun is the tasting
room we're in right now. We make a couple hundred.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
Case lots of what other varieties, so lots.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
Of different charnays and pino noirs. Here. I love making
different styles of charnay, which well you can taste very focused,
stay inless steel fermented and then barrel fermented separately, a
nice blend. And then we also have a vigne and Sarrah.
So we just love those two varieties for like a
cool climate. And we planted more Vignier, and we planted
(02:56):
a little bit of Shennon blanc, and we planted some
grenache blancs. So some aromatic whites in our future.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Wow, And I'm curious you said that. You know, obviously
the chardonnay and the pino were across the US. Are
your wines available in all markets? Are they in any
international markets?
Speaker 3 (03:13):
You know, internationally? Yes, but mostly around the US. And
California is really big for US, also Florida and Texas.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Okay, so let's talk about you. And now that we
got that other way, I'm curious, what is your first
memory relevant to wine.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
Oh okay, So we were just talking about Livermore County
and I have a little connection there. So I had
a friend's mother who owned a catering business in Livermore County.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Where did you grow up?
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Cashtra Valley, California? So East Bay area. And so my
weekend job was driving out to a beautiful vineyard enjoying
a beautiful party. Yes I was serving at that party,
but I got to see the things of you know,
fine dye paired with wines, and I was just intrigued
that I wanted to work at a winery because I
(04:06):
wanted to be driving into a vineyard every day.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
So you were serving. I don't know that you were
of age though, but you know anyway, you know, yeah
you were. He looked mature. Yes, yes, now you look young.
But so since then and you've had this opportunity, obviously
you've been working in wine, making wine and obviously drinking
a lot of really good wines and taste winds. Is
there a particular wine that is one of those aha moments?
(04:35):
And it could have been early in your career, it
could have been more recent, but some wine that stood out?
And what was the wine and the reason.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
So I studied wine and viticulture at cal Poly. I
got into U SEE Davis. I chose cal Polly because,
you know, the Central Coast is beautiful in the industries
in our backyard. And then I always said I'd go
to UC Davis for my you know, next my master's,
but realized you just have to work. But at cal
Poly there were some wonderful professors, and then I was
(05:04):
really involved in the Vines to Wines Club. Interesting enough,
I just spoke at that club and it's been twenty
years since I've been there. And Keith Patterson for our graduation,
he brought a magnum of Duckhorn Merlow and it was
the age of us, so our birth my birth year
(05:25):
is nineteen eighty six. And again again I was a
lot younger, but tasting it made he was showing us
the appreciation of an aged wine. And that was like
an AHA moment for me. It was like, Wow, this
stuff is so special. It evolves and just the memory
of like graduating some of my closest wine friends who
are still my wine friends in the industry and drinking
(05:47):
your birth year, yeah yeah, and drinking the birth year. Cool.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
So now if we were to come to your home.
What would we find in your home? I mean, whether
you have a big collection or maybe it's just smatterings.
Is it your own wine, local wines, any particular varieties
or regions that you are drawn to.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
Yeah, so interesting enough. I am probably different than some
of my friends in that I don't save a lot
of wines and age them. Maybe it was COVID. We
just started opening things because I started saving every wine
I made. And that's just ridiculous. We make lots of
wines every year. So I've been good at, you know,
(06:26):
saving some, Yeah, drinking them, but saving some. I'd say
every winery I've worked at, which I haven't worked out
a ton of wineries, I've kept a few, knowing that
if that winemaker handed it to me and said this
is a special vintage for me, I knew to wait till,
you know, ten years from now.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
What are some of those other wineries you worked at?
Speaker 3 (06:43):
So out of college, I worked at Stephen Ross in
the Edna Valley and I was there five years. So
I really learned the craft of making a great bottle
of wine and just a great mentor of mine. So
and he is what got me into this loving this
region because he sources from Biennasuito. And actually one of
(07:04):
the wines I have is a Biennacito Charnay that I
have hanging out and a Biennacito Pino, and then they're
a state vineyard stone corral which is shared with Tally.
So the ind of valley connection was wonderful. And then
I went and traveled in France. So actually I worked
at Harvest in the Loire Valley in Manitou, Salon, so
(07:26):
next to Sansert, and so that I would say I
gravitate towards I traveled a lot after I worked Harvest,
because harvest is very short and fun there, and so
I gravitate towards that Shennon Blanc because I visited Vouvray
and I went i domain Hewitt, I stayed at the
(07:47):
winemaker's house and just one of those like memories and beautiful,
indescribable kind of stories. So I noticed, we buy a
lot of that and saved that because that can age
or if we're out a restaurant. And then against sons too,
so lots of white wines. And then when I came back,
I worked for Palato, most recently here in Santa Barbara County.
(08:12):
So I have some of those wines too, because I
remember when he gave me my job offer. It was
like one of his higher scores. And forget the vintage
actually right now twenty thirteen maybe no, that's when I
worked there. Anyways, I have a couple of Paulados laying
down and some special vineyards. That was fun to work
there as well.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
So you said you drink a lot of your wine
during COVID, but I'm curious if recently, in the last
few nights or weeks, you opened up something that tasted
really good.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
Okay, so interesting enough. The last couple of nights, my
husband hasn't been we haven't been opening as much wine
because he this is too much information, but he had
a surgery, trying to be healthy recovery. Really sad. My
Fourth of July barbecue is all wine industry people. There's
a lot of non alcohol options. So sad. It's so sad.
(09:04):
But I'd say in the last couple days, not in
my home, but we went to a wine bar and
I had a to Tomer, granted Tomer, who was local.
It was a white blend that like that's popping out
of as a favorite that actually I shared with Anna
who you just met, and.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
A white blend is so I know he does. He's
a Reasling based winemaker, so it would be very kind
of high acid.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
Whites, right, yes, high acid whites, and that I noticed
I gravitate. We gravitate towards high acid and bubbles too,
and I wouldn't say like all about Champagne, Cremonts, what
have you. We're also a big april spritz family, so
Persecco is in my fridge always.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
So working with the varieties that you do and maybe
others that you love, like you mentioned sheen and blanc,
although I know you said you have some planted so
you will be working with it. Do you think there's
a such thing as a perfect variety?
Speaker 3 (10:00):
Oh wow, that is a good question. Nobody's perfect. All
varieties have their things. Why I'm going to say Shardonnay
is close to perfect because wine makers can perfect it.
So finding what they can do in the winery. It's
(10:22):
a grape that can, you know, be massaged and have
different flavor profiles with different fermentations. Whereas I make a
lot of pen and noiter, but that is really up
to our vineyard team and what's going on in our vineyard.
I just can't mess it up. When it comes to
our winery where Shardnay, I get to play and have fun,
and I think we can make it perfect by finding balance. Right.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
So perfection is something that it's perfect on its own,
but it also can be adjusted as necessary. The most
mellible of grapes. So when we speak about perfection, I
know we won't necessarily name names, but I know that
tomorrow you said that you have a tasting with a
very important critic of your wines, and I'm curious what's
(11:03):
your opinion on wine critics and scores. I mean, do
they play a really important part uh role to you
as a wine maker or as a wine drinker.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
I think it's always fun to get a pat on
the back. We have a job. You just do your
job right, you make the fantastic wines, Like that's my job.
It is nice to have received some nice notes about
your wine and validation, but I that's not my end goal.
I'm my end goal for the wine is thinking about
(11:35):
where's it gonna who's it gonna be drink with, where
what food are they going to enjoy? But I do
see that it does help with the sales team. If
I I know our wine's good, but if another person
is saying it's good, or another few people are saying
it's good, then it's really good.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
And somebody who has the platform because you know, someone
comes in the tasting stem says it's good. That's great
to the friends they share it with. But yes, yeah,
So you talked a little bit about what you drink. Drink, drink,
drink and drink. I'm curious, quick question. I think you
answered it. But red white or rose white?
Speaker 3 (12:14):
Yeah, white bubbles.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Still are sparkling, Oh, sparkling, sparkling?
Speaker 3 (12:20):
Yeah, ah yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
Champagne or anywhere else or all of the above.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
That's the thing, all of the above, Yeah, yeah, mostly
perseco Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
So talking about how people enjoy wine, that you're thinking
about how people enjoy wine and when they enjoy wine,
it's with food, as you mentioned that you do as well.
And I'm curious how you approach food and wine pairing.
Do you take you very seriously? Are there rules that
you follow? Do you believe in the old adage of
white wine and fish, red wine and meat, or is
(12:56):
there something else you look for Whether you're cooking at
home or going out to a.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
Restaurant, I'd say I don't follow rules, and I it's
funny because that is one question I don't love with,
like what's what should this wine be paired with? I'm
like everything, anything, nothing, So that is one. But I
do understand that if people are really focused around it,
I will come up with something. And I have, you know,
(13:23):
even in school and traditionally have learned the pairings. But
I mean, I Paul Latta, where I worked chardonnay, we're
tasting Chartenay's all the day, all day. He wants to
go have a nice steak, and that is still caught
on in my brain. So if I'm at a steakhouse,
I'm not having a heavy like a red alongside of it,
(13:43):
I'll still order my charnay.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
Well, I think it's I mean, I do think it's
interesting that when you you know, like if you've never
cooked before, you don't understand how things go together. But
once you start cooking, you know how much salt to add,
You know if it needs citrus or if it needs
cream or what it needs. So I guess asking someone
how they approach food and wine praying when they drink
wine all the time. Is kind of like it's inherent
that you kind of have an idea, like you're probably
(14:06):
not going to bring a cabernet.
Speaker 3 (14:07):
With an oyster.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
But are there certain things that you're looking for when
you want to match food and wine? Are you looking
for harmony or contrast? Is it what are sort of
the deciding factors that makes you pick what you're gonna
go with.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
I think that's why gravitate towards the high acid wines.
Bringing that acidity to the dish is really helpful, kind
of elevating that dish, also helping elevate wine. When I'm
kind of given foods to try to pair, toning down
the sweetness like Whye maker dinners when we have a
(14:43):
dessert just kills me because we don't have a dessert wine,
or like it's always too sweet, even though they're saying
it's not too sweet. But looking for that balance is
definitely something I'm looking for and cooking, And when I'm cooking,
I noticed it's like, hey, maybe we'll have like a
light rose easy drink and then think more about like
when we sit down, what are we enjoying?
Speaker 2 (15:04):
And yeah, yeah, so for somebody who's had not had
the pleasure to taste Cambria wines. Yet what do you
think they're missing out on?
Speaker 3 (15:12):
Oh, the wines are so good here. Essentially we are
California winery. But what's so special and why we're not
recording outside is our ocean influence, so we would have
way too much wind right now, we get these foggy mornings.
I think that really helps with you know, keeping it
the acidity there and the brightness because we are too warm.
(15:35):
But we are still California, so you're getting in this
tropical fruit in our chardonnaise, exuberant fruit. But then with
that ocean influence and our soils, there is a savory
note to all of our wines, which pairs well with
foods because the sweetness, it's not overpowering with sweet flavors,
and they are dry, sure, but this savory, you know
(15:56):
in the chardonnaise and the pano no wars there's a
sand we have spice and the pinos and then the
chardonnais have this salinity, marinerality, whatever you want to call it,
but something other than fruit.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
So if space aliens were to land on your property
right now and come knocking on the door, which of
your ones would you want to welcome them with to
say welcome to Camria.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
I would welcome them with our catherinees Vinyard charnay. It's
just so good and a great representation of our estate.
A lot of our state is planted as charnay. And
then how I mentioned, you know, different charnays in our
taste room are focused on you know, stainless or our barrel.
It's a nice blend of everything. And harvest is harvest.
But a big part of why making here is finding
(16:38):
balance with our blending season and going through everything we
did that harvest and you know, compiling it to make
our Catherine's been your charney.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
I love that. I'm not a space alien because you
welcomed you with the vigne.
Speaker 3 (16:48):
You're not an alien. I wanted to check other things
out exactly.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
Something different for everyone. So you've been here for eight
is that correct?
Speaker 3 (17:01):
Yes? Eight years? Yeah, a couple of days ago actually
at the anniversary.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
So you're overseeing quite a large project with the vineyards
that are right here at the winery. So obviously you
spend a lot of time here and I'm curious in
your experience overall in wine making, but also the time
you spent here. We know every vintage tells a different story.
How much variation do you see from year to year
in a place like this.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
What's great is we celebrate it. You might line up
our vintages and there's going to be a little bit
of differences. But you're always tasting Catherine's vineyard, You're always
tasting Julia's vineyard. And I think being so connected to
the vineyard, I say I run out every day, but
really we have to drive out to a few different blocks.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
It's nine hundred and twelve hundred acres, yes, but you
are in good shape.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
So yeah, well thanks. But what's great is I can,
over the years get to know areas. You know, we
have our earlier ripening clones, later ripening clones. Decision making
for the pick is so it's such a big part
of a blend that being able to taste every day,
(18:11):
multiple days, to really like hone in on that picking window.
And then having our vineyard team that's been here forever.
Matt Mahoney, our vineyard manager, is the office across from me.
We work together throughout the seasons. He doesn't say no
to me. I will ask for maybe a couple picks,
so For me, I think, because I am still a
(18:32):
young winemaker, I'm not going to do the same thing
every vintage. I'm going to see what's showing in that vintage.
Another thing is it's never the same stainless ferment percentage
every year. It's never the same mallactic fermentation every year.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Because when you get in the wine it changes. But
from what you're saying, it sounds like while there's nuance,
because we know there's nuance from vintage a vintage, there's
a nice consistency here or a nice style. So I'm
curious if there are any sort of you know, predictors
that you look for that are going to tell you
what a harvest is going to be.
Speaker 3 (19:05):
I guess what we do a lot of is thinking
back on previous harvests. And luckily, since I have been
through a few harvests, now we can be like, oh,
this is showing like this, and this is showing like this.
Oh we got that heat wave in labor day. Be careful,
our heat waves are nothing though.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
There's always that wind.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
Yeah exactly, but yeah, we will definitely compare. And it's
really interesting how good my memory is with harvest weather
compared to just like other things in life, but be like, oh, yeah,
this reminds me of this and with us because we
get maybe we will get some warmth, but sometimes it
(19:44):
stays cool, so we will be in kind of a
holding pattern of like, oh, we're hanging out. Oh this
reminds me of back in twenty twenty, when you know,
we got to like rest a little bit during harvest
and then kind of pick up towards the end of harvest.
But it is fine looking back on different dages.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
So it's not so much predictors but almost using information. Yeah,
that's what knowledge is. So I'm curious, as as a
team or even as an individual, why make or any
sort of good luck rituals that you have at the
start of harvest?
Speaker 3 (20:18):
Okay, rituals. This is before I worked at Cambria. I
love the town of Cambria. We are different from the
town of Cambria, which is in California, so north of here. Yeah,
north of here. But I love to go there on
a like a pre harvest trip escape. There's not a
lot of cell phone service. There's not a lot there,
(20:40):
and so that's my like, harvest is coming, we need
to go to our Cambria trip. So for me personally,
that's something I do and then once I've got that down,
I'm like, okay, let's do this thing. Let's go for it.
But we always do the blessed the grapes and have
some bubbles at the start of harvest, and typically our
rose of pianura is the first thing that comes in.
(21:02):
But we are making a new style of wine. That's
an early pick. You would you're gonna love it. Actually,
I know it a Chuckolina style, so that with cha
or with chardonnay, so picking it earlier bricks, so that
might be the start of harvest. Not the rose we'll see,
but it is definitely like a yeah, a lower but
(21:24):
we'll celebrate. Usually we celebrate with the rose, but we
might be celebrating with that.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
I love it so obviously you drive through the vineyards
quite often and walk occasionally through parts of it. I'm
curious what sort of relationship you feel that you have
with these vines. Do you talk to them, do they
talk to you? Is there is there a communication goes
back or is it more in the winery that you
talk to your wine and barrels.
Speaker 3 (21:47):
Did you have this question just for me or do
other winemakers talk to their vines.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
Some people talk, some people have like a like through
brain waves, you know. Some people some people have yelled
their wine at times.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
Oh yeah, no, I'm nice. So that's exactly it why
I love having the vineyard right here. Yes, we have
an amazing lab. Amazing I get to see analysis all
the time. But going out and tasting and hearing what
those vines have to say, like yeah we're good, like
we're done, pick us, but yeah, we definitely like sight
(22:23):
and tasting and seeing what their leaves are doing and
just how they're feeling out there. Definitely go out there,
and I'm not afraid to say I talked to my
talk to my vines, talk to my wines. Even up
until like bottling day. It's like this is my baby
that I'm putting into bottle, Like I take care of
you and now you can go.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
Yeah, make others happy. Yes, do you play music to
your vine to your wines?
Speaker 3 (22:47):
So I don't, but we have a couple of DJs
in the crew that have some amazing playlist and that
is something. I'm not a good singer, but I sing
a lot. But the cell makes you have like, you know,
good acoustics down there, so I am known to dance
and sing, not directly to the wines, but more of
(23:07):
like a to pump everyone.
Speaker 2 (23:09):
Up, happy wine maker, happy wines exactly.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
Yes, yes, I like that.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
So when you were little, what did you want to
be when you grew up? I mean, I know you
said that you helped your friend's mom do catering jobs
and that kind of intrigued you to learn more about wine.
But I mean, was that what you always wanted to
do from a very young age or did you have
other aspirations.
Speaker 3 (23:33):
Very young age? I wanted to be a teacher, and
still to this day, I think if I wasn't in wine,
I'd still probably go into something like that. I noticed
when we have meant, when we have interns, or when
I'm able to talk to someone who doesn't know whine.
I love the teaching aspect of it. But yeah, so
as a young kid, I wanted to be a teacher,
(23:55):
and then but working out the catering, I did ask
to work for the wine maker and I did, and
back then I didn't actually know what I was doing,
and I was giving all the wine to my parents.
I was getting paid in wine. But now looking back.
I was running a filter. I was helping them like
prep for bottling, but I had no idea. I was
just there kind of hanging. All it is is cleaning.
That's what wine making is is cleaning and cleaning. So
(24:19):
that did stick, and I'm glad because I was able
to really focus and get into the industry early. I
don't think anyone needs to have a major to make wine.
You just make wine. But it was nice to have
that focus in college.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
Yeah, and have a nice little foundation of not necessarily
knowing what you're doing, but knowing what you're doing getting
in there. So when you're not working, how do you
like to spend your free time?
Speaker 3 (24:42):
So I have two sweet little girls, let's say two
years and almost four, so we get out of the house.
Like essentially before them, we loved hiking. Lived in San
Luis Obispo for fifteen years. Now we live in Los Alamos.
We're all about the Central Coast. We actually called a
Central Coast circuit, hanging out on the Central Coast. We're
(25:06):
at the beach in the morning, We're at Cold Spring's
tavern in the afternoon, live music. So we try to
get out and do be outside and be adventurous as
much as possible with the littles and cold.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
Spring taverns with the littles. I went there in college.
It was either college students or bikers. But that you
with your kids.
Speaker 3 (25:25):
I'm starting this new thing because yeah, everyone's it's like
this memory and it's such a like magical place. They
have live music, our girls dance, and it's just the foods.
We love barbecue, so whether we're doing it or going
someone that has good barbecue, but yeah, that's that's something
we do. But yeah, and then Shelby, Santa Barbara or
(25:46):
my beautiful places so.
Speaker 2 (25:48):
Out doorsy and such. So do you do any sports
or are you a fan of any teams any particular sports?
Speaker 3 (25:54):
Okay, so I'm not a sports watcher. Go where My
husband laughs at me because I talk about how I
was an athlete. But I was a runner and a swimmer,
so things that you don't need much coordination for, you know,
just running just.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
To swim butterfly, I was a butterfly that takes coordination.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
Yeah, but like hand eyeball. No, So I still do
love to swim, and I will soon start making more
time for getting out there more. But yeah, we go
on our walks, and to me that fills up the
athletic cup. But we watch golf.
Speaker 2 (26:31):
You know, you have a favorite to a golfer.
Speaker 3 (26:34):
No, but my husband. My husband's a big golfer and
he probably does. But to me, it's like such a
relaxing sport to watch. No one's screaming, You're just chilling. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (26:45):
So if we do not have a name of your
favorite player, were to win the championship, which of your
wines would you want to present to them for a
golf game.
Speaker 3 (26:56):
I keep talking about this Catherine's vineyard, but we do
have these cute half bottles of Catherine and even my husband,
like during COVID, I started golfing and learning how to golf,
and it's such a great country club wine too. I
go to country clubs throughout the US, So that would
be that my golfing wine.
Speaker 2 (27:13):
Gets all the attention.
Speaker 3 (27:14):
Y sorry, sorry, Julia.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
So tell me something. When you're planning a romantic evening
for you and your husband and it's not not playing
golf and having a half bottle of Catherine Charnay, what
sort of wines make for a romantic evening for the
two of you? What do you guys like to open
or order or.
Speaker 3 (27:36):
Again we're bringing up the bubbles, but this is mostly him.
So he loves champagne, that's like his I mean, or
any sparkling. But I'd say if we were going to
have go somewhere special were we love to support a
restaurant and buy wine, but we'll also bring a nice
bottle of champagne that we picked up somewhere and we
(27:56):
know we like to and don't take a chance. Yeah,
bubbles are definitely in store for a date night or
just a random weekend. Yeah, every night.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
It's a romantic evening when bubbles are involved. So when
you look back at you know, in our lives, we're
always given advice. And you mentioned a mentor. Stephen Ross
was a mentor to you, Paulato. You've had all these
great mentors. There are teachers which you wanted to be.
Is there a piece of advice maybe it was a
(28:25):
parent or one of these mentors that gave you that
you try to live life by or work by that
you carry with you.
Speaker 3 (28:33):
I kind of think of both my parents too. My
mom would always say things happen for a reason, which
I totally believe in, but sometimes I think it's manifesting too,
so like go look thinking about those good things that'll
come and things happen for a reason. And then just
(28:55):
my not like a saying, but my dad really put
in this like hard work pays off. And he was
the one who taught me, like, you're not going to
get a trophy for your hard work. You're not going
to get that pat on the back. You just thought
your job. But I think that's really put instilled some
great work ethic and maybe a little too much, you know,
(29:15):
but I'm lucky. I love this place. But that is
something that both my parents kind of instilled in me.
Speaker 2 (29:22):
And if you could give some advice to our listeners,
what kind of advice would you love to give.
Speaker 3 (29:27):
I love saying that even if you think nobody's watching,
they're watching. So you're doing the hard work. It does
pay off. It might take a really long time, but
or act as if someone's watching, because you never know
when that's happening.
Speaker 2 (29:45):
Yeah, so you mentioned earlier that you are a young winemaker.
You're still young in your career. You've been doing this
for a while, you're experienced, but you have a long career.
Speaker 3 (29:54):
Ahead of you.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
So when you look back at your career so far,
and I say, because you can't say your kids, what
would you say, is one of your proudest achievements to date?
Speaker 3 (30:08):
There's been so many. No, Yeah, Like I'm like, I'm
so young, But it's more that it's just the wine world.
Is there so much to learn? So lots to learn.
I'd say getting this job was a big highlight of
my career is I could see I was assistant my
maker before taking on this role, and I could see
(30:31):
what would they wanted. Someone local, hardworking, fits in with
the team, and the interview process was pretty intense. So
even if I hadn't got the job, that was big.
And then first vintage of Catherine's when your Chartney was
speaking of those critics and stuff, but again being shown
like top one hundred wines, first vintage here, that felt
(30:52):
really good.
Speaker 2 (30:52):
Your first vintage making it or the first vintage of.
Speaker 3 (30:55):
The wine, first vintage making it start to finish yet
twenty seventeen Catherine's ward chart. Nay, wow, so good.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
Now we know why you love it so much. I
make so much of it.
Speaker 3 (31:05):
Everyone loves it. That's why I have to make so
much of it.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
Okay, I want you to complete this sentence. For me,
a table without wine is like, oh God, these days.
Speaker 3 (31:18):
People are fine without wine on the table. It's just
not as fun.
Speaker 2 (31:26):
It's an empty place. We can say it respect to
the people that don't want to drink for legitimate reasons,
but those that just don't understand the pleasure of it.
Speaker 3 (31:35):
Yeah, it's just okay. It's such happy. Wine brings you
such happiness, and it's wine in a bottle is so
much more than just alcohol. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:45):
So we're sitting at a table. We've got your bottles
on here that you've made. There's an empty seat next
to you. Who, from any walk of life, living or deceased,
do you wish you could be sharing a bottle of
Cambria wines.
Speaker 3 (31:57):
With Wow, that is a good I like this. You know,
we don't know the questions ahead of time. Who I
would say walks of life. My grandfather, Chuck, mother's father,
(32:18):
was instrumental in my childhood and was sad that he
passed away when I was, you know, a teenager, and
I could still remember him like on the sidelines of
all my sports games, Go Jili, go Jili, And I
just think he'd be so proud and having him next
to me tasting the wines, being so proud is better
than any other. This award scores and that would be
(32:41):
pretty amazing.
Speaker 2 (32:43):
Go Jilly, I love it. So we talked a little
bit about being out here in the vineyard and how
vintages you know, have variation. What's your prediction for the future.
We're going to be drinking wine in five hundred years?
Speaker 3 (33:01):
Okay, yes, so how I feel because we're all feeling
it right now in the wine industry. But someone told
me it's the longest, like the oldest industry around besides prostitution.
It's still gonna be going on. We're still gonna be
(33:22):
making wine.
Speaker 2 (33:22):
So it's gonna be a round pressed to believe the
prostitution goes back eight thousand years.
Speaker 3 (33:27):
Yes, I don't know the quote or who quoted this,
but yeah, something like this. I'm like, Okay, Yeah, we're
gonna hang out. Yeah, we're gonna be making wine for
a while.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
Someone will drink it.
Speaker 3 (33:37):
Yes, you'll age it forever and ever.
Speaker 2 (33:41):
But if you had to go to a deserted island
right now, conditions are whatever you want, But what three
wines would you want to take to you? If you
were going to a deserted island. Any three wines from
any anywhere.
Speaker 3 (33:55):
Oh my gosh, this is so hard, deserted island, it's
gonna be warm. I'm gonna go for my crisp white wines,
and let's go with all chardonnay. No, wait, let's go champagne.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
Okay, any particular one.
Speaker 3 (34:16):
No, yeah, there's again like a single producer. I just don't. Yeah, champagne. Yeah,
this is so hard, and that it's wine, right, and
no apparel sprits, Yeah, persecco to make the apperl sprits
and then a still sar. I'm gonna go yeah, okay, white.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
Wine, white wine, no shennon blanc.
Speaker 3 (34:39):
We'll see, we'll see. I thought about the hood uit
for a second.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
Well, we have almost come to the end. But we
are at the end where we play our little game
of wine and food at Wine and Music Pairing. You know,
we talked a little bit about how you talk to
the vines and that you have DJs on your team
that play music, and that you dance for the wines,
which may actually have an impact. I mean, you know,
(35:05):
it's a happy feeling and maybe that gets the fermentation going.
Who knows. I mean, we can believe it. It may
be true, but wine makes us feel a certain way,
and music makes us feel a certain way. So I
want you to pick a song, a genre, a particular musician,
and however you want. That will help kind of conjure
(35:26):
up the feeling of some of your wines. So let's
start with the Catherines Vineyard chardinet.
Speaker 3 (35:33):
I don't know. Yeah, again, I see why everyone's like
this is so hard, But right away I think of
mariachi because this is what I hear a lot. It's happy,
it's fun, there's horns, there's this, and to me, it's
like a bright, happy wine.
Speaker 2 (35:52):
Okay, what about your rose of pino noir.
Speaker 3 (35:56):
Rose? That is a little bit more serious than people realize.
But let's say another genre. Why am I thinking of
the blues right now? That's really weird, but I'm just
gonna say that. Yeah, yeah, that's what came to mind,
you know.
Speaker 2 (36:14):
And I've been sipping on the Vionnier while we've been talking.
So what about the Vignier.
Speaker 3 (36:22):
That is will go with?
Speaker 2 (36:29):
Oh, it's nice. It's it's got really nice acidity, which
sometimes Viognier lacks a little of. This one has a
lot of a city but does have that creamy midpellette.
It's got kind of like ripe stone fruit, aroma and flowers.
Speaker 3 (36:43):
And I'm thinking jazz jazz. Yeah, interesting, huh.
Speaker 2 (36:48):
And we'll end with the Julia's Vineyard Pino noir Man.
Speaker 3 (36:52):
Okay, I'm gonna go with rock and roll because it's
kind of that diva gray and then it it's.
Speaker 2 (37:02):
Really fun, fantastic he survived. There you go. So, Jill,
I have one last question that's a two parter, and
that is what wine region in the world is at
the top of your bucket list to go explore wine?
Speaker 3 (37:17):
Reason on the top of my list, there's so many,
I think spending time. I did my little France excursion
and I'd love to spend more.
Speaker 2 (37:30):
Time in Italy, any particular region.
Speaker 3 (37:34):
I mean, right away, head off to Tuscany and then
kind of cruise around. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (37:41):
And if somebody wants to come here and explore and
taste Cambria, where can they find you? What will they
find when they're here, what will they experience and what
do they.
Speaker 3 (37:51):
Have to do? So visiting our winery out here in
Santa Maria Valley, you're not going to stumble upon it.
So thank you for driving out. But I love that
we're a winery and a tasting room in the middle
of a vineyard. I think it's so special. I've worked
in a lot of warehouse wineries they are amazing too,
but being able to drive up along the vines and
(38:14):
we have a comfortable, bright tasting room, beautiful patio, beautiful views,
and then the wines are just so good. So please visit.
We're in open Thursday through Sunday and our website is
Camerierwines dot com.
Speaker 2 (38:28):
Yeah, and if you sit outside, even with the sun shining,
even when it's a quote warm day here, the breeze
is so strong that it's never quite too hot to
sit outside.
Speaker 3 (38:37):
Yes, bring your layers. Yes.
Speaker 2 (38:41):
Do you offer any food pairing or anything here? Is
it just straight tasting?
Speaker 3 (38:44):
So we do charcuterie boards and we've done little savory
cookie pairings in the past and that was that's been
really fun. But yeah, mostly focused on the wines and
the views.
Speaker 2 (38:55):
Well, you know, planet trip out to Santa Maria Valley
when you're in Santa Barbara County, it's just an added
twenty twenty two minutes out here, not that far, and
it's really beautiful, so come on out to Cambriwines and Jill,
thank you for joining us today. I raise a glass
to you and.
Speaker 3 (39:11):
Thank you you so much.
Speaker 2 (39:12):
How fun.
Speaker 1 (39:13):
Thanks for listening to a new episode of Wine Soundtrack USA.
For details and updates, visit our website windsoundtracks dot com.
Welcome to Wine Soundtrack USA. Listen to the passion with
which producers narrate their winery and their world. Team 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 am with Jill Russell, who is
the wine maker at Cambria Estate Winery in the beautiful
Santa Maria Valley. We're sitting here in the tasting room
looking out at the vineyards and the sun is shining
and the breeze is going. Jill tell us a little
bit about Cambria, of course.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Yeah, we've been around since nineteen eighty six, so getting
up to forty years. We've been in Santa Maria Valley
this whole time. We have vines planted in the seventies.
So this property was really exciting for Kennel Jackson, so
purchasing the grapes for Kennel Jackson, but they decided how
(00:51):
beautiful and how special the grapes are, we need it
to be a winery. So we have our winery here
and the vineyards are named after their daughters. Our prietors
are Katie Jackson, so Catherine's Vineyard and Julia Jackson is
the pedo noar wonderful.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
So this is this property here in the Santa Maria Valley.
How many acres are on property?
Speaker 3 (01:13):
So we are about twelve hundred acres, but we only
use about twenty percent of that.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
So twelve hundred planted acres.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
Now as you drove in, give or take. So what's
really cool about this family is the devotion to the land.
And we've been we have so planted the seventies, planted
in ninety five, twenty ten, twenty twenty, and this year
you see fallow ground that's going to stay follow for
(01:44):
a little bit and be planted. So right now it's
probably about nine hundred acres planted.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
No, that's quite big, quite big. And I know that
you said you only keep twenty percent of the fruit
for Cambria, So what's your total case production for Cambria.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
So we we make our Catherines vineyard and it's a
really special wine from our state that gets out to
the US. So it's around thirty to sixty thousand cases
depending on the vintage job. And then so the Pino
Noir is about fifteen thousand cases. So again big enough
(02:22):
gets out there tells our story, tells Santa Barbara, Santa
Maria Valley. And then what's really fun is the tasting
room we're in right now. We make a couple hundred.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
Case lots of what other varieties, so lots.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
Of different charnays and pino noirs. Here. I love making
different styles of charnay, which well you can taste very focused,
stay inless steel fermented and then barrel fermented separately, a
nice blend. And then we also have a vigne and Sarrah.
So we just love those two varieties for like a
cool climate. And we planted more Vignier, and we planted
(02:56):
a little bit of Shennon blanc, and we planted some
grenache blancs. So some aromatic whites in our future.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Wow, And I'm curious you said that. You know, obviously
the chardonnay and the pino were across the US. Are
your wines available in all markets? Are they in any
international markets?
Speaker 3 (03:13):
You know, internationally? Yes, but mostly around the US. And
California is really big for US, also Florida and Texas.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Okay, so let's talk about you. And now that we
got that other way, I'm curious, what is your first
memory relevant to wine.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
Oh okay, So we were just talking about Livermore County
and I have a little connection there. So I had
a friend's mother who owned a catering business in Livermore County.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Where did you grow up?
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Cashtra Valley, California? So East Bay area. And so my
weekend job was driving out to a beautiful vineyard enjoying
a beautiful party. Yes I was serving at that party,
but I got to see the things of you know,
fine dye paired with wines, and I was just intrigued
that I wanted to work at a winery because I
(04:06):
wanted to be driving into a vineyard every day.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
So you were serving. I don't know that you were
of age though, but you know anyway, you know, yeah
you were. He looked mature. Yes, yes, now you look young.
But so since then and you've had this opportunity, obviously
you've been working in wine, making wine and obviously drinking
a lot of really good wines and taste winds. Is
there a particular wine that is one of those aha moments?
(04:35):
And it could have been early in your career, it
could have been more recent, but some wine that stood out?
And what was the wine and the reason.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
So I studied wine and viticulture at cal Poly. I
got into U SEE Davis. I chose cal Polly because,
you know, the Central Coast is beautiful in the industries
in our backyard. And then I always said I'd go
to UC Davis for my you know, next my master's,
but realized you just have to work. But at cal
Poly there were some wonderful professors, and then I was
(05:04):
really involved in the Vines to Wines Club. Interesting enough,
I just spoke at that club and it's been twenty
years since I've been there. And Keith Patterson for our graduation,
he brought a magnum of Duckhorn Merlow and it was
the age of us, so our birth my birth year
(05:25):
is nineteen eighty six. And again again I was a
lot younger, but tasting it made he was showing us
the appreciation of an aged wine. And that was like
an AHA moment for me. It was like, Wow, this
stuff is so special. It evolves and just the memory
of like graduating some of my closest wine friends who
are still my wine friends in the industry and drinking
(05:47):
your birth year, yeah yeah, and drinking the birth year. Cool.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
So now if we were to come to your home.
What would we find in your home? I mean, whether
you have a big collection or maybe it's just smatterings.
Is it your own wine, local wines, any particular varieties
or regions that you are drawn to.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
Yeah, so interesting enough. I am probably different than some
of my friends in that I don't save a lot
of wines and age them. Maybe it was COVID. We
just started opening things because I started saving every wine
I made. And that's just ridiculous. We make lots of
wines every year. So I've been good at, you know,
(06:26):
saving some, Yeah, drinking them, but saving some. I'd say
every winery I've worked at, which I haven't worked out
a ton of wineries, I've kept a few, knowing that
if that winemaker handed it to me and said this
is a special vintage for me, I knew to wait till,
you know, ten years from now.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
What are some of those other wineries you worked at?
Speaker 3 (06:43):
So out of college, I worked at Stephen Ross in
the Edna Valley and I was there five years. So
I really learned the craft of making a great bottle
of wine and just a great mentor of mine. So
and he is what got me into this loving this
region because he sources from Biennasuito. And actually one of
(07:04):
the wines I have is a Biennacito Charnay that I
have hanging out and a Biennacito Pino, and then they're
a state vineyard stone corral which is shared with Tally.
So the ind of valley connection was wonderful. And then
I went and traveled in France. So actually I worked
at Harvest in the Loire Valley in Manitou, Salon, so
(07:26):
next to Sansert, and so that I would say I
gravitate towards I traveled a lot after I worked Harvest,
because harvest is very short and fun there, and so
I gravitate towards that Shennon Blanc because I visited Vouvray
and I went i domain Hewitt, I stayed at the
(07:47):
winemaker's house and just one of those like memories and beautiful,
indescribable kind of stories. So I noticed, we buy a
lot of that and saved that because that can age
or if we're out a restaurant. And then against sons too,
so lots of white wines. And then when I came back,
I worked for Palato, most recently here in Santa Barbara County.
(08:12):
So I have some of those wines too, because I
remember when he gave me my job offer. It was
like one of his higher scores. And forget the vintage
actually right now twenty thirteen maybe no, that's when I
worked there. Anyways, I have a couple of Paulados laying
down and some special vineyards. That was fun to work
there as well.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
So you said you drink a lot of your wine
during COVID, but I'm curious if recently, in the last
few nights or weeks, you opened up something that tasted
really good.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
Okay, so interesting enough. The last couple of nights, my
husband hasn't been we haven't been opening as much wine
because he this is too much information, but he had
a surgery, trying to be healthy recovery. Really sad. My
Fourth of July barbecue is all wine industry people. There's
a lot of non alcohol options. So sad. It's so sad.
(09:04):
But I'd say in the last couple days, not in
my home, but we went to a wine bar and
I had a to Tomer, granted Tomer, who was local.
It was a white blend that like that's popping out
of as a favorite that actually I shared with Anna
who you just met, and.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
A white blend is so I know he does. He's
a Reasling based winemaker, so it would be very kind
of high acid.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
Whites, right, yes, high acid whites, and that I noticed
I gravitate. We gravitate towards high acid and bubbles too,
and I wouldn't say like all about Champagne, Cremonts, what
have you. We're also a big april spritz family, so
Persecco is in my fridge always.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
So working with the varieties that you do and maybe
others that you love, like you mentioned sheen and blanc,
although I know you said you have some planted so
you will be working with it. Do you think there's
a such thing as a perfect variety?
Speaker 3 (10:00):
Oh wow, that is a good question. Nobody's perfect. All
varieties have their things. Why I'm going to say Shardonnay
is close to perfect because wine makers can perfect it.
So finding what they can do in the winery. It's
(10:22):
a grape that can, you know, be massaged and have
different flavor profiles with different fermentations. Whereas I make a
lot of pen and noiter, but that is really up
to our vineyard team and what's going on in our vineyard.
I just can't mess it up. When it comes to
our winery where Shardnay, I get to play and have fun,
and I think we can make it perfect by finding balance. Right.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
So perfection is something that it's perfect on its own,
but it also can be adjusted as necessary. The most
mellible of grapes. So when we speak about perfection, I
know we won't necessarily name names, but I know that
tomorrow you said that you have a tasting with a
very important critic of your wines, and I'm curious what's
(11:03):
your opinion on wine critics and scores. I mean, do
they play a really important part uh role to you
as a wine maker or as a wine drinker.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
I think it's always fun to get a pat on
the back. We have a job. You just do your
job right, you make the fantastic wines, Like that's my job.
It is nice to have received some nice notes about
your wine and validation, but I that's not my end goal.
I'm my end goal for the wine is thinking about
(11:35):
where's it gonna who's it gonna be drink with, where
what food are they going to enjoy? But I do
see that it does help with the sales team. If
I I know our wine's good, but if another person
is saying it's good, or another few people are saying
it's good, then it's really good.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
And somebody who has the platform because you know, someone
comes in the tasting stem says it's good. That's great
to the friends they share it with. But yes, yeah,
So you talked a little bit about what you drink. Drink, drink,
drink and drink. I'm curious, quick question. I think you
answered it. But red white or rose white?
Speaker 3 (12:14):
Yeah, white bubbles.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Still are sparkling, Oh, sparkling, sparkling?
Speaker 3 (12:20):
Yeah, ah yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
Champagne or anywhere else or all of the above.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
That's the thing, all of the above, Yeah, yeah, mostly
perseco Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
So talking about how people enjoy wine, that you're thinking
about how people enjoy wine and when they enjoy wine,
it's with food, as you mentioned that you do as well.
And I'm curious how you approach food and wine pairing.
Do you take you very seriously? Are there rules that
you follow? Do you believe in the old adage of
white wine and fish, red wine and meat, or is
(12:56):
there something else you look for Whether you're cooking at
home or going out to a.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
Restaurant, I'd say I don't follow rules, and I it's
funny because that is one question I don't love with,
like what's what should this wine be paired with? I'm
like everything, anything, nothing, So that is one. But I
do understand that if people are really focused around it,
I will come up with something. And I have, you know,
(13:23):
even in school and traditionally have learned the pairings. But
I mean, I Paul Latta, where I worked chardonnay, we're
tasting Chartenay's all the day, all day. He wants to
go have a nice steak, and that is still caught
on in my brain. So if I'm at a steakhouse,
I'm not having a heavy like a red alongside of it,
(13:43):
I'll still order my charnay.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
Well, I think it's I mean, I do think it's
interesting that when you you know, like if you've never
cooked before, you don't understand how things go together. But
once you start cooking, you know how much salt to add,
You know if it needs citrus or if it needs
cream or what it needs. So I guess asking someone
how they approach food and wine praying when they drink
wine all the time. Is kind of like it's inherent
that you kind of have an idea, like you're probably
(14:06):
not going to bring a cabernet.
Speaker 3 (14:07):
With an oyster.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
But are there certain things that you're looking for when
you want to match food and wine? Are you looking
for harmony or contrast? Is it what are sort of
the deciding factors that makes you pick what you're gonna
go with.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
I think that's why gravitate towards the high acid wines.
Bringing that acidity to the dish is really helpful, kind
of elevating that dish, also helping elevate wine. When I'm
kind of given foods to try to pair, toning down
the sweetness like Whye maker dinners when we have a
(14:43):
dessert just kills me because we don't have a dessert wine,
or like it's always too sweet, even though they're saying
it's not too sweet. But looking for that balance is
definitely something I'm looking for and cooking, And when I'm cooking,
I noticed it's like, hey, maybe we'll have like a
light rose easy drink and then think more about like
when we sit down, what are we enjoying?
Speaker 2 (15:04):
And yeah, yeah, so for somebody who's had not had
the pleasure to taste Cambria wines. Yet what do you
think they're missing out on?
Speaker 3 (15:12):
Oh, the wines are so good here. Essentially we are
California winery. But what's so special and why we're not
recording outside is our ocean influence, so we would have
way too much wind right now, we get these foggy mornings.
I think that really helps with you know, keeping it
the acidity there and the brightness because we are too warm.
(15:35):
But we are still California, so you're getting in this
tropical fruit in our chardonnaise, exuberant fruit. But then with
that ocean influence and our soils, there is a savory
note to all of our wines, which pairs well with
foods because the sweetness, it's not overpowering with sweet flavors,
and they are dry, sure, but this savory, you know
(15:56):
in the chardonnaise and the pano no wars there's a
sand we have spice and the pinos and then the
chardonnais have this salinity, marinerality, whatever you want to call it,
but something other than fruit.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
So if space aliens were to land on your property
right now and come knocking on the door, which of
your ones would you want to welcome them with to
say welcome to Camria.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
I would welcome them with our catherinees Vinyard charnay. It's
just so good and a great representation of our estate.
A lot of our state is planted as charnay. And
then how I mentioned, you know, different charnays in our
taste room are focused on you know, stainless or our barrel.
It's a nice blend of everything. And harvest is harvest.
But a big part of why making here is finding
(16:38):
balance with our blending season and going through everything we
did that harvest and you know, compiling it to make
our Catherine's been your charney.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
I love that. I'm not a space alien because you
welcomed you with the vigne.
Speaker 3 (16:48):
You're not an alien. I wanted to check other things
out exactly.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
Something different for everyone. So you've been here for eight
is that correct?
Speaker 3 (17:01):
Yes? Eight years? Yeah, a couple of days ago actually
at the anniversary.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
So you're overseeing quite a large project with the vineyards
that are right here at the winery. So obviously you
spend a lot of time here and I'm curious in
your experience overall in wine making, but also the time
you spent here. We know every vintage tells a different story.
How much variation do you see from year to year
in a place like this.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
What's great is we celebrate it. You might line up
our vintages and there's going to be a little bit
of differences. But you're always tasting Catherine's vineyard, You're always
tasting Julia's vineyard. And I think being so connected to
the vineyard, I say I run out every day, but
really we have to drive out to a few different blocks.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
It's nine hundred and twelve hundred acres, yes, but you
are in good shape.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
So yeah, well thanks. But what's great is I can,
over the years get to know areas. You know, we
have our earlier ripening clones, later ripening clones. Decision making
for the pick is so it's such a big part
of a blend that being able to taste every day,
(18:11):
multiple days, to really like hone in on that picking window.
And then having our vineyard team that's been here forever.
Matt Mahoney, our vineyard manager, is the office across from me.
We work together throughout the seasons. He doesn't say no
to me. I will ask for maybe a couple picks,
so For me, I think, because I am still a
(18:32):
young winemaker, I'm not going to do the same thing
every vintage. I'm going to see what's showing in that vintage.
Another thing is it's never the same stainless ferment percentage
every year. It's never the same mallactic fermentation every year.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Because when you get in the wine it changes. But
from what you're saying, it sounds like while there's nuance,
because we know there's nuance from vintage a vintage, there's
a nice consistency here or a nice style. So I'm
curious if there are any sort of you know, predictors
that you look for that are going to tell you
what a harvest is going to be.
Speaker 3 (19:05):
I guess what we do a lot of is thinking
back on previous harvests. And luckily, since I have been
through a few harvests, now we can be like, oh,
this is showing like this, and this is showing like this.
Oh we got that heat wave in labor day. Be careful,
our heat waves are nothing though.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
There's always that wind.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
Yeah exactly, but yeah, we will definitely compare. And it's
really interesting how good my memory is with harvest weather
compared to just like other things in life, but be like, oh, yeah,
this reminds me of this and with us because we
get maybe we will get some warmth, but sometimes it
(19:44):
stays cool, so we will be in kind of a
holding pattern of like, oh, we're hanging out. Oh this
reminds me of back in twenty twenty, when you know,
we got to like rest a little bit during harvest
and then kind of pick up towards the end of harvest.
But it is fine looking back on different dages.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
So it's not so much predictors but almost using information. Yeah,
that's what knowledge is. So I'm curious, as as a
team or even as an individual, why make or any
sort of good luck rituals that you have at the
start of harvest?
Speaker 3 (20:18):
Okay, rituals. This is before I worked at Cambria. I
love the town of Cambria. We are different from the
town of Cambria, which is in California, so north of here. Yeah,
north of here. But I love to go there on
a like a pre harvest trip escape. There's not a
lot of cell phone service. There's not a lot there,
(20:40):
and so that's my like, harvest is coming, we need
to go to our Cambria trip. So for me personally,
that's something I do and then once I've got that down,
I'm like, okay, let's do this thing. Let's go for it.
But we always do the blessed the grapes and have
some bubbles at the start of harvest, and typically our
rose of pianura is the first thing that comes in.
(21:02):
But we are making a new style of wine. That's
an early pick. You would you're gonna love it. Actually,
I know it a Chuckolina style, so that with cha
or with chardonnay, so picking it earlier bricks, so that
might be the start of harvest. Not the rose we'll see,
but it is definitely like a yeah, a lower but
(21:24):
we'll celebrate. Usually we celebrate with the rose, but we
might be celebrating with that.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
I love it so obviously you drive through the vineyards
quite often and walk occasionally through parts of it. I'm
curious what sort of relationship you feel that you have
with these vines. Do you talk to them, do they
talk to you? Is there is there a communication goes
back or is it more in the winery that you
talk to your wine and barrels.
Speaker 3 (21:47):
Did you have this question just for me or do
other winemakers talk to their vines.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
Some people talk, some people have like a like through
brain waves, you know. Some people some people have yelled
their wine at times.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
Oh yeah, no, I'm nice. So that's exactly it why
I love having the vineyard right here. Yes, we have
an amazing lab. Amazing I get to see analysis all
the time. But going out and tasting and hearing what
those vines have to say, like yeah we're good, like
we're done, pick us, but yeah, we definitely like sight
(22:23):
and tasting and seeing what their leaves are doing and
just how they're feeling out there. Definitely go out there,
and I'm not afraid to say I talked to my
talk to my vines, talk to my wines. Even up
until like bottling day. It's like this is my baby
that I'm putting into bottle, Like I take care of
you and now you can go.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
Yeah, make others happy. Yes, do you play music to
your vine to your wines?
Speaker 3 (22:47):
So I don't, but we have a couple of DJs
in the crew that have some amazing playlist and that
is something. I'm not a good singer, but I sing
a lot. But the cell makes you have like, you know,
good acoustics down there, so I am known to dance
and sing, not directly to the wines, but more of
(23:07):
like a to pump everyone.
Speaker 2 (23:09):
Up, happy wine maker, happy wines exactly.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
Yes, yes, I like that.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
So when you were little, what did you want to
be when you grew up? I mean, I know you
said that you helped your friend's mom do catering jobs
and that kind of intrigued you to learn more about wine.
But I mean, was that what you always wanted to
do from a very young age or did you have
other aspirations.
Speaker 3 (23:33):
Very young age? I wanted to be a teacher, and
still to this day, I think if I wasn't in wine,
I'd still probably go into something like that. I noticed
when we have meant, when we have interns, or when
I'm able to talk to someone who doesn't know whine.
I love the teaching aspect of it. But yeah, so
as a young kid, I wanted to be a teacher,
(23:55):
and then but working out the catering, I did ask
to work for the wine maker and I did, and
back then I didn't actually know what I was doing,
and I was giving all the wine to my parents.
I was getting paid in wine. But now looking back.
I was running a filter. I was helping them like
prep for bottling, but I had no idea. I was
just there kind of hanging. All it is is cleaning.
That's what wine making is is cleaning and cleaning. So
(24:19):
that did stick, and I'm glad because I was able
to really focus and get into the industry early. I
don't think anyone needs to have a major to make wine.
You just make wine. But it was nice to have
that focus in college.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
Yeah, and have a nice little foundation of not necessarily
knowing what you're doing, but knowing what you're doing getting
in there. So when you're not working, how do you
like to spend your free time?
Speaker 3 (24:42):
So I have two sweet little girls, let's say two
years and almost four, so we get out of the house.
Like essentially before them, we loved hiking. Lived in San
Luis Obispo for fifteen years. Now we live in Los Alamos.
We're all about the Central Coast. We actually called a
Central Coast circuit, hanging out on the Central Coast. We're
(25:06):
at the beach in the morning, We're at Cold Spring's
tavern in the afternoon, live music. So we try to
get out and do be outside and be adventurous as
much as possible with the littles and cold.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
Spring taverns with the littles. I went there in college.
It was either college students or bikers. But that you
with your kids.
Speaker 3 (25:25):
I'm starting this new thing because yeah, everyone's it's like
this memory and it's such a like magical place. They
have live music, our girls dance, and it's just the foods.
We love barbecue, so whether we're doing it or going
someone that has good barbecue, but yeah, that's that's something
we do. But yeah, and then Shelby, Santa Barbara or
(25:46):
my beautiful places so.
Speaker 2 (25:48):
Out doorsy and such. So do you do any sports
or are you a fan of any teams any particular sports?
Speaker 3 (25:54):
Okay, so I'm not a sports watcher. Go where My
husband laughs at me because I talk about how I
was an athlete. But I was a runner and a swimmer,
so things that you don't need much coordination for, you know,
just running just.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
To swim butterfly, I was a butterfly that takes coordination.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
Yeah, but like hand eyeball. No, So I still do
love to swim, and I will soon start making more
time for getting out there more. But yeah, we go
on our walks, and to me that fills up the
athletic cup. But we watch golf.
Speaker 2 (26:31):
You know, you have a favorite to a golfer.
Speaker 3 (26:34):
No, but my husband. My husband's a big golfer and
he probably does. But to me, it's like such a
relaxing sport to watch. No one's screaming, You're just chilling. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (26:45):
So if we do not have a name of your
favorite player, were to win the championship, which of your
wines would you want to present to them for a
golf game.
Speaker 3 (26:56):
I keep talking about this Catherine's vineyard, but we do
have these cute half bottles of Catherine and even my husband,
like during COVID, I started golfing and learning how to golf,
and it's such a great country club wine too. I
go to country clubs throughout the US, So that would
be that my golfing wine.
Speaker 2 (27:13):
Gets all the attention.
Speaker 3 (27:14):
Y sorry, sorry, Julia.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
So tell me something. When you're planning a romantic evening
for you and your husband and it's not not playing
golf and having a half bottle of Catherine Charnay, what
sort of wines make for a romantic evening for the
two of you? What do you guys like to open
or order or.
Speaker 3 (27:36):
Again we're bringing up the bubbles, but this is mostly him.
So he loves champagne, that's like his I mean, or
any sparkling. But I'd say if we were going to
have go somewhere special were we love to support a
restaurant and buy wine, but we'll also bring a nice
bottle of champagne that we picked up somewhere and we
(27:56):
know we like to and don't take a chance. Yeah,
bubbles are definitely in store for a date night or
just a random weekend. Yeah, every night.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
It's a romantic evening when bubbles are involved. So when
you look back at you know, in our lives, we're
always given advice. And you mentioned a mentor. Stephen Ross
was a mentor to you, Paulato. You've had all these
great mentors. There are teachers which you wanted to be.
Is there a piece of advice maybe it was a
(28:25):
parent or one of these mentors that gave you that
you try to live life by or work by that
you carry with you.
Speaker 3 (28:33):
I kind of think of both my parents too. My
mom would always say things happen for a reason, which
I totally believe in, but sometimes I think it's manifesting too,
so like go look thinking about those good things that'll
come and things happen for a reason. And then just
(28:55):
my not like a saying, but my dad really put
in this like hard work pays off. And he was
the one who taught me, like, you're not going to
get a trophy for your hard work. You're not going
to get that pat on the back. You just thought
your job. But I think that's really put instilled some
great work ethic and maybe a little too much, you know,
(29:15):
but I'm lucky. I love this place. But that is
something that both my parents kind of instilled in me.
Speaker 2 (29:22):
And if you could give some advice to our listeners,
what kind of advice would you love to give.
Speaker 3 (29:27):
I love saying that even if you think nobody's watching,
they're watching. So you're doing the hard work. It does
pay off. It might take a really long time, but
or act as if someone's watching, because you never know
when that's happening.
Speaker 2 (29:45):
Yeah, so you mentioned earlier that you are a young winemaker.
You're still young in your career. You've been doing this
for a while, you're experienced, but you have a long career.
Speaker 3 (29:54):
Ahead of you.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
So when you look back at your career so far,
and I say, because you can't say your kids, what
would you say, is one of your proudest achievements to date?
Speaker 3 (30:08):
There's been so many. No, Yeah, Like I'm like, I'm
so young, But it's more that it's just the wine world.
Is there so much to learn? So lots to learn.
I'd say getting this job was a big highlight of
my career is I could see I was assistant my
maker before taking on this role, and I could see
(30:31):
what would they wanted. Someone local, hardworking, fits in with
the team, and the interview process was pretty intense. So
even if I hadn't got the job, that was big.
And then first vintage of Catherine's when your Chartney was
speaking of those critics and stuff, but again being shown
like top one hundred wines, first vintage here, that felt
(30:52):
really good.
Speaker 2 (30:52):
Your first vintage making it or the first vintage of.
Speaker 3 (30:55):
The wine, first vintage making it start to finish yet
twenty seventeen Catherine's ward chart. Nay, wow, so good.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
Now we know why you love it so much. I
make so much of it.
Speaker 3 (31:05):
Everyone loves it. That's why I have to make so
much of it.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
Okay, I want you to complete this sentence. For me,
a table without wine is like, oh God, these days.
Speaker 3 (31:18):
People are fine without wine on the table. It's just
not as fun.
Speaker 2 (31:26):
It's an empty place. We can say it respect to
the people that don't want to drink for legitimate reasons,
but those that just don't understand the pleasure of it.
Speaker 3 (31:35):
Yeah, it's just okay. It's such happy. Wine brings you
such happiness, and it's wine in a bottle is so
much more than just alcohol. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:45):
So we're sitting at a table. We've got your bottles
on here that you've made. There's an empty seat next
to you. Who, from any walk of life, living or deceased,
do you wish you could be sharing a bottle of
Cambria wines.
Speaker 3 (31:57):
With Wow, that is a good I like this. You know,
we don't know the questions ahead of time. Who I
would say walks of life. My grandfather, Chuck, mother's father,
(32:18):
was instrumental in my childhood and was sad that he
passed away when I was, you know, a teenager, and
I could still remember him like on the sidelines of
all my sports games, Go Jili, go Jili, And I
just think he'd be so proud and having him next
to me tasting the wines, being so proud is better
than any other. This award scores and that would be
(32:41):
pretty amazing.
Speaker 2 (32:43):
Go Jilly, I love it. So we talked a little
bit about being out here in the vineyard and how
vintages you know, have variation. What's your prediction for the future.
We're going to be drinking wine in five hundred years?
Speaker 3 (33:01):
Okay, yes, so how I feel because we're all feeling
it right now in the wine industry. But someone told
me it's the longest, like the oldest industry around besides prostitution.
It's still gonna be going on. We're still gonna be
(33:22):
making wine.
Speaker 2 (33:22):
So it's gonna be a round pressed to believe the
prostitution goes back eight thousand years.
Speaker 3 (33:27):
Yes, I don't know the quote or who quoted this,
but yeah, something like this. I'm like, Okay, Yeah, we're
gonna hang out. Yeah, we're gonna be making wine for
a while.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
Someone will drink it.
Speaker 3 (33:37):
Yes, you'll age it forever and ever.
Speaker 2 (33:41):
But if you had to go to a deserted island
right now, conditions are whatever you want, But what three
wines would you want to take to you? If you
were going to a deserted island. Any three wines from
any anywhere.
Speaker 3 (33:55):
Oh my gosh, this is so hard, deserted island, it's
gonna be warm. I'm gonna go for my crisp white wines,
and let's go with all chardonnay. No, wait, let's go champagne.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
Okay, any particular one.
Speaker 3 (34:16):
No, yeah, there's again like a single producer. I just don't. Yeah, champagne. Yeah,
this is so hard, and that it's wine, right, and
no apparel sprits, Yeah, persecco to make the apperl sprits
and then a still sar. I'm gonna go yeah, okay, white.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
Wine, white wine, no shennon blanc.
Speaker 3 (34:39):
We'll see, we'll see. I thought about the hood uit
for a second.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
Well, we have almost come to the end. But we
are at the end where we play our little game
of wine and food at Wine and Music Pairing. You know,
we talked a little bit about how you talk to
the vines and that you have DJs on your team
that play music, and that you dance for the wines,
which may actually have an impact. I mean, you know,
(35:05):
it's a happy feeling and maybe that gets the fermentation going.
Who knows. I mean, we can believe it. It may
be true, but wine makes us feel a certain way,
and music makes us feel a certain way. So I
want you to pick a song, a genre, a particular musician,
and however you want. That will help kind of conjure
(35:26):
up the feeling of some of your wines. So let's
start with the Catherines Vineyard chardinet.
Speaker 3 (35:33):
I don't know. Yeah, again, I see why everyone's like
this is so hard, But right away I think of
mariachi because this is what I hear a lot. It's happy,
it's fun, there's horns, there's this, and to me, it's
like a bright, happy wine.
Speaker 2 (35:52):
Okay, what about your rose of pino noir.
Speaker 3 (35:56):
Rose? That is a little bit more serious than people realize.
But let's say another genre. Why am I thinking of
the blues right now? That's really weird, but I'm just
gonna say that. Yeah, yeah, that's what came to mind,
you know.
Speaker 2 (36:14):
And I've been sipping on the Vionnier while we've been talking.
So what about the Vignier.
Speaker 3 (36:22):
That is will go with?
Speaker 2 (36:29):
Oh, it's nice. It's it's got really nice acidity, which
sometimes Viognier lacks a little of. This one has a
lot of a city but does have that creamy midpellette.
It's got kind of like ripe stone fruit, aroma and flowers.
Speaker 3 (36:43):
And I'm thinking jazz jazz. Yeah, interesting, huh.
Speaker 2 (36:48):
And we'll end with the Julia's Vineyard Pino noir Man.
Speaker 3 (36:52):
Okay, I'm gonna go with rock and roll because it's
kind of that diva gray and then it it's.
Speaker 2 (37:02):
Really fun, fantastic he survived. There you go. So, Jill,
I have one last question that's a two parter, and
that is what wine region in the world is at
the top of your bucket list to go explore wine?
Speaker 3 (37:17):
Reason on the top of my list, there's so many,
I think spending time. I did my little France excursion
and I'd love to spend more.
Speaker 2 (37:30):
Time in Italy, any particular region.
Speaker 3 (37:34):
I mean, right away, head off to Tuscany and then
kind of cruise around. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (37:41):
And if somebody wants to come here and explore and
taste Cambria, where can they find you? What will they
find when they're here, what will they experience and what
do they.
Speaker 3 (37:51):
Have to do? So visiting our winery out here in
Santa Maria Valley, you're not going to stumble upon it.
So thank you for driving out. But I love that
we're a winery and a tasting room in the middle
of a vineyard. I think it's so special. I've worked
in a lot of warehouse wineries they are amazing too,
but being able to drive up along the vines and
(38:14):
we have a comfortable, bright tasting room, beautiful patio, beautiful views,
and then the wines are just so good. So please visit.
We're in open Thursday through Sunday and our website is
Camerierwines dot com.
Speaker 2 (38:28):
Yeah, and if you sit outside, even with the sun shining,
even when it's a quote warm day here, the breeze
is so strong that it's never quite too hot to
sit outside.
Speaker 3 (38:37):
Yes, bring your layers. Yes.
Speaker 2 (38:41):
Do you offer any food pairing or anything here? Is
it just straight tasting?
Speaker 3 (38:44):
So we do charcuterie boards and we've done little savory
cookie pairings in the past and that was that's been
really fun. But yeah, mostly focused on the wines and
the views.
Speaker 2 (38:55):
Well, you know, planet trip out to Santa Maria Valley
when you're in Santa Barbara County, it's just an added
twenty twenty two minutes out here, not that far, and
it's really beautiful, so come on out to Cambriwines and Jill,
thank you for joining us today. I raise a glass
to you and.
Speaker 3 (39:11):
Thank you you so much.
Speaker 2 (39:12):
How fun.
Speaker 1 (39:13):
Thanks for listening to a new episode of Wine Soundtrack USA.
For details and updates, visit our website windsoundtracks dot com.
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