The push and pull of warm daytime temperatures and cool nights in Santa Barbara County closely mirror the conditions in Arneis’ home region of Piemonte, Italy. This white grape can be finicky and fussy in the vineyard, requiring not only this unique type of climate, but also sandy, chalky soils and winegrowers with patience and fastidious attention to detail. Arneis has a long history, dating back to the 1500’s. There is no doubt that it has always been highly strung, as the word “Arneis” loosely translates to “rascal” or “whimsical one” for its viticultural temperament.

Perhaps because of Arneis’ choosy nature, little is grown or vinified in California. But as with other challenging varietals, the results are more than worth the work. Choosing to translate the ethereal qualities of this Italian “white barolo” grape, Steve Clifton and the Honea family planted one of only two certified vineyards in California to the Honea Vineyard’s ancient alluvial soils. There Arneis thrives, enjoying the cool nights, early morning sea fogs and warm sun-kissed afternoons. Here, Arneis is one happy grape.

In 2009, the two different rootstocks of Arneis at Honea Vineyard were hand harvested and vinified separately to gain more understanding of the nuances of the vintage. The barrel protocol of utilizing 1/3 stainless steel and 2/3 neutral oak for six months of cellar aging continued, and resulted in a complex wine that is both lean and full bodied, with both a refreshing crispness and a pleasing oily texture..Still medium bodied as with previous vintages, this 2008 release is leaner then previous years to allow the varietal’s exotic fruit notes to shine.

Light golden in color with bright highlights first hint of the interconnected contrasts of this complex wine. On the nose, tangy aromas of pear and lime zest mingle with rich honeyed perfume A first sip confirms the crispness, followed by a palate coating texture that brings young anjou pear and key lime, then lychee, starfruit and finishes with hints of mexican sage and a limestone minerality. A persistence reminiscent of pomelos and almond lingers until the next sip.

Click here for full winemaking and tasting notes.

An ancient grape varietal, Malvasia Bianca can be traced back to the 13th century in Greece. Venetian traders in the Middle Ages were responsible for introducing this esteemed wine to Europe, and indeed merchant wine shops in the Veneto were even known as malvasie. Cuttings made their way to the Veneto and Malvasia vines became prized possessions, with wines varying in regional character throughout Italy. The enchanting characteristics of Malvasia Bianca brought it to California and eventually to a boot-shaped, 1-acre block at the Larner Vineyard in Santa Barbara County’s Santa Ynez Valley.

The only Italian varietal planted at Larner, it is not surprising that this grape that hails from maritime influenced climates thrives here. Located in the heard of the Ballard Canyon, the Larner Vineyard experiences the same morning marine fogs, warm sunny days and cool, crisp evenings as that of its Piemonte home in Italy. This “cool-warm-cool” environment results in perfectly ripe grapes that retain their astounding aromatics and natural acidity.

After the golden clusters are harvested in the very early hours of the morning, the grapes are whisked to the winery while still firm and cold from the nighttime temperatures. Kept in the cold room on their skins for 24 hours to extract flavor and texture from the skins, the grapes were then whole cluster pressed to stainless steel to complete both primary and malolactic fermentation and to capture Malvasia Bianca’s entrancing aromatics. The young wine was then moved to neutral oak barrels to meld flavors, acids and textures before being bottled in early summer of 2010.

A pale golden color brilliantly shines in the glass, and that first heady bouquet wafts forth with even a small swirl. Floral and fragrant, the exhilarating nose of the wine is perfumed with jasmine, lemon blossom and honeysuckle aromas. The sweet-smelling nose of the wine misleads and the palate is surprised with a first sip, as the 2009 Malvasia is a bond-dry wine with hints of ruby grapefruit mingling with apricot and lychee. Round and rich on the mid-palate with hints of honeycomb, and enhanced with textural reminders of Hibiscus tea, the wine finishes with a crisp, stoney minerality and briney character suggestive of Malvasia Bianca’s seaside history.

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There's a reason that Pinot Grigio is second only to Chardonnay in white wine consumption in the United States, and the most imported wine from Italy. The growth among consumers in this country continues due to Pinot Grigio's easy-going nature, its superb ability to complement food and lightness on the palate (and the wallet). At restaurants and wine bars,
picnic baskets and dining room tables, Pinot Grigio is increasingly the wine of choice because of its versatility and lightness. In a sentence, Pinot
Grigio is a crowd-pleaser.

The pale straw-like color, along with the brilliant clarity of the wine makes it seem like Pinot Grigio is dancing in your glass. A swirl unleashes a delicate bouquet of white clove and lime blossom and a granite-like minerality. At first taste, the Palmina style is evident - there is a silky yet tart texture that skips across the palate with both body and a lightness of being. Citrusy notes of lemon-lime are joined with notes of Gala apples and Bosc pears. A hint of quince, and then a remembrance of a well-made marmalade round out the flavor profile on the clean, refreshing finish.

The 2009 Pinot Grigio, Santa Barbara County is a crisp, refreshing wine that should be consumed in its youth. To reinforce this recommendation, the wine is bottled with a screw top closure to ensure that the wine you enjoy is exactly that which was put in the bottle. And in the unlikely event that you don't finish the entire bottle, it is easy to re-seal! Enjoyable on its own as an aperitif, this wine is a delightful companion to a picnic lunch or a Sunday brunch.

Our featured food pairing is Black Olive “Caviar” in New Potato Cups.

Click here for full winemaking and tasting notes.

$22
per bottle

$237.60
per 12-bottle case

Pinot Grigio is a white wine grape with a skin that is reddish-blue - very unique! Generally, Pinot Grigio is whole cluster pressed and there is very little contact with the colorful skin, which results in a white wine that displays no signs of its "grigio" color. And because Pinot Grigio is known as a white wine, they are almost always made this way. However, sometimes there is a winery that just might try some experimentation, swim a little upstream and make a wine that is a little "outside of the box" and unique. This 2009 Palmina Pinot Grigio is such a wine.

With one of the first picks of Pinot Grigio from the Alisos Vineyard in 2009, winemaker/owner Steve Clifton decided to make a Pinot Grigio in the "ramato" style. The grapes were placed into open top fermenters and treated as if they were a red winegrape for fourteen days. Each day, the grapes were punched down to extract the lovely color as well as spicy notes and soft tannins from the reddish skins. After two weeks of cold soaking, the grapes were pressed and the rosy colored juice began fermentation. Moved to one neutral oak barrel and one neutral oak puncheon (a larger version of a barrel), the wine aged for six months before being bottled in the spring of 2010.

This wine is a bit deceiving to the senses! The beautiful dark salmon-rose color predicts classic rosé notes, but the bouquet of this wine is all Pinot Grigio! Just-ripe pineapple, lemon-lime and citrus blossom waft from the glass with a swirl, pleasing and surprising the senses. A sip brings both crisp and round texture to the palate, delivering flavors reminiscent of Fuji apple, citrusy hints of grapefruit and tangelo and a bit of allspice. Some nice, fine tannins join lingering, clean notes of stony minerality. This is a vivid, vibrant wine that is not only a complement to the table, but a conversation starter as well!

We've paired this wine with "Spring Focaccia", a rich and creamy dish that complements the fresh character of the wine. This unique wine is also superb as an aperitif, with an assortment of savory appetizers, or tucked into a picnic basket for a warm summer day. Serve chilled.

Click here for full winemaking and tasting notes.

$22
per bottle

$237.60
per 12-bottle case

As Shakespeare so eloquently posed the question: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” The same could be said of the wine now known as Friulano in the European Union and the traditional Tocai Friulano name here in the United States. Known in Italy for centuries as Tocai Friulano, the name was changed to Friulano in 2008 by decree of the EU courts. Here in the United States, it must be called Tocai Friulano (since “Friulano” is not an approved grape name by our governing authorities). Politics and government regulations aside, “Tocai” is the same enchanting wine no matter what the name!

Tocai Friulano is the quintessential Friulian wine. When grown in the right place, Tocai Friulano produces sharply-etched wines of exceptional character and quality. The Honea Vineyard, planted entirely to Italian winegrapes exclusively for Palmina is such a place. The maritime influence from the nearby Pacific Ocean and the gravelly, alluvial soils provide a near perfect environment for producing Tocai Friulano grapes of distinction. The grapes were harvested at dawn, and delivered to the winery in the early hours of the morning. To preserve the floral and fruit profile, the grapes were whole cluster pressed to stainless steel, where a long, cool fermentation occurred. This method of vinification resulted in an aromatic, elegant wine that is a classic, Italian version of Tocai.

A very pale yellow color with almost clear edges glints with brilliance in the glass. A swirl produces a fresh minerality reminiscent of the nearby sea and acacia mingling with pear blossom. On the palate, the wine is light and lively, bringing zesty notes of green apple, pear and quince to the taste buds on a smooth slipstream of silky texture. Medium bodied, the wine displays an intriguing yin-yang of texture – both a pleasant oily viscosity and a sharp, tangy crispness. The finish is lingering, with classical notes of almond and a hint of spice.

Our featured food pairing is Asparagus & New Potato Tart.

Click here for full winemaking and tasting notes.

$18
per bottle

The maritime climate of the Alisos Vineyard provides a near perfect environment for Traminer, where morning sea fog dissipates into warm sun-kissed days. At dusk, the temperature begins a sometimes 40 degree drop to crisp, cold nights. This dramatic shift in temperature allows the grapes to develop flavors early in their growth cycle and still retain the refreshing natural acidity in the grape. Harvested at night and delivered to the winery in the early hours of the day, the grapes were whole cluster pressed to extract the piquancy and varietal flavors from the skins and stems, and then slowly fermented at cold temperatures in stainless steel tanks. This winemaking protocol results in a wine that is purely Traminer, since there is no influence from barrels or malo-lactic fermentation.

The 2009 Traminer looks steely and focused, even before a swirl or a sip. Just a hint of color – a stony light gold – glints from the glass. Delicate aromatics of white tea rose and tangerine, along with a hint of just ripe mango lift from the glass with a swirl. On the palate, the wine is bracingly fresh, with lean and focused flavors of apple and lime peel, almond and clove and an overlying layer of stony minerality. The finish lingers with lychee and garden herbs mingling with citrusy notes. The 2009 Traminer exhibits the essence of the Traminer grape, with low alcohol, beautiful acidity and superb balance.

A wine that attains even more character with cellaring, Traminer is also delightful immediately at release. It is a beautiful food wine, particularly with the hearty dishes of its origin. Dishes with eggs, potatoes, herbs and cheese will never disappoint!

Click here for full winemaking and tasting notes.

Dawn brings harvest at the Honea Vineyard, to preserve the natural freshness of the grape (and to avoid those Moscato loving bees!). Brought to the winery at first light, the golden clusters were pressed to stainless steel and slowly fermented at cool temperatures to preserve the alluring bouquet of the grape. Malo-lactic fermentation was inhibited for the same reason, and the young wine was bottled in February of the new year. A classic Moscato Bianco style, the wine is completely dry, highly fragranced and beautifully balanced. And of course, crafted to enjoy at the table with a meal!

A brilliant light gold color predicts of the cheerfulness of the wine! Although the clarity and color themselves are inviting, it is the bouquet of this wine that will enchant. A heady fragrance of citrus blossom, honeysuckle and vanilla bean entices another deep, satisfying sniff. And another. A first sip reinforces the elegance of the wine, bringing apricot and peach flavors, a hint of honeycomb and a dancingly light yet round textural component to the palate. Spicy nuances of lemon grass and orange peel and a muskiness on the finish (hence the name moscato) make this one intensely satisfying wine.

This is a beautiful wine to enjoy on its own or as an aperitif. It is also a wine that becomes an extension of the plate with its lifting aromatics and lively acidity.

Our featured food pairing is Chestnut Gnocchi.

Click here for full winemaking and tasting notes.

SOLD OUT

Not one to sit on his laurels, owner/winemaker Steve Clifton started experimenting with Tocai Friulano winemaking with the 2006 vintage. In 2007, Steve explored even farther afield, and crafted a lot of Tocai Friulano as if it were a red wine. De-stemmed, left on skins in fermentation bins and punched down twice each day for 32 days, the new wine was then pressed with lees into neutral oak barrels. There it aged for an addition nine months on its own – no sulphur additions at all – before being racked off lees, filtered and bottled. The difference between the stainless steel version and the barrel fermented version, each of which was picked at exactly the same time, is simply astounding.

The aromatic characteristics of the Tocai Friulano grape are unveiled slowly, essence by essence as the wine warms, inviting and tempting a sip of the white-gold hued wine. Heady and subdued layers of acacia honey, pear anglaise and nighttime tropical notes of gardenia and honeysuckle unveil themselves with time and swirling. The first sip, though, reveals the distinctive creamy texture of this wine. It is round and viscous, with reminders of that perfect post-meal flan. Poached pear, mango and vanilla bean notes meld on the palate, accompanied by an additional reminder of key lime and just-ripe honeydew melon. There is a flinty minerality that lifts and lingers on the long and enduring finish. We recommend serving just slightly chilled, and paired with hearty and savory dishes.

Click here for full winemaking and tasting notes.