Great Wine, Little Price: the Lompoc Wine Ghetto

The buzz around the wine biz is that the hot new place to taste is the Lompoc wine ghetto. Nearly two dozen well-known and rising star wineries have filled an industrial park near the intersection of Highways 1 and 246, at the entrance to town. Previously, humble Lompoc was a sleepy town existing only to serve the Vandenburg Air Force base that commands 35 miles of coastline to the west, and to house workers for the many flower fields that surround the town. Like the transformation of Paso Robles from being a dusty ranching community in the 1980s to the renown wine touring spot it is today, Lompoc is on the verge of being "discovered".

But for now, Lompoc still has small town feel and a weekend here is an absolute bargain when compared to more well-known wine regions. Clean motel rooms can be had at the Days Inn for just $72 per night and one can eat at family run restaurants like Floriano's (handmade tortilla chips) and at Suvan's Kitchen for Thai food without breaking the bank. There are two Championship golf courses: the challenging  Robert Muir Graves designed La Purisima Golf Club (lowest rate: $24 for 18 holes) and the unique Marshallia ($42) that is a must-play for golfers. The regal course is set within the 94,000 acre Air Force base, don't be surprised to see deer, coyotes, foxes and wild turkeys.

Lompoc can also be a town for kids. I had a fun mom/daughter weekend some years ago. We walked old town which is filled with dozens of murals, most of them part of a program conceived in 1988 by the Stevens family as a tourist draw. La Purisima Mission is one of the the largest and the most restored of the missions. We went on a Mission Life Day when one can be immersed in the mission life with docents in period costumes engaged in activities appropriate to the time--spinning wool, making candles, etc.

But, the main draw in Lompoc is the stellar wine. I drove out to replenish my supply of one of my favorite wines, Palmina's Barbera. Round, silky, and filled with berry and red stone fruit flavor, their Barberas are made to pair with food. A bottle can be open for days without turning sour, developing new flavors with time. Their Malvasia is another wine with this unusual ability to blossom with oxygen instead of turning. Palmina owners honor the Italian la dolce vita tradition of matching food and wine, not only in their winemaking, but in their wine club that ships their specialty food ingredients with recipes to pair with the wine shipment, and in their tasting room where imported cheese and salami is offered to nibble while you sample their wines. Tasting at Palmina should be a long-savored experience as you journey through their diverse portfolio of Italian varietals from the pale briny Tocai Friulani to the rare, opulent, nearly-black Lagrein.

Sta Rita Hills just to the east of Lompoc is home to many highly-rated wineries. It is known to have the perfect climate for growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Fiddlehead Cellars takes advantage of this with their 728 Pinot Noir--with lovely black cherry flavor, structure and a balanced acidity. Fiddlehead's owner is Kathy Joseph, a pioneering female in the most often male dominated world of winemakers. She grows her own grapes for her Fiddlestix 728 Pinot Noir, sources grapes from the Chehalem Mountains of the Willamette Valley for her Oldsville Reserve Oregon Pinot Noir and sources Sauvignon Blanc from top Happy Canyon vineyards. I'm in general not a fan of the Sauvignon Blanc varietal, but I loved the BTG "By The Glass" Sauvignon Blan--juicy and fresh-tasting; just the right wine for shellfish or oysters.

Even on a Saturday in the summer, the Wine Ghetto tasting rooms are not mobbed the way they are in Napa. But, a happy group was at the congenial Stolpman Vineyards tasting room which is set up to make friends. One long table with benches takes up most of the room. One taster offered me some cheese and fruit she had brought and another family told me about their daughter who is studying to become a food editor. The friendly tasting room manager Alicia poured their well-crafted wines: Syrah, Sangiovese, Grenache, Roussanne and Viognier. The quality of the Stolpman vineyards, located on three limestone ridges, are coveted by winemakers. The limestone adds structure and acidity to the grapes, which are organically produced, hand-tended and dry-farmed once the vines are established, so the vines produce grapes with concentrated flavor.

Alicia suggested I go next door to Longoria. It would have been a shame to miss his sublime Pinot Noir. Longoria has been receiving big scores from Wine Spectator, Prince of Pinot and Wine Enthusiast, including a whopping 95 points for his 2009 Fe Ciega Vineyard Pinot Noir--an exceptional wine at just $48 a bottle. I liked the 2010 Rancho Santa Rosa Vineyard Pinot Noir just as well and purchased a bottle to wow my Pinot-phile friends. I had the chance to speak with winemaker Rick Longoria who, with his wife Diana, was the first to bring his winery to the Ghetto in 1998. He saw the potential in Santa Barbara County to make world-class wines and he was right. Terroir combined with meticulous hand-crafting small lots of premium wine have made Longoria one of the reasons tiny Lompoc is going to be squarely on the international wine traveller's map.

As yet, there are not the comfy amenities of wine travel that a region like Napa has--no spas, big resorts or gourmet restaurants. But, great food follows great wine, so I expect we'll start to see organic, farm-to-table wine country cuisine in Lompoc soon. Already you can buy wood-fired bread from New Vineland Bread in the Wine Ghetto's Piedrasassi New Vineland Winery.

If that's not enough, as you leave Lompoc going south on Highway 1, you will pass through a piece of California history that goes back 175 years. As you wind your way through the golden hills capped with stands of oak, you'll see wood signs with ranch names like Los Yridises, Los Amoles and San Julian carved with black letters. These are tracts within the last of the great Spanish Land Grant ranchos dating back to 1837, when Jose de la Guerra y Noriega was granted title to13,000 acres to provide beef for the Presidio. Today, Rancho San Julian is sustainably farmed by descendants and their grass fed beef can be found at fine Santa Barbara restaurants and farmer's markets.
World-class wines, friendly people and wallet friendly prices make Lompoc a definite go-to. Catch it now while the prices are low and the tasting rooms uncrowded and friendly!

Travel Tips for Touring Sonoma County

Before Google Maps and GPS, it was difficult to find the coastal town of Bolinas. No signposts marked the turn off Highway 1 to the tiny coastal town because its reclusive--and often famous--residents tore down any signs as soon as they were installed. Home to dozens of low-key celebrities known for a range of accomplishments from art, literature and music to science and cuisine, the community includes the legendary locavore and proponent of organic produce Alice Waters, along with singer Grace Slick, actress Frances McDormand,  and writer Richard Brautigan. On our family trip, we drove the 2 hours along Highway 1 from San Francisco to Bodega Bay on a gorgeous sunny day, passing Bolinas,  the expansive crescent of sand of Stinson Beach and the 15 mile long Tomales Bay known for its oysters. Sadly, our kids are not fans of the mollusks, so we had to pass the Tomales Bay Oyster Company and Hogg Island Oyster Farm where one can bring a picnic and indulge in buckets of fresh or barbecued oysters.

This was our third time staying at the lovely Bodega Bay Lodge which occupies an enviable piece of real estate--being right on the estuary that fronts the beach. A grove of Monterey cypress shields the property from the road and all other development, so it is serene and quiet, with just the sound of songbirds and occasionally, the faraway sound of the Point Arenas lighthouse fog horn. Fortunately, what fog there was stayed north and the sun beamed on our stay. The kids loved the pool and I loved the hammocks at the edge of the estuary and the wonderful meals at The Duck Club Restaurant where one can watch the orange rays of sunset move across the ocean at dinner and see the morning light brightening the view at breakfast.

Sonoma County is an excellent destination for a family vacation--there is so much to do! In Sebastapol, the sustainable Full House Farm gives tours of their horses, goats, chickens and gardens. We got to help collect eggs and learned some interesting things about chickens. The eggs need to be collected continuously during the day, otherwise if an egg breaks, the hens will eat it, realize it is tasty, then start breaking eggs intentionally. Also, they come in the barn to roost every night, crowding together on horizontal poles strung along one wall. They can easily be moved when asleep, but don't wake one up! Its instinctual response to a threat of a predator will startle it into a a panic, waking the other chickens into a frenzy of flapping and screeching.

Christine, who runs the Full House Farm with her husband, David, milks one of their two goats, getting a gallon to a gallon and a half a day which she uses to make creamy goat cheese. Christine served samples at the end of the tour along with fabulous Pinot Noir and Tangerine Chardonnay  jellies. We stopped by the nearby Wildlflour Bakery for their brick-oven baked bread for a picnic in Armstrong Woods State Park in Guerneville. Towering redwood shade an easy walk to the picnic area and admission is free.

Next door to the Wildflour Bakery, Freestone Winery pours their estate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and the wines of parent company Joseph Phelps.  A couple of years ago, I had a wonderful Freestone Chardonnay redolent of pear, peach and wet stone. I bought a couple of bottles of it -- the 2010 Fogdog Chardonnay which I love for its clean, fresh flavor. Joseph Phelps is known world-wide for his  Rhone and Bordeaux style blends, particularly the highly-rated Insignia.

We intended to take the kids kayaking on the Russian River--several companies will outfit you at the top of the river and shuttle you back at the end of the 3 - 4 hour experience, but our leisurely walk in the woods squeezed out the trip. Instead, we went on the Flamingo Conference Resort and Spa in Santa Rosa and sunned and swam in the large pool that is in the center of the updated mid-century modern hotel. The hotel grounds  are lushly planted and a nice place to unwind. Santa Rosa is conveniently located to visit the 250 wineries of Sonoma County.

Five Essential Tools To Become A Better Cook

To be a good cook, five tools are essential. Use all five of them in your kitchen: your senses of smell, sight, hearing, touch and taste, and you will quickly begin to improve your cooking! Beginning cooks rely on recipes for cooking times, which can be a disaster. The reason for this is that most ovens are mis-calibrated and have hot and cool spots. Also, stoves vary wildly in temperature--a medium low setting on an old range could be 220 degrees, whereas medium low on a 15,000 Btu Wolf range could be over 260 degrees. You can see how using a recipe's cooking time as an absolute can lead to undercooked or overcooked food.

Instead, use your senses to determine when something is cooked properly. While baking bread, notice the aromas that emanate from the oven. With practice, you can smell when your bread is ready. Cultivate this ability by using the traditional methods to determine when bread is finished (a golden brown crust, an internal thermometer temperature of 190 - 200 degrees, or a hollow sound when the bread is thumped) along with your sensory experience during the cooking process. Remember the aroma of perfectly cooked bread--and next time you will know when the bread is done.

Your sense of hearing can be a powerful tool. Have you ever cooked meat that stuck to the pan, even though it was greased? Chances are, you did not hear a sizzle when the meat hit the pan, because the pan wasn't hot enough. Heating a pan correctly for a sear, whether meat or fish, relies on your senses of sight and touch. Hold your hand an inch above the surface of the oiled pan when it first goes on the stove. Notice there is just a bit of warmth. Tilt the pan and notice that the oil runs smoothly across the bottom. As the pan heats, continue to feel the heat above it. At some point, when you tilt the pan, the oil will run across the bottom in waves, so the surface looks dimpled instead of smooth--this is the sign the pan is hot enough. Hold your hand an inch above the pan again and remember the sensation of heat--you can use this memory the next time you cook. Lay the meat or fish on the hot pan and hear that satisfying sizzle!

Your sense of touch will tell you when a steak is cooked, without needing to cut into it (though you can--just to check!). Make a fist, with your thumb inside your palm and squeeze tight. Touch the area shown in the photo--that is the feeling of a well done steak. Release all the fingers except the index and thumb. Touch again--this is medium rare. Relax the hand apart--touch and feel the softness of raw meat. Try this next time you cook steak--touch the steak, then touch your hand in the appropriate configuration and see if this simple sensory guide works!

Your sense of taste is obviously the most important tool in the kitchen. Pity the unfortunate ones who "eat everything" and are just as satisfied with bland food as spiced, with junk food as gourmet cuisine--they will never be great cooks! If you want to be a good cook, be a discriminating eater--notice the difference between food you eat that is ok versus fabulous and use your senses to decide why you like something so much. Is it the herbs in the dish? The smell of the food? A crunchy sound? The way it looks on the plate? Use vision, smell, taste, touch and hearing to experience what you eat--then use those memories to recreate the experience in your own kitchen. Come to your senses and delicious food will follow!

Focaccia With Pesto and Fresh Tomatoes:

Ingredients For the Pesto:

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves, stems removed

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano        

1/4 cup pine nuts

3 tablespoons minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Ingredients For the Focaccia Dough

4 1/2  cups unbleached bread flour

1 1/4  teaspoons instant yeast

2  teaspoons salt

2  cups cold water

2 tablespoons olive oil

Other Ingredients:

spray olive oil

2 medium tomatoes, sliced thinly and drained on paper towels

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano

Directions For the  Pesto:

1 Pulse the basil and pine nuts together in a food processor for a few seconds. Add the garlic, and pulse a few more.

Add the olive oil and process for a few minutes--you would like the pesto to remain a bit chunky and not be pureed smooth. Add the grated cheese, salt and pepper and pulse until just blended.

Directions For the Dough:

The day before, put all the ingredients, except the olive oil, in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix with the paddle attachment on slow speed for a couple of minutes. Add the olive oil and mix for a minute. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes. Mix for one minute more.  The dough will be soft and shaggy. Use a spatula or bowl scraper dipped in water to scrape the wet dough in an oiled bowl that is more than twice as tall as the level of the dough. Cover the top with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator.

The next day, take the dough out 4 hours before you want to bake the bread. (The dough can be in the refrigerator 12 - 18 hours.) The dough will have doubled overnight. Spread a sheet of baking parchment on a large baking sheet and spray it all over with olive oil. Scrape the dough onto the baking sheet using moistened tools and gently spread into a rectangular shape. Spray a bit of olive oil on your fingers and on the top of the dough. and dimple the bread--start in the middle and press your fingers into the dough, then pull them out a bit to the side. In this way, you will stretch out the dough in the pan as you dimple it. Don't' worry yet if it is not fitting in the pan exactly or is not symmetrical--further steps will start to even it out. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes.

Once again go through the dimpling process again, starting in the middle and moving outwards. Let rest 20 minutes and repeat. During the dimpling process, even and shape the dough so it almost fills the pan and is rectangular. Let rise for 2 hours. During this time, preheat the oven to 425 degrees (375 with convection).

Bake the focaccia in the middle of the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and dot chunks of pesto over it, then top with the tomato slices. (Do not put the pesto or tomatoes on at the beginning or they will burn.) Rotate the pan and put it back in the oven for another 10 minutes until it is starting to be golden brown. Remove and sprinkle with the Parmesan, then bake until the cheese is melted, just a minute or two. Let cool a few minutes before slicing into squares.

Touring & Tasting and Santa Barbara Wine Festival

Touring and Tasting's latest magazine issue is the  largest and most comprehensive yet! President Paul Arganbright was giving away free copies at the Santa Barbara Wine Festival, held at oak-shaded, creekside grounds of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. Also, a free wine gift basket was the prize for the person who could correctly guess the number of corks on a glass jar.

I was in the neighboring booth with my catering friend Lila helping serve Via Maestra 42's fragrant, hand-made Porcini Mushroom Ravioli With Black Truffle Sauce. The aromas were intoxicating and we had a long line of people waiting for samples. Via Maestra 42 is a Santa Barbara locals favorite restaurant, plus they cater many events and parties around town. I became infused with the delightful smell of truffles and carried it around with me when the next team of volunteers came to take our place and we had a chance to try some of the food and wine of the festival.

Short on time, we hit a few of the booths where we knew the wine would be excellent: Palmina Winery for my favorite Barbera and their delightful Malvasia Bianca, Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyards where the legendary Richard Sandford was pouring his Sta Rita Hills Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays, and Au Bon Climat with another legendary winemaker, Jim Clendenen with his highly-acclaimed wines. CORE Wine Company, with the hand-made wines of Dave Corey was a new discovery for me, though he and his wife have been making wine in Santa Maria for 11 years.

Besides the amazing ravioli, top foodie discoveries included the passion fruit dessert by Renaud's Patisserie and Bistro--no surprise. Executive pastry chef Renaud Gonthier makes elegant desserts int he French tradition and makes the best croissants in town--crisp and flaky on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. Freezer Monkeys are pastry chef Tiffany Buchanan's creations--handmade natural-flavored popsicles with great taste combinations like Raspberry Thai Chili and Caramelized Pineapple. A beautiful day--and proceeds benefited the Museums exhibits and science education for school children!

I Left My Heart In San Francisco--But Took Home A Few Pounds--A Family Vacation

Mark Twain said, "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco."  Usually, those words ring true. The fog lays over the "City By the Bay" and cold winds blow off the Pacific. But, this weekend we thumbed our noses at Mark Twain and enjoyed two days of glorious sunshine. When the sun shines on San Francisco,  the city, the bay and Pacific sparkle and the views are breathtaking.

We chose the Galleria Park Hotel, one of Touring & Tasting's featured accommodations, which lives up to its high ratings in Yelp for being a "cute trendy stylish spot very convenient", "hip",  "well kept and has a nice artsy vibe". We liked the rooftop park and jogging track, the organic soaps and lotions, and its well-placed location in the Financial District just blocks from Union Square and the Moscone Center. The lobby was buzzing with conviviality when we checked in during happy hour with a complimentary wine tasting. The staff was extra friendly and helpful, giving us a map of the city and suggestions for dinner. Tired from our drive, we were happy to discover the Belden Taverna was just a block from the hotel. On a short street reminiscent of the old town of Barcelona, where the narrow streets are filled with music and crowded with tables, the Taverna had a food-friendly and inexpensive house Rioja that went well with the handmade ravioli.

The next morning, we went next door to the hotel and had a tasty, breakfast sandwich at Bread and Cocoa which boasts: "We prepare all of our offerings the old fashioned way, handmade in our cafe with fresh all-natural and organic ingredients that are sourced from local purveyors and farms." Fortified, we walked to the one of the biggest farmer's markets in the country. They say 21,000 visitors attend the Saturday market which sounds like an overwhelming crush of people. But, the Ferry Building that houses it is enormous, plus the food booths spill out to the front street and cover the pier in the back. Enjoying the view of the Bay Bridge, we nibbled on samples of honey roasted almonds, goat cheese, peaches, strawberries, nectarines and wildflower honey.

Years ago, we made the kids walk the mile and a half from the Ferry Building to Fisherman's Wharf and had to endure a lot of complaining. This weekend, seeing the line of pedicab drivers out front, we sprung for the $20 for a fun ride in the sun along the ocean. Fisherman's Wharf was busy with street musicians and artists and throngs of tourists from around the world--stand in one spot and you will hear a dozen different languages being spoken. We looked through the 13,000 square foot gallery of nature photographer Rodney Lough, Jr. who documents Yellowstone, Banff, Death Valley and other photo-worthy landscapes, then shared fish and chips at Sally's Famous Fishwich--a tiny take-out next to the mammoth Franciscan Crab Restaurant. For only $8, we got a meaty piece of fish with minimal breading and pungent and delectable garlic fries. Next door is Boudin Bakery with an overhead conveyer belt of bread baskets weaving through the store from the glass-walled kitchen where one can see the baking team wheel racks of bread into the enormous ovens, portion dough and form loaves into braids and turtle shapes.

That night, we had a short walk to the Moscone Center to have sushi and udon at the Japanese restaurant Sanraku. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Fountain in the Center is closed for repair--it's a must-see when it re-opens in the fall--a 50 foot tall waterfall that one can walk underneath, that cascades over rough hewn granite inscribed with quotations from Dr. King. Two movie theaters are nearby--the Metreon and the Century, where we enjoyed Pixar's newest release "Brave" at the Century Theater. The Galleria Park Hotel offers an earth-friendly option: decline the daily room cleaning and receive $5 off in their Hecho restaurant which serves Japanese food for lunch and dinner and American food for breakfast. We had a nice bowl of oatmeal with pineapple--a new favorite flavor combination!

Before Google Maps and GPS, it was difficult to find the coastal town of Bolinas. No signposts marked the turn off Highway 1 to the tiny coastal town because its reclusive--and often famous--residents tore down any signs as soon as they were installed. Home to dozens of low-key celebrities known for a range of accomplishments from art, literature and music to science and cuisine, the community includes the legendary locavore and proponent of organic produce Alice Waters, along with singer Grace Slick, actress Frances McDormand,  and writer Richard Brautigan. On our family trip, we drove the 2 hours along Highway 1 from San Francisco to Bodega Bay on a gorgeous sunny day, passing Bolinas,  the expansive crescent of sand of Stinson Beach and the 15 mile long Tomales Bay known for its oysters. Sadly, our kids are not fans of the mollusks, so we had to pass the Tomales Bay Oyster Company and Hogg Island Oyster Farm where one can bring a picnic and indulge in buckets of fresh or barbecued oysters.

This was our third time staying at the lovely Bodega Bay Lodge which occupies an enviable piece of real estate--being right on the estuary that fronts the beach. A grove of Monterey cypress shields the property from the road and all other development, so it is serene and quiet, with just the sound of songbirds and occasionally, the faraway sound of the Point Arenas lighthouse fog horn. Fortunately, what fog there was stayed north and the sun beamed on our stay. The kids loved the pool and I loved the hammocks at the edge of the estuary and the wonderful meals at The Duck Club Restaurant where one can watch the orange rays of sunset move across the ocean at dinner and see the morning light brightening the view at breakfast.

Sonoma County is an excellent destination for a family vacation--there is so much to do! In Sebastapol, the sustainable Full House Farm gives tours of their horses, goats, chickens and gardens. We got to help collect eggs and learned some interesting things about chickens. The eggs need to be collected continuously during the day, otherwise if an egg breaks, the hens will eat it, realize it is tasty, then start breaking eggs intentionally. Also, they come in the barn to roost every night, crowding together on horizontal poles strung along one wall. They can easily be moved when asleep, but don't wake one up! Its instinctual response to a threat of a predator will startle it into a a panic, waking the other chickens into a frenzy of flapping and screeching.

Christine, who runs the Full House Farm with her husband, David, milks one of their two goats, getting a gallon to a gallon and a half a day which she uses to make creamy goat cheese. Christine served samples at the end of the tour along with fabulous Pinot Noir and Tangerine Chardonnay  jellies. We stopped by the nearby Wildlflour Bakery for their brick-oven baked bread for a picnic in Armstrong Woods State Park in Guerneville. Towering redwood shade an easy walk to the picnic area and admission is free.

Next door to the Wildflour Bakery, Freestone Winery pours their estate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and the wines of parent company Joseph Phelps.  A couple of years ago, I had a wonderful Freestone Chardonnay redolent of pear, peach and wet stone. I bought a couple of bottles of it -- the 2010 Fogdog Chardonnay which I love for its clean, fresh flavor. Joseph Phelps is known world-wide for his  Rhone and Bordeaux style blends, particularly the highly-rated Insignia.

We intended to take the kids kayaking on the Russian River--several companies will outfit you at the top of the river and shuttle you back at the end of the 3 - 4 hour experience, but our leisurely walk in the woods squeezed out the trip. Instead, we went on the Flamingo Conference Resort and Spa in Santa Rosa and sunned and swam in the large pool that is in the center of the updated mid-century modern hotel. The hotel grounds  are lushly planted and a nice place to unwind. Santa Rosa is conveniently located to visit the 250 wineries of Sonoma County.

We had one more day in SF before the drive home, so had a creamy pureed parsnip and kale soup at the chic Oolah near the Moscone Center. They use local, sustainable produce and the salmon on a bed of ratatouille was perfectly cooked. We had a very short turn through the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibit at the de Young Museum--I wish we'd had another couple of hours. The haute couture outfits are all made by hand--taking hundreds of hours of work each. It's a ridiculously decadent world the designer lives in. But, seen as pieces of art, it's fascinating to see what a creative mind can do to stretch the idea of clothing to the extreme, when given unlimited funding.