The Foxen Canyon Wine Trail beckons day-trippers wishing to sip Rhone varietals, sample local delicacies, and savor a quintessential country experience.
By David Baum with photos by Susie Baum
It’s just past noon on a glorious October day as we motor north on Foxen Canyon Road. The route stretches ahead like a warm promise as the country estates surrounding Los Olivos are quickly replaced by high meadows, majestic oaks and well-tended vineyards. We’re here to slow down a pace—to explore the back roads, tune in to the distant screech of the red-tailed hawks, and savor the subtle aromas of a few fine syrahs.
The Foxen Canyon Wine Trail is the locus of some of Santa Barbara County’s best wines, from the hot-blooded Rhone varietals that dominate the warm inland areas (syrah, grenache, and viognier gaining the greatest renown) to the palate-cleansing Burgundians, especially pinot noir and chardonnay, that grace the northern regions closer to the coast. Sauvignon blanc, negrette, sylvaner, sangiovese, and cabernet franc also thrive in this diverse appellation. While day-trippers in other parts of the country seek deciduous forests to experience Autumn’s changing hues, here the seasonal transition is most evident in the vineyards, as the lush emerald leaves of summer gradually fade into a magnificent spectrum of auburn and rust, yellow and gold.
Provisions for the Trail
Most wineries have picnic facilities, and there are some superb places to pick up gourmet provisions before you start up the Trail. If you are traveling from Santa Barbara via highway 154, consider a stop at Los Olivos Grocery to purchase deli sandwiches and a variety of complimentary delicacies. Proprietor Zaher Darghaliz purchased the “Valley Store” last year and has continued the tradition of offering gourmet and specialty foods. His wine department favors local varieties from Santa Barbara County, an amazing cheese department, gourmet coffee, and a tantalizing variety of hot and cold specialty sandwiches. A bakery, espresso bar, and gelato counter round out the culinary offerings.
Panino, located near the flagpole in Los Olivos, is another good choice for freshly prepared sandwiches. For lighter fare try the Panino Caprese—layers of buffalo mozzarella, sliced tomato and fresh basil, drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar and organic greens. If you prefer a salad, try the Curried Chicken—tossed with apple, sun-dried cranberries, pine nuts, and honey mustard over a bed of greens, accented by balsamic vinaigrette.
There are numerous places to taste wine in Los Olivos if you are eager set the mood for the day. But watch out—there are so many choices you may never make it out of town! A local favorite is Stolpman Vineyards, housed in a historic building on Alamo Pintado Avenue, right across the street from Panino. Place your sandwich order and stroll over to try the hand-crafted, organic wines. If you are coming from the north, consider a stop in Los Alamos to pick up lunch at Café Quackenbush or Foxen Farms.
At the north end of the trail, a wonderful spot for a leisurely outdoor picnic is Rancho Sisquoc Winery, a historic ranch with a timeless ambiance. There are picnic tables on a shady terrace. Other tables are scattered among mature fruit trees on a sunny lawn. If you are starting at the south end of the Trail, consider a lunch stop at Fess Parker Winery, where you can dine in the shade of mature Valley Oak trees flanked by native stone walls and colorful climbing rose vines. Be advised that wineries are generally licensed to only serve their own wines on the premises, so start with a tasting and then select a bottle to enjoy with your meal.
Down to Business
Seasoned wine tasters suggest visiting just two or three wineries on an afternoon jaunt. Today our focus is Foxen Winery & Vineyard, founded by Bill Wathen and Dick Doré at the historic Rancho Tinaquaic Vineyard. The winery is named in memory of William Benjamin Foxen, an English sea captain and Dick’s great-great grandfather, who came to Santa Barbara in the early 1800s. Captain Foxen adopted the distinctive anchor as his ranch cattle brand, which later became a trademark of the winery.
“Good wine is made in the vineyard,” Wathen tells us during a tour of Foxen’s new solar powered wine-making facility. “By striving to produce perfect fruit we can take a minimalist approach to winemaking.”
This classic balance is evident in just about every Foxen wine. One of the standouts on this warm afternoon is the 2009 Chardonnay from Bien Nacido Vineyard. “For the last four or five years we have been ‘unstylizing’ this wine – letting it be what it is so the true character of the fruit comes through,” Wathen says. Secondary fermentation is discouraged in this tight, well structured food wine, which is fondly known as “the lemon drop” to reflect its natural acidity—only slightly mellowed by an eight-month stint in new French oak barrels. Another perennial favorite is Foxen’s 2009 Pinot Noir from the coveted Sea Smoke Vineyard. A portion of each vintage is fermented in new oak barrels, removed when dry, and then placed in new oak barrels for another 16 months or so. “It’s almost like 200 percent oak,” Wathen says.
Meeting the winemakers is one of the joys of touring the boutique wineries in this historic area. Many of them are on hand to answer questions.
“Younger wines are more forward—they taste more fruity initially,” explains Felipe Hernandez, part owner of Koehler Winery, who also manages five prominent vineyards in the Foxen Canyon area and makes wine under his own label, Feliz Noche. “Older wines don’t jump at you—they linger,” he adds. “There is much more subtlety in the finish.”
That’s essential knowledge for novice wine tasters, who tend to favor young, acidic, fruit-forward wines during a casual tasting, then are disappointed when they drink the same wine with a meal. We took the advice of Eric Mohseni at Zaca Mesa Winery, who recommended the Zaca Mesa 2008 Estate Grown chardonnay to accompany our picnic, which included a splendid assortment of Kalamata and Sicilian olives, Brie de Meaux cheese, marcona almonds, Genoa salami, and a Tuscan Treasure sandwich, all from Los Olivos Grocery.
We came to the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail for total immersion, a quintessential country experience. We weren’t disappointed. While autumn is a lovely time to visit, every season offers unique delights, from the wildflowers of spring to the golden hills of summer to the clear, piercing days of winter, when snow often caps the mountain peaks.
So what are you waiting for?
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[Note: this article was previously published in Food & Home, Fall 2012]
photo credits: Susie Baum
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