Los Olivos, CA – Santa Barbara County’s esteemed producer of Bordeaux-inspired wines, Grimm’s Bluff, has opened a tasting room in the quaint and picturesque township of Los Olivos. Located on Alamo Pintado, the town’s main street, the tasting room’s aesthetic marries a relaxed country charm with luxe, detail-oriented elegance. South African-born winemaker, Ernst Storm, has been widely recognized by the wine media and cognoscenti for his minimally interventionist, yet exceedingly thoughtful approach to Bordeaux varietal wines.
Visitors may choose from two uncommon, yet affordably priced flights of wines. The first flight is only $ 20.00 per person and features Sauvignon Blanc rendered in two distinct styles based upon their aging and fermentation vessels (stainless steel for estate offering and concrete egg for the reserve offering). The River Stone Rosé of Cabernet Sauvignon is also included in this flight, while available. The second part of this flight is a comprehensive look at Cabernet Sauvignon from the estate, focusing on two different approaches to farming (head-trained vs. unilateral vertical shoot positioning). The estate Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of both styles, the Cliff Hanger, so named for the estate’s position on a high elevation cliff, hails exclusively from trellised blocks while the Contango, the estate’s most exclusive offering, is born solely in head-trained sections.
The second flight, for a mere $ 25.00 per person, features all of the estate’s red wines, including the estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Cliff Hanger Cabernet Sauvignon, Contango Cabernet Sauvignon, Balance (a blend of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon) and a stand-alone bottling of Petit Verdot. Some of the red wines offered were made in small, two barrel lots; the equivalent of 50 cases.
Grimm’s Bluff owners, Rick and Aurora Grimm, purchased just over 200 acres on Kentucky Road in the Santa Ynez Valley in 2010. Their appreciation of European wines and food inspired them to plant 16.6 acres to Bordeaux variety grapes, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Musque, as well as 5 acres of Italian varietal olives. Grimm’s Bluff Vineyard sits 300 feet above the Santa Ynez River at an altitude of 850 feet above sea level. The estate is located at the South East corner of the Happy Canyon AVA. Biodynamic & organic methodology has been practiced from inception. No herbicides, pesticides or artificial fertilizers have been used in this Demeter-certified vineyard.
To learn more about the Grimm’s Bluff tasting room, please visit: https://www.grimmsbluff.com/
