Fiddlehead Cellars AND THE PASSION OF Kathy Joseph
Once undervalued, north Santa Barbara County has emerged, over the past 30 years, into a world-class wine-growing region, boasting diversity of climate and terroir. The east-west orientation of the county’s cooler Sta. Rita Hills appellation welcomes the ocean fog and breezes, ideal for pinot noir and chardonnay. More inland and warmer, the Santa Ynez Valley is conducive for sauvignon blanc and syrah.
Winemaker Kathy Joseph, who founded the acclaimed Fiddlehead Cellars in 1989, has been invested in the region from the beginning. She was also an early pioneer in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, recognized today as a hotbed for fine pinot noir.
Embracing change and experimentation, she explains her passion in simple terms: “Making wines in different regions is how I pollinate myself and test the differences.”
Joseph’s life pivoted years ago when, after a bachelor’s degree in bacteriology and plans for a career in medicine, she decided to broaden her scope and pursue a master’s degree in enology at UC Davis. After several internships that led to becoming head winemaker at Robert Pecota Winery, she founded Fiddlehead Cellars in 1989 and began producing pinot noir in the Sta. Rita Hills appellation.
We recently came together to taste Fiddlehead’s current pinot noir releases and compare some of the best barrels from Fiddlestix Vineyard with those from the Alloro Vineyard in Oregon’s North Willamette Valley. In Joseph’s words, “It’s an opportunity to taste the place.”
Her two Santa Barbara County pinots, the 2015 Fiddlehead “Seven Twenty Eight,” named after the Fiddlestix Vineyard marker, 7.28 miles from the ocean, and the 2014 Fiddlehead “Lollapalooza,” that represents the best barrels, both exude a healthy minerality with classic dark cherry and cola on the palate.
The flavors are full, but express a subtle elegance that pairs well with food and spices.
The 2016 Fiddlehead “Oldsville” Pinot Noir gives homage to Joseph’s early days farming a vineyard on Oldsville Road in Oregon’s Chehalem Mountains. After harvest, the grapes are immediately transported via temperature-controlled trucks to the winery in Lompoc where she performs her magic.
Oregon has a similar growing season as the Sta. Rita Hills appellation, but is less cool and has volcanic rather than clay soils. The “Oldsville” is more full-bodied and has a unique flavor profile that includes blackberry, spice and salinity.
For years, I have considered Joseph’s diverse sauvignon blanc releases to be among the best in the state. This time, we tasted another white wine, the 2016 Fiddlehead Grüner Veltliner, the most abundant grape grown in Austria. Aged in 80 percent neutral French oak and 20 percent stainless steel, it delivers a wonderful minerality and a soft, lush mouthfeel with hints of lemon grass and fresh apple.
This Grüner pairs beautifully with an herbal goat cheese, but can stand up to curries and sushi as well. I recently enjoyed a glass with baked salmon. My new go-to Grüner Veltliner comes from the Fiddlestix Vineyard rather than the slopes above the Danube River in Lower Austria.
The Fiddlehead production and tasting facility is located at the Wine Ghetto in Lompoc. The consistent quality of each wine she releases is the result of Kathy Joseph’s patience and meticulous commitment to detail. She understands that balance comes through maturity and always allows enough time in the barrel and the bottle for the flavors to become seamless.
Lyle W. Norton is a wine enthusiast and blogger who has written a wine column for 20 years. He incorporates wine into his passion to travel and tries to bring his readers along on the journey. Visit his blog at lifebylyle.com.