Sunstone Vineyards & Winery

Santa Ynez Valley, Buellton, California

By: Sarah O'Brien - Senior Editor - floatingcork.com

One of only two organic vineyards in the central coast, Sunstone Vineyards & Winery has been "cide"-free since initial planting in 1990. Sunstone was our first stop on a three-day, 12 winery journey. It was the Santa Barbara County Vintners' Festival and we decided to bypass the actual festival completely, bought the $35 Visa pass instead; the pass promised 12 tastings within a four day period (we took the self-guided tour and finished in three). Sunstone welcomed us on a bleak, sky-spitting day. It felt more like walking into the secret garden than it did a tasting room. The building seemed enchanted; a small cottage – vines placed with precision crawling up the sides. A prop in a French film. A trellis archway filled with dainty white flowers beckoned us to pass through, big sigh here… if you cannot tell by my use of adjectives, it was beautiful.  

Once inside we were greeted by a dimly-lit tasting room and a very stoic wine pourer. He was very serious about Sunstone wine, poured with authority and explained each of the five tastings with ample detail. When told by his pouring colleague that a party of 26 wanted to partake in the Sunstone experience, he did not bat an eye let alone flinch; with a stoic head nod yes, he continued with our pours. I decided to be very serious about paying attention to the flavors he described lest he say “no wine for you” and halt the ounces owed to me for purchasing the Visa pass.  

I particularly enjoyed the 2002 Sunterra Syrah, even my pouring friends' voice rose an octave when expressing this was a customer favorite. A complex wine with more fruit than a basket, it was more than worth the $13 asking price. Perhaps if Sunstone were the last stop of the twelve, I would have bought the perfectly priced case ($99).