UNCORKED WINE TRAVELS

Musings Along The Wine Trails

Rhone Rangers Rule at Curtis Winery

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Curtis Winery in Santa Ynez Valley specialzes in Rhone-style wines
Curtis Winery in Santa Ynez Valley is dedicated to  Rhone-style wines

For a truly unique wine tasting experience, get off the beaten path on Foxen Canyon Road and check out Curtis Winery ~ one of the first wineries in the Santa Ynez Valley to push the envelope with Rhone-style wines.

Foxen Canyon wine trail
Foxen Canyon wine trail points the way to Curtis Winery

The highly touted Firestone family established the first estate winery in Santa Barbara County in 1972, later creating Curtiss Winery to showcase their Rhone wines.  Today, the true Rhone Rangers are Curtis Winery‘s wine grower Chuck “Calypso” Carlson and winemaker Ernest Storm.   Together they bring France’s renown Rhone Valley wines to Santa Barbara County.

Santa Ynez Valley stretches east to west making it an ideal Mediterranean climate
Santa Ynez Valley stretches east to west making it an ideal Mediterranean climate

Curtis Winery is a little understated, but worth a stop.  Belly up to the bar for a tasting of six artisan Rhone-style wines  for only $10.  The staff is not overly friendly, and the tasting bar is short on space, but the wines are certainly worthy. [Read more…]