The last decade has seen some dramatic changes in the SCV, including the closure of many popular wine bars, most notably Lee’s Wine Bistro, and the recent death of Yoon Soo Lee, one of the “godfathers” of the SCV wine scene.
However, familiar faces still are welcoming guests to enjoy a glass, as well as new and recent purveyors.
At Pulchella Winery, the main focus is on Rhone inspired varietals and blends (mainly Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre and Viognier) as well as Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Tempranillo and Tannat.
Steve Lemley and Nate Hasper founded Pulchella Winery with their first release in 2009.
Lemley and Hasper met in 2002 when the two were both hobbyist winemakers.
“We had probably each been making wine as a hobby for six or seven years before we met,” said Lemley. “We became good friends and as we shared our passion for wine, we found people were wanting to buy our wines, but we legally couldn’t sell it.”
They decided to move headlong into wine making and attended the viticulture program at the University of California, Davis. After graduation they started making wine commercially at a custom crush facility in Paso Robles.
The Pulchella Winery tasting room opened on Main Street in Old Town Newhall in 2010.
“After a couple of years, we realized that to make the wine we wanted to make we needed to have our own facility in the SCV,” Lemley said.
Pulchella Winery moved production to the Valencia Industrial Center in 2012.
The winery’s tasting room in Newhall does not serve food.
“But guests are invited to bring their own,” Lemley said. “Many people bring in take out from the nearby talented chefs in Old Town Newhall and make a night it.”
The wine tasting experience at Pulchella features flights that rotate monthly.
“Nate and I sit down and taste the wine that are being released pick the wines we think will offer the best experience,” said Lemley. “We might offer a flight that is all Rhones or all Burgundies. We switch it up every month.”
A flight consists of four samples. Wines are also available by the glass or the bottle.
Lemley said Pulchella specializes in reds, with only a limited supply of white wine with two whites and one rose in production.
“Sometimes a white is on the flight and sometimes it is not,” he said. “We let people switch out the white with a red, or vice versa, if they want.”
Lemley said Pulchella now has a more extensive portfolio and offers 18 to 20 wines to choose from, with multiple vintages.
Currently Lemley is recommending the Pulchella 2021 Forager Red (Paso Robles).
Wine Enthusiast wrote “This blend of 60% Mourvèdre from Loma Seca and 40% Syrah from Briarwood offers aromas of plum, boysenberry, rose potpourri and anise on the nose. Awarded a 94-point rating.”
Lemley said he is excited to have seven of the last 10 wines released by Pulchella earn ratings of over 90 points from Wine Enthusiast.
Not only are Lemley and Hasper busy with Pulchella Winery, they also have a winery consulting business with more than a dozen clients, said Lemley.
“It’s turned into something we never expected,” he said. “Which is not a bad thing at all.”
Double Trouble offers wine tastings offered by Hoi Polloi Winery owned by Doug Minnick. The premium wines from the Central Coast are “handmade with love.”
Taste high-scoring premium artisan wines from Paso Robles, Santa Ynez, and Sonoma from two local wineries, Hoi Polloi Winery and Pagter Brothers Winery, in Old Town Newhall. Enjoy a spacious patio. Bring your own food or order in.
Pagter Brothers Winery, owned by Sidney Pagter, is a boutique winery specializing in “hand crafted, super big, bold, beautiful, Rhone varietals.”
Serving wine, beer and food Valencia’s newest wine bar is seeking to become a SCV gathering place. It held its grand opening on Sept. 29.
Kindred Spirits features the culinary expertise of popular SCV Executive Chef Sabina Fetter.
Fetter, who holds a Culinary Arts/Chef Training degree from the prestigious Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, and her culinary team have moved to Kindred Spirits after the closure of the Newhall Press Room in Old Town Newhall. Kindred Spirits is located in the space formerly home to Lee’s Wine Bistro.
The wine bar will feature Fetter’s food and pairing program which she has been able to build from the ground up.
Beyond the SCV
Deep Sea Wine Tasting Room in Ventura offers seating is available indoors and on the outdoor patio overlooking the Ventura Harbor. The view from the patio makes for an excellent spot to enjoy a glass of wine, while catching all the boats and action of the harbor.
Tasting Flights: The Signature and Reserve Wine Tasting Flights offer visitors a flight of five individual Deep Sea and Conway wines to try.
Chocolate Pairings and Cheese Plates: Artisanal chocolates, and cured meats and cheeses handpicked to complement Deep Sea and Conway Wines.
San Antonio Winery, celebrating more than 100 years in Los Angeles, is the oldest and largest producing winery in L.A. County.
It provides a variety of wine tasting options for guests including steward-led wine tastings on the patio at The 1917 Wine Bar & Bistro,
The vineyards are gone, replaced by homes and businesses but the winery still sits on its original location on Lamar Street. In the early 1960’s, Los Angeles’ Cultural Heritage Board designated the San Antonio Winery Cultural Monument Number 42.
Food and Wine
Urban Press Winery and Restaurant is nestled in an enchanting atmosphere, savor award-winning Sonoma County wines and enjoy fine dining or stop by for tasting flights.
Enjoy a curated wine-tasting experience for $25 where you can explore a selection of five wines, each telling its own story of the rich, local terroir. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday with a prior reservation enjoy a complimentary tasting of three Urban Press varietals.
Discover The Cave inside Ventura Wine Company. It is known as Ventura’s premier food & wine restaurant experience with some of the best selection of wines and competitive prices for retail purchases. The Cave offers 40 wines, as well as small plates.
Beyond Wine Tasting
Blend your own wine at The Blending Lab for a unique wine experience. Become your own winemaker. Take a 1.5 hour guided tasting where you explore and learn about three single varietal wines, before you experiment with blending to make your own wine blend to go. This class is intended for those who are curious about wine, want to be guided though the process and want to experiment. The Blending Lab also offers open labs where you can come and create with light guidance.
Malibu Wine and Nature Tours offers full-day tours that include ransportation, tasting rooms, lunch, scenic tour up the coast to Malibu’s wine country and a photographer.
