Artiste, the artful way of making wine

So I had some free time on a recent trip to California and decided to drive a little north of Santa Barbara to the town of Solvang. First off, let me describe Solvang in very short form.....its like stepping out of the boat while floating through the "Its a Small World" ride at Disney. Built to look like a neighborhood in Copenhagen, this European inspired little city is far from the usual hustle and bustle of California. While the main road in the center of town is very busy and can be tricky to walk accross, a leisurely stroll through the town will bring you to many shops, bakeries, and wine tourist traps worth a peek.



Just down highway 246, on the other side of Solvang from the 101, you will reach Refugio Rd. If you take a right you will drive down along some vineyards and eventually find Kalyra and Sunstone Wineries. Both are great stops, but we will save them for another time.



Just past Refugio Rd you will reach Edison Rd. Take a left and then a quick Right and you will find another little street with stores and restaurants on both sides. On the left, in a little, minimal store front, is the tasting room for Artiste Winery (They also have one in Healdsburg). I was met by Lori who was full of knowledge about the winery, wine maker, and the art work that covers all of the walls.

The story of Artiste is simple.... They dont make basic wine. They only make blends, masterfully concocted from their own vineyards and some partners'. The labels are printed copies of local artists, many of whom were also on display in the tasting room. The wines are each named after the painting used for the label. All the wines are small batch, limited production, and once they have been sold out, they are never repeated again.

This is the type of wine I like to bring home, ones that there is NEVER a chance I will see again on a store shelf. To pick a single wine though was a challenge, and as such, I came back with two...

A Good Year is a blend of 2006 Malbec, 2005 Petit Verdot, 2005 Cabernet Franc, and 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a very fruit forward wine with only a slightly off-dry finish. Definitely meant for a healthy piece of meat, this wine is the ultimate bottle to open for dinner and keep with some chocolate for dessert.

Ascension is a very interesting wine. The blend of mostly Zinfandel, Petit Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot create a wonderful crowd pleaser with some good snobby complexity for the wanna-be sommelier in the room. The best way I can describe this is take the biggest, boldest Zinfandel wine you can find, and make it finish like a old-vine Cab. This is an incredible wine for those who just love to drink wine and I would highly recommend picking some up if you are up for the price tag.

As with many of the Santa Barbara Region wineries, quality comes at a price. Most of the wines at Artiste are well into the $40-50 range. Many more are above that. If you do go there though, ask for Lori and tell her that Rick's friend from Massachusetts sent you!!