2012 Barden Pinot Noir

Margerum Wine Company was founded in 2001 by Doug Margerum, a long-time Santa Barbara area vintner, winemaker, restaurateur, sommelier and promoter of Santa Barbara wines. Having grown up in a family of restaurateurs, he was a winemaker and sometimes also an owner at several Santa Barbara region wineries before starting Margerum. The estate today has 18 acres of vineyards planted to Rhone varietals. It also purchases grapes from other area vineyards. Margerum produces mainly single-vineyard Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, white blends and rosé. The estate also produces wines under the Barden label. Barden wines are made from cold climate grapes grown in the Sta. Rita Hills appellation.

Santa Rita Hills AVA in northern Santa Barbara County was granted appellation status in 2001. Located between the towns of Lompoc and Buellton, it has a total area of 30,720 acres with 2,700 vineyard acres. The area is considered a cool climate for vineyards, so vineyards are most often planted with the cool-weather grapes Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The hills in the western part of this appellation are directly exposed to the Pacific Ocean, meaning that maritime winds and fog make the western edge of the Santa Rita Hills AVA particularly cool. The Sanford & Benedict Vineyard planted in 1971 was the first vineyard in the district and is still considered one of the best.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.