Keys 2 the Coast
By Donna Polizzi
When the Wandering Dog Wine Bar opened in 2007 it was one of the only places open past 5 p.m. in Solvang, especially on the west side of town.
The proprietors, Jody and Charles Williams, both worked on the winery side before opening Wandering Dog and had talked for years about having a wine bar where they would carry varietals and wines from all over the world along with amazing boutique local wines.
In 2007 there were many wineries that didn’t have tasting rooms, so the pair thought it would be great to offer tourists a spot where they experience an wide selection of great wines. They decided to name the business after their family dogs that were always getting out and wandering the neighborhood in search of anything and anyone to socialize with.
Jody and Charles Williams have expanded by opening Broken Clock Vinegar Works, where they produce vinegar and create shrub cocktails.
Like that, they say, wine is like a social activity meant to be explored and experienced. Over the years they’ve slowly changed their business model as more and more boutique vintners have started up or moved into the area to open their own tasting rooms. That’s where and how the Wandering Dog label developed. It was a great way for the Williamses to continue working with the winemakers they had formed friendships with and had such tremendous respect for. Yet they also wanted to produce a varietal of wine with their friends that was unique to them, something their customers couldn’t purchase from anyone else.
Each wine in their high-end assortment (their Signature Series) is named after a family dog, starting with Charles’ childhood Newfoundland, Leila. And all are carefully crafted and produced by Jody and Charles while working closely with other winemakers.
They’ll spend a few hours tasting through different barrels, clones, vineyard sources, varietals to achieve the perfect wine — especially one that epitomizes the dog it’s named after.
For example, their Paige Super Tuscan is a blend of three non-traditional varietals (sangiovese, cabernet sauvignon and merlot), as Paige is a non-traditional “blend” of breeds — a mutt. You get the idea.
So, to put a bow on all of this, along with their Wandering Dog wines, the Williamses still carry a good selection of global wines on the higher-end side. Everything is palate-picked by Jody and Charles.
They’ve had to scale back some of their selections due to being in wine country and the majority of their visitors wanting local wines. However, they are committed to never giving up their global selection. That’s what keeps it interesting.
The Williamses have more than just a love of wine, however. They have a competing passion for their home fruit and vegetable garden, which led them to the discovery of shrub drinks a few years ago.
What started out as a whim ended up turning their kitchen into a mad-scientist lab, with jars of various combinations of fruits, vinegar and sugars taking up most of the counter space.
While taste-testing the elixirs, they came to the conclusion that shrubs are perfect at any time of day, and so Broken Clock Vinegar Works was born. From the first release in March 2016, they say, the response has been overwhelmingly positive.
Having their own wine bar to function as a taste-testing center allowed them to refine their process with direct consumer feedback.
In late 2017 Broken Clock moved to a dedicated commercial space where the shrub production could expand to meet the rising demand for unique, healthy and tasty cocktails. While not the first shrub company, they have set themselves apart by being the only one that produces their own vinegar on site, starting with the fruits used in the shrubs.
Additionally, by producing their products under a winery liquor license, the opportunity to expand their product line beyond the shrubs and into ready-to-drink “Shrub Coolers” and “Shrubaritas” is unparalleled in the industry.
So, the next time you are in Solvang, take the time to visit Jody and Charles Williams, the Central Coast’s most enterprising husband and wife wine- and vinegar-making team, and be sure to partake of their fabulous assortments of unique wines and several flavors of vinegar.
Donna Polizzi is a regional travel expert and founder of Keys 2 The Coast, a free travel resource for the Central Coast. Visit Keys2theCoast.Com for more information.
