Erik and Amber Mallea

The Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Café, is pleased to announce they are resuming their “Friday Night Winemakers” series for 2017.

Vintner and winemaker Erik Mallea of “Mallea Wines” will be chatting with guests and offering samples of his wines, those which he feels would pair perfectly with the meal, during the dinner hours of 5 – 8 p.m. on Friday, January 27.

Be sure to ask your knowledgeable waiter about the specials for the evening as Chef Chris Joslyn will be pairing them with Mallea wines. The informal and friendly atmosphere at the Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Café is the perfect place to learn more about this special winemaker while enjoying the fresh local dishes from the Los Olivos Café’s menu.

Erik Mallea is the vineyard manager for Sanford Winery nestled in the Sta. Rita Hills between Buellton and Lompoc. Mallea is originally from a farming family in northwestern Minnesota, and he majored in Biology and Geology at Oberlin College before going west to work in vineyards and wineries. Before starting to work at Sanford in 2009, Mallea worked for producers in Oregon, New Zealand, and California’s Central Valley. He and his wife, Amber, have been hand-crafting their own wines since 2008 and their first commercial releases came in 2015.

Mallea enjoys using a more traditional winemaking model, which focuses on sustainable winegrowing. Mallea Wines leases and farms the small vineyard parcels they produce wine from, with the bulk of the work done by hand. Currently Mallea Wines produces several varietals including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Grenache, Petite Sirah, Syrah, and Sauvignon blanc. He is looking forward to this Friday Night Winemaker event to share the Mallea wines with guests of the Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Café.

The experience and tastes are only for guests who are dining at the Café. No reservations or cost are required to taste the Mallea wines. However, dinner reservations are strongly recommended so that diners can be sure to enjoy the full experience. For more information or reservations: 805-688-7265 or www.winemerchantcafe.com. They are located at 2879 Grand Ave, Los Olivos.

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Her love for wine making began in 2009 when Gascar interned at the Santa Maria Gold Coast Vineyard. Her first harvest, she arose before the sun came up and worked for hours with freezing fingers picking and sorting the Pinot Noir grapes. She listened through the morning to the theories behind the growth and life of the vine, and felt inspired by the connection to the earth. ITER is latin for “the journey”.

“Wine is a living entity, a story in a bottle that is as real as anything we can imagine and, like every great journey, it begins at the source,” Gascar said.

Gascar spent the next three and a half years apprenticing at Sanguis, each task helping her to grow her understanding and appreciation for meticulous dedication to detail and style. Learning to work with “intention” to produce great wine.

She saved her money and eventually bought her own fruit, making her first vintage in 2012. Today Gascar brings her intuition and great palate to the wine making process, and is grateful for being able to do what she does in the Santa Barbara county. Jessica feels that wine is about sharing with friends, and she is looking forward to this Friday Night Winemaker event to share the ITER wines with guests of the Los Olivos Wine Merchant and Café.

Be sure to ask your knowledgeable waiter about the specials for the evening as Chef Chris Joslyn will be pairing them with ITER’s wine. The informal and friendly atmosphere at the Los Olivos Wine Merchant and Café is the perfect place to learn more about this special winemaker while enjoying the fresh local dishes from the Los Olivos Café’s menu. The experience and tastes are only for guests who are dining at the Café. No reservations or cost are required to taste the ITER wines. However, dinner reservations are strongly recommended so that diners can be sure to enjoy the full experience. For more information or reservations: 805-688-7265 or www.losolivoscafe.com.

The post Friday Night Winemaker Dinner at LO Cafe appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.