The act of picking grapes off the vine, the sound of people talking as they worked, and the smell of wine being poured are some of the things that Daniel and Robin Gehrs will miss as they close the doors on the wine-making business they built for more than 40 years.

“So much has changed in the wine industry since we started in the early ’70s, and I like to think that we played a small part in that change with some innovative and visionary ideas,” Daniel said.

If it hadn’t been for a graduate program at UCSB, life might have looked a little different for Daniel, who had set a path to start a law career.

“I came to Santa Barbara for my law degree and worked as a shipping clerk for a business near Santa Barbara Winery. Robin and I had just married and were working for pennies when I kept persistence at the winery to do anything, and I knew I wanted to be involved in the wine industry,” he said.

Daniel and Robin Gehrs moved to the valley when Daniel became the winemaker for Zaca Mesa Winery. They started their own label and opened their tasting room on Valentine’s Day weekend in 2000.

In the spring of 1974 the Gehrs moved to the Bay Area and he took an entry-level job at Paul Masson Vineyard (now the Mountain Winery in Saratoga). Masson was one of the pioneers in California wine history. (Paul Masson sparkling wine was the first American wine served in the White House, at President Harry Truman’s Inaugural Ball in 1949.)

“Working at Paul Masson taught me about so many different varietals, from sparkling wine to port, and I feel it was … that exposure which helped me define my career,” Daniel said.

He worked there for two years before he and Robin moved to Villa de Monmarte, an estate in the mountains above Saratoga where the owner had a vineyard that needed a caretakers. Meanwhile, the Gehrs needed a home to start their family and their own label.

“We lived there for 14 years and, literally, our two children Jennie and Jeremy were born in the house, and we really survived on the land,” Robin added fondly.

The Gehrs had the passion and the drive to start their own wine label, Congress Springs Vineyards.

When the kids were just babies their parents would put them into their “Pack and Play” pen, tie a rope to it, and pull them along the vineyards as they pruned the vines or picked grapes.

“I think it’s where I learned my love for the outdoors and animals, because we always had lots of dogs, cats, goats and other farm animals,” Jennie Gehrs Vidmar said.

Toward the end of their time in northern California they started hosting weddings and events on their grounds, but the lack of privacy brought them back to the Central Coast.

“We loved the events but decided it was time for a new change, so I had a friend that told me about a job in Santa Ynez Valley that I couldn’t pass on,” Daniel said.

In 1990 he became the winemaker for Zaca Mesa Winery on Foxen Canyon Road and worked there for a number of years.

Wine Spectator magazine named his first vintage, a 1993 syrah, the number six wine in the world — and it was the first time he had ever made syrah.

“I was known for chardonnay, and after that award I think it started the boom of Rhone varietals in the area,” he said.

“Before that, wine styles were more of a Bordeaux, which didn’t grow very well, but then there was a sudden awareness of Rhone style,” Robin added.

Daniel left Zaca Mesa in 1998 to start consulting with up-and-coming wineries such as Bridlewood, Lucas and Llewellyn, Sunstone and others, and was making his own wine that he sold only at wholesale.

“We decided to open a tasting room and we got a little spot in Solvang across from Solvang Festival Theater, which we figured out quickly wasn’t where we wanted to be. A friend told us about a business in a little cottage in Los Olivos that was for sale and we made an offer quickly, and opened on Valentine’s weekend in 2000,” Robin said.

Their daughter became the tasting room manager as she took a break from college to decide what path she wanted, and Jennie tried her hand at winemaking as well with her own label, Vixen.

“I was probably the youngest tasting room manager at 21, but it was such fun and I knew I was helping my family,” Vidmar said.

It was again on Valentine’s weekend in 2004 when she met a young man who came to her tasting room on a break from Vandenberg Air Force Base and several years later they married. Now they live in Colorado and have three children.

Daniel and Robin Gehrs are closing their wine business after more than 40 years to move closer to their daughter, Jennie Gehrs Vidmar, who is pictured with her daughter Coralin.

“It was crazy because I was telling him about my wine label and he asked why I chose the name, and I said I liked foxes and the letter ‘V’ so I chose ‘Vixen,’ as it’s a female fox, and he chuckled. Only later I found out his last name was Vidmar, and his call sign in the Air Force is ‘Fox’. I think it was meant to be,” she laughed.

The Gehrs decided once they started their label here in the valley to buy grapes from other farmers because they wanted more freedom on the weekends to enjoy family and getting away.

“I loved being in the field, but we also loved traveling — and having a vineyard wouldn’t allow us that flexibility. Especially when Jennie had her first child and moved away from the valley, we wanted to see our grandchildren,” Robin said.

So after 43 years in the wine industry, and 17 years of their label in the Santa Ynez Valley, they have decided to move closer to their daughter in Colorado and enjoy being grandparents.

“We have had the absolute joy of being a part of the community and doing what we love, and our hope is whoever buys the building enjoys this spot as much as we did,” Daniel said.

“We have met and made friends with so many people from locals to people all over the world that have just walked in our doors, and we appreciate every single one of them,” Robin added.

The Gehrs will be in the valley until the end of March. They invite anyone interested in buying their building or wine label to call them 693-9686.

The post Daniel and Robin Gehrs moving to Colorado to enjoy grandchildren appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

By Raiza Giorgi

Being troubadours themselves for years, playing night after night at different venues, brother and sister Ron and Carole Ann Colone have both lived the life of wandering musicians.

They know the life on the road and how hard it can be. which is why they wanted to provide more than just a venue for fellow musicians coming to play their concert series, Tales from the Tavern, when they launched it 15 years ago.

The siblings grew up in a blue-collar household with music around them in Detroit, and they say that music helped shape their souls. Ron got inspiration from the lyrics of Bob Dylan songs, and he knew that he would be involved in music throughout his life.

“I remember driving over the San Marcos Pass one day, sick as a dog, and a song came on that I hadn’t heard in a while, and I felt so much better by the time I got to Santa Barbara. I really believe that music has the power to heal,” he said.

Photo by Barry Sigman
Brother and sister Ron and Carole Ann Colone founded Tales from the Tavern 15 years ago as a way to bring music to the Santa Ynez Valley that people wouldn’t normally experience here.

Carole was part of a rock opera group, Enoch, and has played congas and percussion with Peter Green, the LA rendition of Poco, and now with Michael on Fire. She’s traveled around the world but ended up following her brother to the Santa Ynez Valley about 25 years ago.

Every music event has a different feeling or experience for the audience. At some shows you dance, at others you sit and listen, and at others you treat the music like background noise while you have a conversation. The Colones wanted to create a completely different world when a musician walked on stage.

“Tales from the Tavern was born at Mattei’s Tavern, hence the tavern in the name, but it has grown into more than just a venue space but a place where people can come and really experience the music from the artist’s perspective and engage,” Ron said.

“People really trusted us to bring them a great experience, because when we first sold the idea of the concert series to Mattei’s at the time, we told them they couldn’t serve food. We sold tickets in advance of the audience knowing who was playing, and it sold out in less than an hour,” Carole added.

One of their musicians, Marcia Ball, a well-known roadhouse rhythm and blues musician, has played all around the world and even at the White House. But when she played Tales from the Tavern she said she was nervous because it was so quiet, and people were actually paying attention, Ron recalled.

After their first year at Mattei’s the shows became so popular that they had to find a bigger venue. David Walker of Firestone Walker said the company was building a new restaurant in Buellton and offered them a chance to play there and even built a stage.

“That first show was nerve-wracking because we were starting the show at 7 p.m. and at 4:30 p.m. they were still doing construction. Luckily it all came together and we loved our time at Firestone,” Carole said.

A memorable show from their Firestone years was played by John McEuen of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. The Colones also love it when people who aren’t familiar with the musician end up falling in love with the music.

“We are so humbled by the community that has supported this journey over the last 15 years. It’s incredible that we are known for bringing music, and an experience, like nowhere else,” Carole said.

After Firestone evolved into a restaurant setting after five years, the Colones decided it was time to move the again so they found the series’ current home at the Maverick Saloon in Santa Ynez.

“We got some interesting questions when we moved to the Maverick, but when people walked into the hall they were awed at how we transformed the space,” Ron said.

Every season the hosts and the artists create a series that sometimes surprises the Colones. This year they wanted more of an edge, and they ended up with a lineup of musicians that has more of a folk sound such as John Gorka, Michael on Fire and Heather Maloney with Peter Mulvey.

The musicians are astounded when the Colones explain that the audience often has no idea who they are when they pay for season tickets. The musicians are also treated to food and the wine cellar at Trattoria Grappolo.

“We want the artists to know they are appreciated for their talent, and now we are getting submissions from hundreds of artists that want to play,” Carole said.

Some of the past performers include Priscilla Ahn, Janis Ian, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Tom Rush, Wil Ridge, Owen Plant, Carlene Carter, John Corbett and Gerald DiPego.

Carlene Carter brought a nine-piece band, so the Colones were glad to be at the Maverick where they could accommodate the musicians and have the necessary space for the audience.

“We film every show, and it’s been an honor that our footage has been used for such events as inducting Chris Hillman from The Byrds into the BBC Hall of Fame, and Dave Stamey, to induct him into the Western Music Hall of Fame,” Ron added.

To see the full lineup of artists and dates for the next season of Tales from the Tavern, which begins Feb. 15, or to buy tickets, log onto www.talesfromthetavern.com.

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