Dude, Did We Just Get Scolded?
Over the weekend, I went to Santa Barbara for a quick escape from LA County. Matt and Erin invited me, Teresa and Chris for the weekend. We planned on visiting a few wineries in the Santa Rita Hills. It was Open House weekend which meant free music and food with wine tastings.
Saturday was absolutely stunning. The temperature was warm but not hot. The sun was bright. It was a good day to drive the 101. As I drove right along the Pacific, Teresa spotted some porpoises traveling north near the beach. The looked so care-free. Such a great drive.
Matt and Erin’s was just a stop off. We crammed everyone into my car, and I let Matt drive further north to the wineries. The Santa Rita Hills are part of Santa Barbara Wine Country wine country. They are known most for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. It was my first time there, and it's just beautiful. I really am not a proper wordsmith, but Santa Barbara county is stunning. This particular area is a valley with wineries dotting the hills. Very peaceful.
The first winery we visited was cool. Their open house was held inside a converted barn. A single musician was playing Spanish style guitar. The free finger food included awesome goat cheese, crackers and chocolate covered strawberries. We were able to purchase tacos for a buck. The wine was good as well. We were allowed about 8 flights, and I really dug the reds. The vines were right near the barn, and the proximity made for an enjoyable setting.
We decided to try one more winery, and this is where things got interesting. The second winery was called Alma Rosa. As we drove up, I liked it immediately. It was more simple and less pretentious than others I visited in SB County. Its main buildings looked like old wood houses with a few decks connecting all the buildings. Both houses and decks were covered in flora and fauna. It was an intimate and warm setting.
We went in the first building to purchase our tasting. It was more expensive than the last winery, but that wasn’t a huge deal. Huh, it was even more money for food. I looked around, and there wasn’t any music at all. Oh well, lets just grab some wine and enjoy the scenery. After paying, we were given Orange Bracelets. We jumped in line for our first flight of wine.
Those pouring the wine were very sweet and knowledgeable. They explained each wine and had heavy pours. All things I like. After everyone in the group had a glass, we walked through two buildings to a larger deck. We all sat and started to enjoy the moment. An older gentlemen came over and said hello. He seemed kind, and I felt like he was just being polite and making conversation. I was quickly proven wrong when he said to Chris, “I see you are wearing a Orange Bracelet.” “Orange Bracelets are for those who didn’t pay for the food.” “Oh”, I said. He continued, “This area is reserved for those with Green Bracelets, who paid for food.” We looked around the large deck, and we were the only people there. I looked at my friends, and no one was eating anything. “OK”, I said. He then proceeded with, “We also have to be careful because some people try to drink wine underage.” Huh? “Can you please go back to the wine serving area which is the place for those with Orange Bracelets.” I said, “OK.” He then proceeded to thank us and walk away. I turned to Chris and said, “Did we just get scolded? Wow.” I couldn’t believe this guy’s nerve, but there was nothing we could do. We stood up and walked to the other area which was very crowded with other wearers of Orange Bracelets.
This is the guy who scolded me, and he is standing in the middle of Alma Rosa.
We brushed off the strange encounter, and we drank the rest of our flights. Everyone seemed to forget the scolding, and we even decided to purchase a bottle of wine. I dare say, Alma Rosa’s wine might have been better than the first winery. There were a few picnic tables outside of the buildings but inside a small forest. It seemed like the perfect spot to finish our wine tasting afternoon.
As soon as we sat at the picnic table, the same gentlemen appeared from behind a tree (at least it felt like he did). He walked up to our table and asked for a glass of our wine. I looked at everyone else, looked at him and reluctantly poured him a glass of wine. After my pour, he had the audacity to ask for a “fuller glass” and laughed. This guy was crazy. He proceeded to tell us he owned the place, and he was thankful for us stopping by. We had to finish our bottle with this guy making small talk. I was hoping he’d grab us another bottle, but he just walked away from the table. That being said, he remembered to tell us that the glasses weren't free. We needed to return them to the front desk. Traditionally, wine glasses are free with a tasting. Thanks for the hospitality! Chris shoved his glass down his pants.
Overall, I had a great day in the Santa Rita Hills. Thanks to everyone for the good company. SB County is awesome! I just can’t get over the owner of Alma Rosa. He has zero social skills. I’m guessing our second encounter was his attempt to smooth over the first, but he miserably failed. I won’t be going back to his winery. Its a shame because the wine is good and the scenery is spectacular.
Comments
Sounds bizarre. The psychology major in me wanted to discover what is at the core of this guy's psyche. So I did a quick Google search and it seems like the owner of this place is a pretty big deal in the California wine world. I suspect that he thinks he is King Sh!t and assumed that you guys were wine snobs who would be in awe just being in his wine drinking presence ("Holy poop! OMG, Richard Sanford drank all my wine!?!"). A good analogy might be if you are playing basketball with a few friends at the park and then Kobe Bryant shows up and asks if he can see your ball. Of course you give him the ball, but then he proceeds to dunk over and over for 35 minutes without ever giving the ball back to you or your friends. At first it's cool, but after a while it's like "Hey Kobe Bryant, can I get my d@mn ball back? This isn't fun for us." So basically, this guy is like the Kobe Bryant of Calfornia whites. And he wanted to steal your women.
Jeff... thanks for the psychology insight. I never thought to Google the guy. The ego angle makes sense. Plus, our women were hot. I'm just glad he didn't do the Kobe Clench after drinking my wine:
