On my weekend trip up to Santa Barbara from Los Angeles, I had a few glasses of really great wine. The brand new Margerum Wine Tasting Room opened its doors across from the renovated Hotel Californian, and you know, it’s the best place in the Funk Zone to wine taste and chill.
Margerum’s tasting menu features whites like their M5 White, a white Rhône blend of five grapes: Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Marsanne, Viognier, and Picpoul Blanc. The reds, such as their M5 Red, a red Rhône blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault and Counoise. They also have rare bottles and older vintages of Margerum wines, along with a selection of small bites, pizzas, cheese and charcuterie.
My favorite pick was the 2018 Riviera Rosé. Its soft taste of strawberry and watermelon refreshes without cloying, leaving a lingering minerality on the palate. You’ll want another glass, and soon a euphoric feeling will come over you. Maybe it’s the balmy summer breeze, maybe it’s the rosé.
The M5 White was another pour I liked, nevertheless, I went back to tasting more of the rosé after sipping the other wines. Of course, I’ll always love jammy reds like their M5 Reserve, but The Sybarite Sauvignon Blanc which captured my attention. Another notable Margerum wine, the Sybarite grapes are grown on the rolling hills of the Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara, making it a Margerum signature wine.
Buellton-based in the Santa Ynez Valley, the Margerum Wine Company produces limited quantities of wines made from grapes grown at both their Estate Vineyard and grapes purchased from other top vineyards from in and around Santa Barbara County.
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“ You’ll want another glass, and soon a euphoric feeling will come over you. Maybe it’s the balmy summer breeze, maybe it’s the rosé. ”
I’m impressed with the quality and the affordability of their wines, and with Santa Barbara just a short drive up the coast from Los Angeles, I’ll be visiting more often.
If you can’t get to Santa Barbara as easily as an hour and a half drive, their online shop is the next best thing. I ordered some wines to send as gifts through their online shop here. And maybe the gift of wine will be a treat for you as well, so join the wine club to get specials and offers exclusive to Margerum wine club members.
Margerum Tasting Room
19 E. Mason Street
at the Hotel Californian
on the corner of Mason St. & Helena Ave.
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
805 845-8435
Margerum Tasting Room Flight – $15 and $20
Reservations not required
