Qupe Winery Bien Nacido in northern Santa Barbara County, Makes Some Very Good Wines

I am not a Big California wine buff, but when my friend Carol Berman, Class in a Glass/Travelling Sommelier, Facebook messaged me to come over to Magnolias Wines this past Saturday I could not resist.

I know she has great taste in wine and I like her recommendations. I was out running errands when her message popped upon my smart phone so I headed over.

She was pouring two wines from Bob Lindquist's Qupé Vineyard.

Bob moved to Southern California in 1964 and was really into the Rock and Roll music scene back then, so we must be around the same age. He founded Qupé in 1982 and set out to make some really great wines. The Varietals they produce include Chardonnay, Syrah, Marsanne, Viognier, a Syrah/Mourvedre blend, a Viognier/Chardonnay blend and Roussanne.

I tasted his Qupé, Bien Nacido Cuvée White, 2010 which is a blend of 50% Viognier & 50% Chardonnay. Really lovely flavor and great balance. I bought a bottle of this and his Central Coast Syrah.

I opened both with an Indian dinner with friends. While everyone enjoyed the Viognier/Chardonnay, the Shyrah was an "oh my god, this is amazing."   

It is "a classic Central Coast Syrah, combining the body, spice and acidity of cooler-climate grapes with forward fruit that is associated with grapes grown in warmer climates.  It has wonderful aromatics of black berry and tar laced with spice on the nose and its palate finishes long and seductive. This wine is an excellent example of what this grape can do…in style!" Vineyard. We loved loved loved this wine.

qupe.com