Bridlewood Estate Winery is an absolutely stunning one hundred and five acre property in the Santa Ynez Valley, just minutes from Los Olivos. The Estate was originally an Arabian horse breeding facility which was later converted to a horse rehabilitation facility in the 1980s.
In the 1990s, the property was purchased by an entrepreneur and they began to farm 60 acres, mainly with Syrah. Bridlewood was purchased by and is now owned by the Gallo family since 2011. Syrah and Viognier are grown on the property but they source their grapes from all over the Central Coast of California. They maintain the charm of the horse training facility with the horse track still surrounding the grounds and horses still on property. The beautiful grounds are available to wine club members for picnics and enjoying a glass of wine.
Our speedy and expert tasting was led by Lisa, who ushered us all over the beautiful property, showing us the view from the roof, the grounds, the horses and the vineyards all in an hour! We had a tight schedule and were due at another property far too soon. Even with all of the sightseeing, we managed to taste through nine wines!! Highlights for me were their 2014 Santa Barbara County Reserve Viognier, a 2013 Block 7 Syrah and a 2014 Blend 175. I am a sucker for a Viognier, and theirs tasted and smelled of white flowers, peaches and apricots. The Block 7 Syrah was done in the style of the northern Rhone where Syrah is often blended with Viognier to soften the edges of the Syrah. Theirs blended in 3% Viognier and retained the peppery character that is often found in Syrah, with a nice, round feel in the mouth courtesy of the Viognier. The Blend had everything but the kitchen sink to include Syrah, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Viognier and Marsanne. It was super easy to drink and the red fruits and spiciness stood out for me. I recommend a visit to Bridlewood if you are in the Santa Ynez Valley mainly for the beautiful property and tasting room. But, try to stay a while!
