Santa Barbara’s Zaca Mesa announced plans to sell their 750-acre winery—the first to plant Syrah grapes in the Santa Ynez Valley—for the (anticipated) price of $32 million dollars. So, if you have a spare suitcase full of large-denomination unmarked bills lost between your couch cushions, or leftover cash you were planning to use to buy the Los Angeles Clippers before being outbid by Steve Ballmer, you can now be the owner of one of the oldest wineries in the region.
Is $32 million too rich for your blood? You might be able to pick up the winery separate from the vineyards for only about $10 million.
Zaca Mesa has also released a promotional reel of aerial drone footage of the winery for those needing extra motivation to buy, or just something for the rest of us to watch while wistfully holding onto the dream.
Zaca Mesa Ranch, Winery and Vineyards from Katie Somple on Vimeo
If this video put you in the mood for a well-chilled glass of white wine, try one of these three:
Zaca Mesa 2014 Homage Collection Bien Nacido Vineyard Pinot Blanc (Santa Maria Valley); $22, 89 points. Baked lemon, jasmine and honeyed Pink Lady apples open the nose of this bottling, a special anniversary project for the usually Rhône-only winery. Lighter flavors of lemon zest and crisp apple flesh sit atop a chalky grip, making for a wine that would work well with a variety of lighter foods.
Zaca Mesa 2014 McGinley Vineyard Homage Collection Sauvignon Blanc (Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara); $22, 89 points. Pear and nectarine flesh are cut by a quince, Gala apple and slightest touches of guava and mango on the chalky nose of this wine. It’s refreshingly light on the palate, with sliced pear and squeezed lime notes, bound by a very grippy texture.
Zaca Mesa 2014 Viognier (Santa Ynez Valley); $18, 88 points. Honeysuckle and white peach show on the nose of this bottling from the region’s longtime Rhône producer. It’s a simple and straightforward take on the grape, with dried white peach, lemon-lime candy and apple-peel flavors, wrapped up with buzzing acidity and grippy texture.
Published: July 11, 2016
