Gainey Vineyard
Three generations of Gaineys have farmed the extraordinarily beautiful Home Ranch property, growing diverse crops ranging from hay to flowers to organic fruits and vegetables, as well as cattle and Arabian horses. The property proved to be an excellent site for Bordeaux varietals. It’s located on the eastside of the Santa Ynez Valley about 15 miles from the Valley’s westside, where temperatures can be 20 degrees cooler.
The fabulous wines we featured:
2007 Santa Ynez Valley Merlot
- This wine was not submitted for awards/reviews
- The final blend was 95% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon
- Short heat spikes and a cool September allowed development of great acidity
Tasting Notes: Black cherry and red plum fruit aromas waft from your glass of Gainey Merlot. Rich, creamy and luscious, it offers concentrated red cherry and plum flavors, touched by tea/spice tones and tangy acidity.
2009 Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay
- This wine is not submitted for awards/reviews
- More than 75% of the fruit came from the Sta. Rita Hills appellation
Tasting Notes: Fresh aromas of ripe yellow apple, lemon curd and peach surround rich, creamy flavors of citrus, spiced apple, peach and tropical fruit. Enjoy this white’s lovely minerality and a refreshing finish.
Winemaker's Notes
Dan Gainey is both a visionary and pioneer of cool and warm climate viticulture in the Santa Ynez Valley. Such terrific fruit makes my job very easy. Knowing I have fruit of that caliber coming in, I don’t have to try to ‘fix’ a wine. I can be creative and be a wine shepherd instead of a winemaker. That is the difference between making good and great wines. I’d always admired Gainey, because even as a small winery, they had the most diverse and dynamic wine portfolio in the region. I sought them out, they didn’t seek me!
Santa Ynez Valley
The Gainey Family
Jeff LeBard