"Bordeaux on the go"-Food and Home Magazine-October 2003
Santa Barbara county wines have received their fair share of applause. Our Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and of late, our Syrah, have all been greatly praised. But not so our Bordeaux varietals-at least not the red ones: "Thin, grassy, cabbagey, skunky," are some of the less than flattering adjectives often associated with our Cabernets, Merlots, and Bordeaux-style blends. Not exactly the kind of qualifiers a winemaker aims for.
....To dig a bit deeper, we held a marathon wine tasting before our poker game last month. Our panel of 10 wine lovers tasted 18 wines from nine wineries, all duly wrapped so no label showed, and rated them for appearance, aroma, flavor, and overall balance. As all these wines really show their best with food, and we were not eating, the judging was severe. No flaw went unnoticed. Still, many held up well, and a few really shone.
We started with the Merlot grouping. The Gainey 2000 Limited Selection, with its ripe berry flavors, received the highest notes, followed closely by Foley's beautifully structured 2000 La Cuesta Vineyard, with Lucas & Lewellen's 2000 Merlot in third place.
...The Napa devotees in our group did not swear off their allegiance, though even they gave several of our local wines high marks. Still, when dinner came, we all gladly drank the local reds. And at the end of the evening, time to allocate the leftover bottles, they were all gone in no time.
LAURENCE HAUBEN
Visit: http://food-home.com

Friday was the beginning of a weekend getaway to Solvang in honor of the Vintners Festival. And that night was a culinary adventure to the Mediterranean, with wines by Lucas & Lewellen and dishes by the Petersen Village Inn as our tour guides. This was a marvelous dinner party in a quaint and rustic dining room setting. The stars were winemaker Dan Gehrs and the Inn’s new chef, Erminio dal-Fuoco. And the idea here was truly unique: to lead a tasting tour of the varied cuisine from countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. Hors d’oeuvres, for example, included stuffed grape leaves from Greece. In our glasses, a delicious new Mandolina Rosato, a hefty rose-style wine made from Nebbiolo and Barbera. At the table, our first course became a creamy blend of subtle flavors in the mouth. A French-inspired fluffy poached sole with a shallot mushroom sauce was paired with a Lucas & Lewellen Sauvignon Blanc, a fruit-driven wine with soft acids that seem to cling gently to the tongue. That prepped the palate for tender lobster medallions, a classic recipe from Spain. And these luscious morsels blended so smoothly with the luscious Viognier, one grinning woman at the table said, “It’s like velvet.”
I really enjoyed what happened next. We enjoyed a Moroccan recipe for a blood orange sorbet infused with coconut. It was served inside a half-coconut cup. This is often called an intermezzo, a tabletop tidbit designed to cleanse the palate between main courses.
This tasty creation did indeed cool and clean my tongue and open up my taste buds for the dish to come. An Italian recipe for a petit filet with truffles and foie gras was a powerhouse of flavors. The medium-cooked meat was lean and hidden under a hearty, rich peppery sauce. And the Mandolina Nebbiolo was the perfect wine match, with a lovely balance of flavors and tannins that carried the dish’s flavors across every nook and cranny of the palate.
Dessert was a “floating island” from Corsica, alongside a late harvest Sauvignon Blanc that enjoys 13 percent residual sugar, making it a very sweet marriage of peach, nectarine and pineapple flavors. “Finger-lickin’ good,” one of my table partners said.
Our tour ended with a delicious communal tray of Mediterranean cheeses with dates, figs and nuts, all paired with a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon and a glass of Moscato. We applauded Gehrs and dal-Fuoco for their tasty guidance and parted all smiles.

GABE SAGLIE-KEYT NEWS
Visit: http://www.peterseninn.com

“I love to find out which ones they like the best,” Louis declares with a sunny smile as he helps out his busy staff by splashing a sample into a waiting glass. His informal poll reveals that, today, Barbera (“the wash down wine of the Piemonte”) scores as the favorite.

The tasting room opened in June 2002, and offers vintages made under three proprietary labels: Lucas & Lewellen, a program of Rohne, Bordeaux, and Burgundy varietals that includes the startlingly rich 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon, 1999 Pinot noir (described as a “Cab lover’s Pinot) and a heady 1999 Late harvest Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon-Chenin Blanc; Mandolina, a line of Italian wines that boasts the spicy 2000 Barbera and the hauntingly complex 1999 Nebbiolo; and Virgin, a selection of unwooded wines including the remarkably crisp 2001 Sauvignon Blanc and the food-friendly 2001 Chardonnay.

Despite describing themselves as “the new kids on the block,” proprietors Louis Lucas and Royce Lewellen have been around a long time. In the early 1970’s, Louis distinguished himself as an innovative viticulturist when he combined the European tradition of tight vine spacing with his own ideas (many of them gleaned from the family table grape-growing business) about trellising, pruning and canopy management. He analyzed soil, water and leaf samples in order to match varietals to suitable sites, and helped to create some of Santa Barbara County’s finest vineyards.

Still enthusiastic about wine after 30 years of grape growing, Louis laughs, “I jump out of bed every morning and my wife says ‘Where are you going in such a hurry?’ Every day I feel like I have a challenge to meet.”

Royce Lewellen journeyed from a career in the courtroom-first as a civil litigator and later as a judge with both the Solvang Justice Court and the Santa Maria Superior Court-to the world of winemaking via his love of the grape and his friendship with Lucas. He retired to pursue his many interests, from gardening and theater (he’s a founding member of Solvang’s TheaterFest board) to fine dining and warbling with the Coastal Voices Choir.

Royce describes the genesis of the partnership in simple terms, “Louis and I met at {Chef} Rick’s and when lunch was over, I was in the grape-growing business.”

Friends for decades, the two forged a close relationship as members of the Santa Maria Wine and Food Society before teaming up in 1996 to found Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards. In concert with their mutual goal, and under the trusted tutelage of winemaker Dan Gehrs, they are producing top quality wines at affordable prices.

Taking their enterprise to the next level, Lucas and Lewellen recently installed state of the art equipment into a new facility in Buellton. Tanks, presses and tools of the trade sport wheels and removable brackets to keep them portable, for the partners plan to build their own winery one day. Eventually, they will produce about 40,000 cases of wine annually, while continuing to sell fruit to discerning winemakers.

Old friends who enjoy each other’s company, Louis Lucas and Royce Lewellen supplement each other’s sentences, filling in details with a lively banter burnished by years of dining, dreaming and discussing. Mutual respect and a love of the grape game bind them in a fluid, fortuitous partnership, and together they have created some of the Santa Ynez Valley’s favorite wines.

The Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards tasting room, located at 1645 Copenhagen Drive in Solvang, is open for business seven days a week, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wine prices range from $12-25, with discounts for Wineclub members. Call 805-686-9336 for more information and details about upcoming special events.

Visit: http://www.insidesyv.com

Two new kids have set up shop on the big block known as Santa Barbara County wine country. Though their names and faces are familiar, the business they have created thrives on a freshly minted blend of hands-on experience and formidable resources.

Louie Lucas and Royce Lewellen, longtime leaders in local affairs but newcomers to the winemaking game, joined forces to form the eponymous Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards in 1996. They sealed the deal over a long lunch, and since their first releases hit the market in 2000, they have made it clear that they intend to make world-class wines at affordable prices.

Mutual respect and common goals, plus decades of friendship, give the partnership the fuel it needs to succeed. The two men met years ago as members of the Santa Maria Food & Wine Society and many convivial meals later, they easily made the move from pals to business partners.

Louis Lucas, a viticultural pioneer in Santa Barbara County, witnessed the burgeoning market for wine grapes in the late 1960s and decided to branch out from the family’s table grape-growing business. He and his brother secured a 1,300-acre spread on Tepusquet Mesa, southeast of Santa Maria, and planted wine grapes, mostly the red varietals recommended by their customers to the north.

Louis quickly realized he had a lot to learn about growing wine grapes and traveled to Europe to observe the methods of the masters. When he returned, he transformed industry techniques by combining the European tradition of tight vine spacing with his own ideas about trellising, pruning, and canopy management. He analyzed soil, water, and leaf samples in order to match varietals to suitable sites, and helped to create some of the area’s finest vineyards.

Thirty years later, when would-be buyers began peppering him with offers for his four vineyards, Louis considered retiring from viticulture. But grape growing has possessed his family for three generations, and when his old friend suggested a partnership, Louis jumped at the chance to continue his lifework.

Sweetening the deal was the plan to make wine under their own label, which would move them beyond merely selling fruit to other winemakers and give them some influence over the final product.

Louis laughs about his family’s reaction to his new vocation, “My mom is glad I’m in wine. She’s 87 and she loves wine…not by the bottle, but by the case because she has a lot of friends.”

Royce Lewellen, who practiced civil law before taking the bench as Solvang justice court Judge in 1969, has savored Santa Barbara County wines for years. While sitting as Judge of the Superior Court in Santa Maria and upon his retirement, when officials renamed the courthouse Lewellen Justice Center, he celebrated with a glass or two of local wine.

Though an involved grandparent and active participant in a dizzying variety of organizations, Royce figured he was ready for a new pursuit when he met Louis for lunch that fateful day.

“We met at Chef Rick’s,” Royce remembers with a smile, “and by the time lunch was over, I was in the grape growing business.”

Lucas and Lewellen hired veteran winemaker Dan Gehrs to shepherd their grapes from bins to bottles. They had followed his impressive career over the years, watched his wines rack up award after award, and are thrilled to have found a skilled winemaker that they both like and trust.

Dan Gehrs, who began making small lots of wine in college, tackled his first professional vintage in 1974 and founded his own label in 1990. His efforts at Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards have already netted an impressive bundle of prizes, including a silver medal at the West Coast Wine Competition for the 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon, silver at the Monterey Wine Competition for the 1999 reserve Pinot Noir, and silver for the 1999 Barbera at Long beach Grand Cru. The 1999 Dolcetto scored with a silver at the Orange County Fair and won the coveted best of Class of Region at the California State Fair.

To sample some of Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards’ sumptuous wines, visit their elegant tasting room, located at 1645 Copenhagen Drive. The tasting room opened just last June and offers wines made under three proprietary labels: Lucas & Lewellen, a program of Rhone, Bordeaux, and Burgundy varietals that include the startlingly rich 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon, the bold and fruity 1999 Pinot Noir, and the plush, tropical 2000 Chardonnay; Mandolina, a line of Italian wines with offerings like the spice 2000 Barbera and the hauntingly complex 1999 Nebbiolo; and Virgin, a selection of unwooded wines including the refreshing 2001 Sauvignon Blanc and the food-friendly 2001 Chardonnay.

The tasting room is open seven days a week, from 11 a.m.-6 p.m., and will join the festivities on August 31, when 14 members of the Santa Ynez Valley Wine Country Association host Taste of Harvest, a progressive wine tasting. Guests will receive log glasses and a passport to each of the participating wineries where they can get acquainted with the winemakers. For more information, call the Lucas & Lewellen tasting room at 686-9336.

Business Editor Vern Ahrendes-Santa Maria Times
Visit: http://www.santamariatimes.com

Louis Lucas and Royce Lewellen, two men who have walked divergent career paths and contributed to Santa Barbara County’s recent history in wildly dissimilar ways, have teamed up to form Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards, one of the area’s up and coming winemaking concerns.
Louis Lucas, scion of a long line of viticulturalists, came to Santa Barbara County way back in 1969 while scouting potential vineyard sites for his family’s Bakersfield-based table grape business. Heartened by the successes of pioneers Bill DeMattei and Uriel Nielson, who planted some of the county’s early wine grapes, Louis and his brother installed their first wine grape vineyard (Tepusquet Vineyard) in the Santa Maria Valley in 1970.
“The best decision I ever made in the early 70s was going against the conventional wisdom by planting more vines per acre, adapting trellis systems to fit specific varieties, and instituting suckering, hedging, thinning and leaf removal programs,” Lucas remembers. For 30 years, Louis Lucas has tended his expanding vineyard acreage and honed his growing techniques to produce superior grapes for the region’s discerning wineries. Royce Lewellen, a retired Superior Court judge, brings long familiarity with Santa Barbara County wines and a love of the grape to his partnership with Louis Lucas. For decades, he watched as the county’s winemaking stature grew, along with his appreciation of fine wine.
“All I needed was the opportunity to get involved,” Lewellen says. “One day, in early 1996, I went to lunch with Louis Lucas. By the time lunch was finished, I was in the grape growing business.” Partners Lucas and Lewellen farm vineyards in the Santa Ynez, Santa Maria, and Los Alamos valleys, where they grow 23 different varietals, including the principal grapes of the Rhone, Burgundy, and Bordeaux regions of France, as well as eight Italian varietals. One of their blocks, the Los Alamos Valley Vineyard, can be seen from Highway 101, just south of Los Alamos, stretching for a mile between Price Road and Alisos Canyon Rd. They hedge their vines to control vigor, pull leaves to produce a balanced, healthy crop, and harvest entirely by hand for clean, select fruit.
Dan Gehrs, who has been coaxing grapes into wine since 1974, crafts sophisticated, complex vintages from Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards’ carefully grown fruit. He has already won renown for the young winery at several state and county fairs with the 1999 Dolcetto (three silver medals and a Best of Class of Region), the 1999 Reserve Pinot (silver and bronze), the 1999 Merlot (silver), and the 1999 Reserve Chardonnay (silver).
Currently producing 15,000 cases of wine each year, Louis Lucas and Royce Lewellen hope to top out at about 50,000 cases annually. To promote their efforts, they’ve secured a spacious tasting room in Solvang (1645 Copenhagen Drive), to be opened in grand fashion on June 1, 2002. For more information about Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards, their award-winning wines, or upcoming festivities, please call 805-344-3000, or check out their jam-packed website at: www.LLwine.com.
Article by: K. Reka Badger
Visit: http://sanluisobispo.com

Once again this year, the California State Fair, recognized as the nation's oldest and most prestigious wine judging event, is proud to honor the best of the best of this rich heritage. More than 2,200 wines were entered into this year's premier competition, culminating with the California Grape & Gourmet, held Tuesday, July 24. This event alone, currently in its sixth year, has become California's most important wine and food event, showcasing all of the award-winning wines along with 90 of the Sacramento area's finest restaurants.
Each wine entered into the competition was judged by a distinctive panel and scored using a numbering system from one to 100, with top scoring wines being awarded medals.
CONGRATULATIONS TO LUCAS & LEWELLEN VINEYARDS!
SILVER MEDAL-1999 DOLCETTO
BEST OF CLASS OF REGION-1999 DOLCETTO
Visit: http://www.bigfun.org

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY'S WINE INDUSTRY EXPERIENCES TREMENDOUS GROWTH ACCORDING TO THE FINDINGS OF AN ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY RELEASED TODAY
Wine Industry More Than Doubles, Becoming Santa Barbara County's Number One Finished Agricultural Product
Santa Barbara, CA (November 15, 2001) The results of the Year 2000 Economic Impact study that focused on Santa Barbara County¹s wine industry were announced jointly today at a luncheon held by the Santa Barbara County Vintners' Association (SBCVA) and Napa-based wine business advisory firm, Motto Kryla Fisher, LLP.
The report¹s findings show that the County's wine industry, has more than doubled in size since 1996, to include over 18,000 acres of grapevines and over 60 wineries, which directly contributed $360 million to the County¹s economy in the year 2000. This included revenues to growers and wineries, employee wages, and money paid in-county for services and supplies.
Additionally, it was reported that Santa Barbara County's wine industry now employs over 3,800 people in full- part-time and seasonal positions, and supports numerous other jobs in companies supplying the industry with materials and services.
Further impact, beyond the $360 million, was made in the form of wages spent in the local economy, wages and revenues created in the distribution and sale of local wines in the County, plus revenues generated by tourism, restaurants, marketing and promotion, financial and similar institutions and in government tax revenues and license fees.
According to the report, wine is Santa Barbara County's number one finished agricultural product, and the County¹s wine grape crop made it the County¹s second most valuable agricultural crop valued at $90 million in 2000.
"These figures attest both to the financial importance of our wine industry in Santa Barbara County, as well as to the broadening popularity and deepening interest in Santa Barbara County wines." said Michael Perry, Executive Director of the SBCVA. "The indirect effects of the wine business ripple throughout Santa Barbara County's economy, as industry wages and profits garnered are spent within the County. As the Santa Barbara County wine industry continues to focus on producing premium quality wines and explores untapped markets, the economic impact on the County will continue to flourish," he added.
Vic Motto, partner/wine business consultant of Motto Kryla and Fisher, LLP, the firm that conducted the survey, echoed Mr. Perry¹s comments, adding, "Most astonishing is the substantial increase in wine-related revenues --$136 million in 1998 to $360 million in 2000. Santa Barbara County is one of the special, unique places in the world where world-class wines can be grown. The area¹s leading red wine varietals include Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah. Leading white wine varietals include Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and Gewurztraminer. We found that wines labeled Santa Barbara County' provide the additional benefit of promoting the positive image of the County and act as silent ambassadors of the region to the world. Additionally, Santa Barbara County¹s wines sell almost exclusively in the premium market segment (750 ml bottles retailing over $8 per bottle) and retain a universally superb quality -- two of the predominant reasons for the solid growth of the industry."
The Pollack PR Marketing Group-William Ostedt/Stefan Pollack
Visit: http://www.sbcountywines.com

Food & Home Magazine - Fall 2001
“Don’t sell to those alligators!” Judge Royce Lewellen warned his old friend Louis Lucas, when Lucas mentioned that he was thinking of selling his vineyard. The respected, and semi-retired, Santa Maria Superior Court Judge didn’t want his friend to sell to the big Napa Valley conglomerates: “Let’s you and I talk first.”
A long lunch later, Lewellen found himself co-owner of the vineyards.
Lewellen laughs, “It was a quick decision, but I have no regrets. I could not have gotten into this business with a better man than Louis Lucas. I don’t have time left in my life to do anything that is not first class, or to deal with people I don’t trust. I trust our winemaker Dan Gehrs, and I trust Louis Lucas.”
One doesn’t get to be a respected magistrate for over 20 years without showing sound judgment. Under the guidance of Lucas and Gehrs, the one-yearold Lucas & Lewellen label has already garnered several prizes, and promises to collect many more.
Good wine begins with the grapes, and Louis Lucas knows grapes with the intimacy born of a thirty-year relationship. He was practically born in a vineyard. His grandfather, a Croatian immigrant, grew table grapes near Bakersfield. Lucas began growing wine grapes in Santa Barbara county in 1970, back when few people believed that credible wine could be produced this far South.
“We had to learn to handle what we have,” Lucas says. “There has been a tremendous learning curve. I remember Babcock and Clendenen when they couldn’t make anything that was drinkable…now they make world class wines.”
By the 1973, Napa Valley’s Beringer was quietly buying Lucas’ grapes to blend into its wines. In 1974, Rancho Sisquoc produced a Cabernet Sauvignon that challenged everyone who had thought Bordeaux-style reds couldn’t be produced here. Then came a 1976 Sanford & Benedict Pinot Noir and two Grgrich Chardonnays that sparked a lot of interest. Both Grgrich wines, the 1976 Chateau Montellana, and the 1977 ZD Chardonnay, were made with Lucas grapes.
Santa Barbara County wines now have worldwide recognition and Lucas is behind a lot of the know-how that has improved local vineyards. He often gets called on for consultations by new owners. “If I am lucky, I get paid with dinner,” he jokes. (If he is so generous with information, maybe it is because talking about grapevines is clearly one of Lucas’ passions.)
As he showed me around his vineyards, under the merciless July sun, Lucas removed redundant canes, demonstrated the Geneva Double Curtain trellis system that ensures even ripening, evaluated the still green clusters, and shared the secret of bleeding a graft so it doesn’t wash out when the powerful run of sap from the mother plant starts coursing through the new shoot. He also showed off Lucas & Lewellen’s most recent acquisition: the old Carrari vineyard, planted in Italian varietals with wonderfully poetic names—Nebbiolo, Fresa, Barbera, and Dolcetto. “I pruned those vines way back,” he smiled. “Old Joe Carrari went to Italy thirty years ago and brought back the best vines he could find. But when it came to tending them, he put money first. That Nebbiolo is going to be something.”
I asked him about the emphasis some vintners put on low yields, limiting the amount of fruit a grapevine bears, and stressing vines to concentrate flavors. Louis Lucas shook his head. “That’s not how it works,” he said. “People talk of stressing their vines to get better fruit, but the bottom line is you need healthy vines, so that they can withstand drought, pests, and diseases. You need healthy soil, with the right balance of nutrients for fruit set. How you prune is key, because the one question that truly matters is ‘What is a ripe grape?’ If you know the answer to that, you are flirting with a great wine. It is not about low yields. It is about sunshine and balancing the yield to the capacity of the vine.”
He pointed out the rambunctious Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc, with aggressive roots and rambling canes, the more moderate Chardonnay, and then the lazy Riesling. “You have to babysit Riesling,” Lucas explained. “It has very weak roots. With Sauvignon Blanc, if there is water anywhere near, it will go find it. Riesling could have water within a foot of its roots, and it won’t reach for it.”
We walked by a block of Chenin Blanc in his Los Alamos vineyard: “This one almost got the axe,” he told me. “It’s a wonderful grape, but Chenin Blanc just wasn’t selling, and I was all set to graft these to Merlot when Robert Parker gave a rave review to the Foxen Chenin Blanc. It was made from these grapes.”
Later, at the vineyard that surrounds his home outside of Solvang, Lucas showed me the manicured rows of Cabernet Franc, the small plot of Syrah he tends to personally, and his three rows of Malbec and of Petit Verdot for blending with the French clone 337 of Cabernet Sauvignon he planted. He explained layering, curbing a cane from a mature vine down to the ground so that it will root and become a new vine. “We bought this vineyard a few years ago. The Cabernet vines were set too far apart, but if I had tried to plant new vines between them, the old vines would never have let them live. By layering, you get the mother plant to nurture the new one.”
By the time we drove back up the hill, the afternoon light was beginning to glow gold as the sun arched down.
We had wandered the vineyards for several hours, with a break in Los Alamos for a delicious lunch and a bottle of Lucas & Lewellen Sauvignon Blanc at Café Quackenbush. Lucas had introduced me to row after row of lovingly tended grapes, the way most people present you their children’s accomplishments.
“We have five hundred acres of vines, and I take care of them as though it were a ten acre vineyard,” he laughed. “Our goal is simple: to grow the best possible grapes.”
By Laurence Hauben

THE SANTA BARBARA INDEPENDENT-July 19, 2001

Cafe Quackenbush is housed in the historic General Store building, now home to both the cafe and the Art Brut Gallery, which displays works by California artists along with antique furniture. Given my prior dining experience in Los Alamos, I was a bit leery, but the welcoming, airy dining room and the enticing smells drifting from the kitchen put my doubts to rest. A chalkboard announced the daily specials, a selection of fresh soup, creative salads, sandwiches, and tasty entrees, all prepared by Chef Jesper Johansson. I opted for the chilled asparagus soup, followed by a salad of tender greens topped with smoked pork loin, roasted peppers, and goat cheese. Both were excellent. The soup was emerald green, light, creamy, and seasoned to perfection. The pork was sweet and tender, just plain irresistible, and I finished it all, even though the plate was large. I happily sipped Sauvignon Blanc from Lucas & Lewellen Winery, while talking about the history of area vineyards with retired Superior Court Judge Royce Lewellen, his daughter-in-law Colleen Thompson, and partner Louis Lucas. Even the bread was delicious, freshly baked, with just the right balance of crustiness and soft inside. Prices were affordable, and the dining room was pleasantly cool, even while outside temperatures were flirting with the 100 degrees mark.

The Long Beach Grand Cru has received accolades as the "up-and-coming" competition of the millennium; the major public tasting event attracts more than 1,300 wine and food aficionados every August. Since its inception in 1995, the Competition has grown in size and prestige, attracting wineries from around the world. Because of the increase in the number of entries each year, the competition was expanded in 2000 and now takes place over two days. A total of 626 wines were winners at the 2000 Grand Cru competition, and included 5 sweepstakes, 15 best of class, 110 gold, 211 silver, and 305 bronze medals.
Congratulations to Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards!!
SILVER MEDAL WINNER-1999 BARBERA
BRONZE MEDAL WINNER-1999 SANGIOVESE
Visit: http://www.longbeachgrandcru.com

On behalf of the judges and staff of the San Francisco International Wine Competition, I would like to congratulate the award-winning wineries in the 2001 Competition. With this year's entries totalling 3160 wines from 735 wineries in 26 states and 19 foreign countries, this event is, more than ever, the largest and most prestigious wine juding event in the United States.
Our judges were faced with an amazing selection of wines this year. Selecting and awarding medals from among the many fine entries was not always easy, but as usual our fine judging panel stepped up to the challenge. They awarded a total of 1324 medals: 67 Double Golds, 119 Golds, 399 Silvers and 739 Bronzes.

Congratulations to Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards!
SILVER MEDAL WINNER:
1999 DOLCETTO-Santa Barbara County
Visit: http://www.sfwinecomp.com

Summer Whites - by Laurence Hauben

Of course there is Chardonnay, and some very good ones, we might add. For those who prefer a more herbal bouquet, there is Sauvignon Blanc, and the mineral coolness of Pinot Grigio. But Rhone varietals like Viognier, Roussanne, and Marsanne, have been making headway, and once you try them, you'll understand why. And let's not forget the deliciously floral Rieslings and Gewurtztraminers. Once made mostly in the German manner, rather sweet and cloying, they can now be found in the crisper, more food-friendly Alsatian style.

Lucas & Lewellen 1998 Sauvignon Blanc-$12.00: Those who find Sauvignon Blanc too herbal may change their mind after tasting this one. It has a soft palate, aromas of ripe melon and fresh lemon, and goes terrifically with all sorts of seafood.
Lucas & Lewellen 1999 Sangio-RosÈ Sangiovese $12.00: Fresh and aromatic, with flavors of strawberries and raspberries, and a supple texture on the palate. Serve it with grilled figs wrapped in prosciutto, white pizza, grilled lamb or pork.
Two Strictly Dessert Wines: 1999 Rusack Soul of the Vine, and 1999 Lucas & Lewellen late harvest Sauvignon Blanc($19.95 and $18 respectively, 375 ml bottles): Skip the cake and have a small glass of one of these sensuous beauties instead. Or enjoy with a slice of apricot-almond tart or other sweet/tart dessert. Serve well chilled.
Visit: http://www.food-home.com

The Orange County Fair's competition is the largest and most comprehensive judging of California wines in the world. This competition atempts to judge every grape wine made in California that is commercially available in Orange County. This year 2,677 wines were judged by 88 professional wine makers and/or winery principals.
Congratulations to Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards!!
1999 Reserve Chardonnay - SILVER Medal
1999 Dolcetto - SILVER Medal
1998 Viognier - SILVER Medal
Visit: http://www.ocws.org

The Santa Barbara County Vintners' Festival was held at Firestone Meadow-Los Olivos, CA- April 21st and 22nd.
Judge Royce Lewellen and Louis Lucas attended the event to present Lucas & Lewellen's fine handcrafted wines.

Over 2,000 tickets were sold for Saturday and 1,800 on Sunday. The Festival was a major success and included over 50 wineries from Santa Barbara County.
Visit: http://www.sbcountywines.com

We are pleased to announce the results of the 2001 West Coast Wine Competition. There were 1,432 entries, from four states and one Canadian Province. The competition was held in Santa Rosa, Ca. on April 18-20, 2001.

SILVER MEDAL WINNER:
LUCAS & LEWELLEN 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon-Santa Ynez Valley-Santa Barbara County
Visit: http://vwm-online.com

Salinas Valley Fair - March 3-4, 2001

You may have noticed something different about the Monterey Wine Competition results of the past couple of years.
That’s because there is something different. The Monterey Wine Competition has grown to be a major international wine & spirits competition that attracts entries from around the globe.
The emerging New World wines of Australia, New Zealand, Chile and Argentina go head to head with the best from California, Oregon, Washington and Old World wine-producing countries such as France, Italy, Spain and Portugal.
This is an exciting time in the world of wine. Wines from all corners of the globe are more interesting and more accessible than ever before. That much is reflected in this year’s awards, which recognize excellence from virtually every country that had wines in the competition.
The consumer or retailer who uses the MWC results gains a valuable tool for international wine purchases in a variety of price categories. And that’s what we’re all about at the Monterey wine Competition – steering great wines into the hands of consumers hungry for solid buying information.

LUCAS & LEWELLEN VINEYARDS:
SILVER MEDAL
1999 Reserve Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley, Old Adobe Vineyard –
BRONZE MEDAL
1999 Dolcetto, Santa Barbara County, Los Alamos Vineyard –

Robert Whitley – Director, Monterey Wine competition
Visit: http://www.salinasvalleyfair.com

WALL STREET JOURNAL- January 19, 2001
Back to Basics

(continued) So, back to the Pinots. We found that good Pinot Noir is being produced in a variety of styles and prices, and that they are, in general, very well made. some of the less-expensive ones, while not among our favorites, were quite good. Look for Fetzer and Estancia, for about $16.00, and Beringer, for about $11.00. These tend to be light and fruity. On the other end of the spectrum, we had a Coturri that tasted more like Port than Pinot. We could feel our socks roll up and down as we tasted it. Coturri is always a name to look for if you're a little bit of a risk-taker looking for a unique experience.
Two of our favorites, including the best of tasting, were again from Saintsbury. another was a surprise: It was soft, approachable and classy, with an elegant, creamy and fruit-filled finish that we can still taste. This turned out to be Clos du Bois 1999 for just $16.99--a very good buy.
One of the wines blew us away before we even tasted it. When we poured the wine, it was so dark it was almost inky. We didn't have to smell it--the bouquet rose to us, a massive, fruity, deep-black, rich smell that made us feel we'd already tasted the wine. When we did taste this Pinot Noir, it was glorious--intense and rich in fruit, yet concentrated. It was a massive, "wow" wine, a rare Delicious! on our scale and one of the best Pinot Noirs we've had.
Because we had bought a handful of wines over $25.00 before we lowered our cutoff, we decided we'd throw them into the blind tasting as ringers. This turned out to be one of them, from a reliable small producer named Daniel Gehrs ("Lake Marie", Santa Barbara County 1998.) It was $30.59.
Wine Editors-Wall Street Journal
Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher
Visit: http://wine.wsj.com

SANTA MARIA TIMES
Saturday, Nov.4, 2000

Los Alamos wine grower Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards has named Colleen Thompson director of operations. The position is new for the vineyard, which markets its own label, and is moving into a new phase with a winery and tasting room. The vineyard sells more than 20 varietals to more than 40 wineries in California. Thompson comes to L&L from MedSeek, a Website and Internet development company in Solvang, where she directed corporate communications. She also has been regional manager for TRW's real estate appraisal division in San Jose. At L&L she will be responsible for marketing and business development.

John Read - Times Business Editor

SANTA MARIA TIMES
*Saturday, Oct. 28, 2000*

Mark English flies low over Lucas & Lewellen vineyards in Los Alamos to blast water off the grapes to prevent further damage to grapes from the late harvest rain.
The 2000 wine grape vintage had been almost perfect through the fall…until a half-inch of rain fell Thursday.
That sunk a lot of optimism for the yield of the last grapes to be harvested in any season, the very valuable red Bordeaux and Rhone varietals: Syrah, Barbera, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc.
In many areas, including the warmer Edna Valley near San Luis Obispo, the harvest has finished.
However, this was not true for the Los Alamos to Los Olivos zone where the cool fog moves in from the sea.
Now vintners are scrambling to get the last grapes picked before winter really attacks the coast.
The National Weather Service is calling Thursday’s rain an early season event.
And Lucas & Lewellen Vineyard’s Merlot, Sangiovese, and Barbera are a late-season event.
That explains why Mark English of Santa Maria, piloting his own English Air Services helicopter, flew back and forth above the grapes Friday, forcing drying air down around the vines.
“It seems to be helping,” explained Louis Lucas, vineyard operator.
The hope is that the rain stays away, for just about a week, so the grapes can be harvested. Warm temperatures and wind also would help.
Lucas & Lewellen have lots of grapes yet to pick. They are ready to pick, but you do not pick wet grapes. They shatter and split.
And wet grapes also are subject to bunch rot. The bunch rot does not really impact the wine, stresses Brett Escalera, winemaker at Fess Parker Winery.
This Los Olivos winery also has grapes on the vine. It is more of an issue to quantity than quality, he believes. The grapes that can be picked still make great wine. The problem involves the grapes that are completely lost.
Lucas & Lewellen have about 60 of 300 acres still hanging, estimates foreman Dan Iness. “The last rain hurt us,” he admitted.
Escalera believes both rains hurt. The first rain fell at the last of September, impacting the white grapes. “It forced us to bring in the whites that we would have let hang a little longer,” he admitted.
Parker still needs to gather 15 percent of its crop, or about 50 acres.
Vintners had not picked the reds, Escalera explained, waiting for sugar, flavor and ripeness. The grapes were ready Wednesday, when Parker started picking.
They would have picked Thursday and been finished, except for the rain, he added.
Even with the rain, Escalera predicts the 2000 vintage will be good, better than 1998 and 1999. The reason is a warmer spring/summer growing season than the other two years, making the overall grape harvest better.

Karen White - Senior Times Writer

SANTA MARIA TIMES - Sunday, Oct. 15, 2000

This is a “good” wine grape harvest, despite few days of rain, according to Louis Lucas of the new Lucas & (Royce) Lewellen Winery of Buellton.
And Lucas should know when a harvest is fine. L&L is new, having started making wine in 1997 and selling this year, but Lucas is a veteran of the Central Coast wine grape industry.
“I planted my first grapes in the Santa Maria Valley on May 3, 1970,” he said during Saturday’s Celebration of Harvest at Rancho Sisquoc, east of Santa Maria.
The harvest is at least 60 percent finished in all locations, from 80 to 90 percent in some, according to growers who attended the county Vintners’ Association’s annual event.
The industry had another reason to celebrate: Agricultural Commissioner Bill Gillette said no new glassy-winged sharpshooters have been seen or trapped in the Santa Ynez Valley, where the appearance of one of the disease-carrying pests caused great concern several weeks ago.
Lucas, pouring wines from L&L for the guest, held his hand up to the warm sun. “Two more weeks like this, and most of the grapes will be picked,” he said. He added that he has seen no sign that recent rains caused problems, and with 1,000 tons yet to pick, he remains optimistic.
It has been “a very good growing year, with more heat at the time the fruit set” in the spring, Lucas said, and the crop is abundant. In addition to making wine, L&L sells grapes from vineyards in Los Alamos, Buellton and Los Olivos to 40 other winemakers.
Lucas showed off a new label, created by long-time Santa Maria artist and teacher Nat D. Fast. It took nine months to design, he said, and “we got it printed two days ago” – just in time to label the work of local winemaker Daniel Gehrs for this event.
Lucas showed off a new label, created by long-time Santa Maria artist and teacher Nat D. Fast. It took nine months to design, he said, and “we got it printed two days ago” – just in time to label the work of local winemaker Daniel Gehrs for this event.
“We couldn’t ask for better weather,” said Jerry Williamson of Cambria Winery. “It gives everyone a chance to get the fruit off.”
Chris Burroughs, who manages the tasting room at the Sanford Winery, in the hills of Buellton off Santa Rosa Road, said it’s been “a very good year.” He thinks the harvest season is about over, with the vines shutting down, evident as their leaves turn from summer green to fall reds, golds, and browns.
The always-enthusiastic Bill Mosby, another local pioneer and member of the Buellton Santa Rosa Road crowd, makes the most Italian of the local wines. Mosby, who produces the Cal-Italia wines from estate grown fruit, believes he will be especially proud of this year’s pinot grigio.

Karen White
Senior Times Writer
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