Interpreting France through the lens of Santa Barbara County’s diverse terroir, Margerum Wine Company produces wine that echo the Rhône and Bourgogne regions.  Margerum and its sibling label, Barden, craft wines that reflect the essence of these French varietals yet overflow with California personality.  These sublime Santa Barbara County wines sprang from the passion and vision of Doug Margerum, who has spent his life as the unofficial ambassador for the burgeoning wine scene, successfully making Santa Barbara County synonymous with great wine.

Doug Margerum, Courtesy of Margerum Wine Company

Doug Margerum has been “all in” on Santa Barbara wine country for almost 40 years, first as a restauranteur and then as a winemaker, shining the spotlight on what makes Santa Barbara County wines so special.  Realizing the essence of a great restaurant is the strength of its wine program, Margerum launched a futures program at his family-owned Wine Cask in 1984, offering wines from many of the rising stars of the region.  Over the next 20 plus years, he helped advance the local wine scene, elevating many beginning winemakers to national prominence.  His efforts as sommelier at the Wine Cask landed him on the US stage, as Wine Spectator bestowed their Grand Award upon the restaurant.  Joining an elite strata of global restaurants, it became a wine destination, and as a result, so did Santa Barbara wine country.

Doug Margerum, Courtesy of Margerum Wine Company

Margerum is a pioneer in many ways, having partnered with local legends Jim Clendenen and Bob Lindquist in the mid 80’s in a winery project, Vita Nova.  Both Clendenen and Lindquist went on to forge their very special magic under their own labels, Au Bon Climat and Qúpe.  Margerum pursued his own style of winemaking under the Margerum Wine Company umbrella in 2001.  He concentrated on Rhône grape varietals, sourced from his estate vineyard in the Los Olivos AVA as well as purchased fruit from around the County, taking a hands-on, personal approach to making a stunning array of Rhône style wines.

Margerum has so many varietals to choose from, therefore his motto “my forte is blending”.  As proof, his flagship M5 red and white blends offer the essence of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.  For the M5 White, the complexity of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier and Picpoul Blanc swirl together in a rich and round wine.  For the M5 Red, Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault and Counoise provide layers of flavor and texture, making it the ultimate food wine.  Margerum is truly a candy store of wine, there’s single bottlings of Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Picpoul Blanc, Riesling, Grenache, Cinsault, and Syrah.  And if that wasn’t enough, Margerum makes a few other blends, like a chef, always tinkering with the recipe, ultimately focused on food and wine pairing.  The wines are made as natural as possible, with little or no sulfur, choosing to use lees aging and CO2 to protect the wines, what Margerum calls “controlled oxidation”.  A light touch of oak or neutral oak lets the fruit shine through, and gives the wines a polished elegance.

(L-R) Winemaker Michael Miroballi and Director of Winemaking Doug Margerum, Courtesy of Margerum Wine Company

Courtesy of Margerum Wine Company

Then, the ultimate follow up act, in 2014 Margerum decided to craft terroir-driven wines that are the specialty of the Sta. Rita Hills, releasing the cooler climate wines of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, channeling a Burgundian vibe under the Barden label.  Margerum delights in the nuances, starting with the name.  Barden is his middle name, but not the one he was born with, in fact, he didn’t have one.  When he turned 40, he decided to give himself a middle name, and Barden was his grandmother’s maiden name.  So when he debated what to call his new lineup of wines, the stars aligned in favor of “Barden”.  “Barden”, French for someone who lives near a boar’s den, seemed to fit him and his wines.  Sta. Rita Hills, it seems, is overrun with wild boars, multiply that with Margerum being born in the Year of the Boar, as well as his son, and the serendipity was too strong to deny.

Doug Margerum impresses Fabian Rodriguez with a 34L demi-john glass vessel used in aging the Amaro

In addition to the Rhône and Burgundian wines that Margerum makes, he is also dabbling in distilled and fortified wines that offer something different.  The Margerum Amaro is fashioned after the Italian version of an herbal liquor.  This bitter sweet digestif is made by steeping fortified wine, (in this case, Sangiovese, Syrah, and Zinfandel) with herbs, roots, dried orange peels, and caramelized simple syrup, then blended in the Solara method, where the newest batch is added to the previous year, yielding a fractional blend.  This is repeated every year, with a certain amount drawn off for aging.  The finishing touch, aging in large casks outdoors on the winery’s roof for twelve years, yields a 23% ABV liquor, intense and smooth, best drunk neat after dinner.  And Margerum also makes a sumptuous ice cream with the Amaro, serve it with a square of dark chocolate, fascinating and unique!  The Margerum Mute-Age is a Grenache-based dessert wine, made in the style of a Vin Doux Natural.  It’s sweet and luscious, with an added something that comes from its aging protocol.  Placed in 34 liter demi-john glass bottles, it’s aged outside, on the winery’s roof, for two years, and achieves 18% ABV.  This is a great way to end a meal, with a square of dark chocolate.  A third choice, Margerum MARC of Santa Barbara, is a brandy made from Viognier pomace, distilled and aged in wooden casks, it is 94 proof, and can be drunk neat or used in a cocktail.

Margerum Wine Company has now relocated to spectacular digs within the Hotel Californian complex in the Funk Zone area of Santa Barbara, walking distance to the beach and downtown.  Here, you can taste wines that define the region.  Under the Margerum label, seven whites, one rosé, and eight reds display a unique range of character.  If you love the very distinctive flavors of Rhône wines, just imagine them with a Santa Barbara spin.  On the flip side, the wind-whipped climate of Sta. Rita Hills defines the Barden wines, three vineyard specific Pinot Noirs and four whites, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, and Viognier.

Doug Margerum shares his fabulous Cinsault with Patricia Decker

Tasting with Doug Margerum is a treat, his enthusiasm and joy for the art of winemaking and the sharing of the final product is infectious.  A small group of LA Wine Writers spent a couple of hours with him recently, sampling so many delicious wines, along with a carefully curated cheese and charcuterie board.

Below are my favorites of the more than a dozen wines we went through, and believe me, it’s difficult to winnow them down, because each has something distinctive about it.

Riviera Rosé 2019 - a crisp, refreshing wine made from Grenache, Syrah, and Counoise, it has crunchy red fruit (strawberry and watermelon), lots of bright acidity with a full body, it’s Provence in a glass.  Margerum also packages Riviera Rosé in cans, easy to carry and enjoy anywhere.

“Sybarite” Sauvignon Blanc 2019 - bright and complex, with grassy aromas of tropical fruit, melons, and lime.  On the palate, it’s succulent and savory, with a creamy texture from lees aging.  The name “Sybarite” is another sly Doug Margerum reference, Sybarite refers to residents of the Greek city Sybaris, noted for their pursuit of sensual pleasure.  For Doug, the word has a double-entendre, the “Sy” stands for Santa Ynez Valley, the “bar” for Santa Barbara, and the “ite” for light, all of these refers to the mix of vineyard sources used for the Sauvignon Blanc.  A fun fact, Sybarite was served at the last White House State dinner for President Obama in 2016, along with Maryland Crab, sounds like a perfect pairing!

Barden Viognier Sanford + Benedict Vineyard 2018 - crisp and intense, it really packs the Wow! factor.  Old vine Viognier, barrel fermented and aged sur-lie, it has delicate aromas of white flowers, peach and brioche, but the flavors are rich and full-bodied, peach nectar and orange combining into a crisp and complex wine, with a long finish.

Picpoul Blanc 2019 - savory and a bit tart, this white wine packs a lot of punch with its lime zest, plantain, and cactus character.  The perfect seafood wine, Picpoul is one of the oldest varietals from France’s Languedoc-Roussillon region, and it’s rare to find it here in California.  Doug is using this in the Estate M5 White Blend as well

Cinsault 2019 - a blend of 85% Cinsault and 15% Syrah, this light red wine is fresh and spicy, with notes of bright red and black fruit, herbs, garrigue, leather and granite.  I loved the tang of tannins and acidity, a fun wine that is delicious by the glass and with lighter food fare.

Barden SRH Pinot Noir 2017 - deeply aromatic and complex, earthy, textured and rich, notes of cherry, candied fruit, meat, mushrooms, spice and cocoa, framed with French oak accents.  There is a lot going on here, beautiful to drink now but it has a long life ahead of it.

Estate Syrah 2018 - deep and intense, this 98% Syrah and 2% Viognier sweeps your palate with broad flavors of sweet red and blue fruit, cola, coffee and vanilla.  Dense and textured, the new French oak aging adds a refined framework to the wine, a real stunner.

Doug Margerum, Courtesy of Margerum Wine Company

Doug Margerum is keenly interested in not only growing his own brand, but helping define and expand what Santa Barbara wine is all about.  To that end, he consults with several wineries in the County, offering perspective and experience, believing that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.  Doug Margerum has become an ambassador for Santa Barbara County wines, by making distinctive wines, under the Margerum and Barden labels, that reflect the bounty of the region.