Ojai Vineyards

The practice of making wine is a delicate one. In America, only the temperate climate of the west coast is capable of maintaining and nurturing syrahs, grenaches, or the ever-volatile pinot noir varieties. The growth of Californian vineyards over the last century has been truly remarkable. Internationally, wine represents a 100 billion dollar market and new research shows that the United States overtook France, Italy and Spain as the world's largest wine consumer. Simply put, Americans drink 25 percent of all the wine consumed in the world. These are astonishing figures, but as American vineyards have grown, so has our interest and our need to drink more!

Ojai vineyards are home to some truly delicious varieties that even the most discerning of connoisseurs can appreciate. Ojai's preeminent winery produces nearly 6,000 cases of wine per year, in roughly 15 varieties. A true wine maker values quality over quantity and Ojai's production of interesting and challenging varieties is a testament to this very subtle art form. Keep in mind that a wine's quality is directly tied to the quality of the harvest and the area climate. Speaking with a wine maker or joining a vineyard mailing list is an ideal way to find out when certain wines are at their peak quality.

Wine lovers are notoriously difficult to comprehend. If you are unfamiliar with wine, listening to someone who is ramble on can sound as though he or she is speaking another language entirely. You will quickly gather, however, that wine is meant to be paired with food and certain wines complement certain foods better than others.

If you're dining in Ojai, try requesting a bottle of wine from a local vineyard. Ojai restaurants are sure to carry several area vineyard products and a competent server should be able to suggest the right complement to your entrée.