Matt Kettmann

2 weeks ago | wineenthusiast.com | Matt Kettmann

Images Courtesy of Wine.comRegenerative farming and innovation to address climate change is driving the most exciting wines from the Golden State. By Matt KettmannWine Enthusiast Writer at Large and reviewer of wines from California (Central Coast and Southern California) and France (Languedoc-Roussillon)  The Central Coast is a massive appellation, running from the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area all the way down to Santa Barbara County, which sits just 90 miles north of Los Angeles.

3 weeks ago | wineenthusiast.com | Matt Kettmann

When you buy something through our link, we may earn a small commission from our affiliate partners. Wine Enthusiast maintains complete editorial independence and all wines are blind tasted. Read more about our policy. California’s red wines achieved peak ripeness in the early 2000s, when even the traditionally nuanced grape Pinot Noir was subject to later harvests, extra-long extractions and extreme oak influence.

3 weeks ago | independent.com | Matt Kettmann

Driving off of Mail Road, across the tiny bridge, and past the Italian cypress trees into what until recently was called Ampelos Vineyard a couple weeks ago felt familiar and welcoming, like pulling into an old relative’s ranch. This was really where my wine writing career started to take off, thanks to my years of making wine with Ampelos founders Peter and Rebecca Work over the past dozen-plus years.

3 weeks ago | bluedotliving.com | Matt Kettmann

Just like the myriad decisions we face when choosing to eat responsibly, there are plenty of environmental considerations that play into which wines we choose to drink. Santa Barbara County’s wine community elevated sustainability long ago — Ampelos Vineyard, for instance, was the first in the country to be certified as organic, biodynamic, and sustainable — and our region remains a leader in pushing the entire world of wine to earnestly embrace eco-minded ways.

4 weeks ago | independent.com | Matt Kettmann

The Ellwood at Goleta Beach is finally open. As a restaurant lover who lives about four minutes away, very few sentences have made me happier to type. I’m fairly certain that I’ve written more about the coming of this establishment than for any other topic in my career. It started in October 2021, when Omar Khashen won the bid for taking over this County of Santa Barbara–owned facility, which occupies the prime spot on Goleta Beach at the foot of the wharf.