Interview with Alamati Wine + Bottles to Impress Mom
We chat with Niko and Cooper from Alamati wine to learn about their approach to winemaking.
This week is the time to open bottles that pay tribute to our maternal heroes! From celebratory bubbles to wines with a slightly more sentimental meaning, we share with you our favorite mom-inspired bottles.
We’re also very excited for this week’s featured content, an interview with Cooper Allebrand and Niko Comati from Alamati Wine. Discover how they started their own label, plus their go-to karaoke song below 👇
Interview with Alamati Wine
Niko, Cooper, and Reuben
The afternoon after an extremely successful Alamati Wine launch party, we met Cooper Allebrand and Niko Comati. The aforementioned launch party included community artists, business owners, and musicians and was a shining example of what Alamati Wine is all about. They warmly invited us into Cooper’s Santa Barbara home, where we were greeted by a goooood boy named Reuben. It was a cozy space with all the signs that a winemaker was inhabiting it: varietal poster on the wall and a full wine fridge. It was the perfect setting to get to know the two winemakers, their brand, and their wine tale that started with a 4th grade talent show. Enjoy.
Q: Can you start us off by walking us through how the idea for Alamati Wine was started and how you two got involved in the wine industry?
Niko: I was working at a ranch and vineyard in Paso Robles that had sheep and cattle for sustainable rotational grazing. I then started helping them in the cellar as a side gig. One afternoon I was walking through the vineyards with the owner and thought, “This is a cool way to live.” Being able to farm your own land, take care of it, and utilize animals to take care of the soil properly.
I remember calling Cooper [Niko’s childhood best friend] on the way home and saying we should look into the wine industry and we had no idea where that would go but we were kind of entranced by it. Cooper was on the East Coast at the time so we thought about how can we create something in this world, whether it was the farming side, the winemaking side, or somewhere in between. I ended up working a couple winery jobs in Italy and New Zealand, and then COVID hit. Once Cooper was back in town he ended up getting into the industry by working with Ernst Storm over at Storm wines. [Coincidentally also featured in today’s issue!]
Q: Give us a little more background on the vineyards and land you’re sourcing grapes from. Where is it and how did you choose it?
Cooper: With both of us back home in Santa Barbara, we started to try to set up contracts to procure our own grapes. We ended up meeting Louis Lucas from Lucas & Lewellen vineyards. He showed us around his vineyards, and we developed a deep, personal relationship with him. He farms some smaller little lots that he's able to be more personal with, and is producing some really good fruit from his own home block which is called Valley View.
Louis has control over all final farming practices. But we can go and provide input like, “Hey, can we stop watering at this point for more concentration in the fruit?” We can go walk the vineyards and take samples, run analysis on them to see that we're approaching ideal acid levels and sugar levels, and also analyze what the actual fruit tastes like.
Having that personal relationship and being able to talk to him directly has been so beneficial as far as learning exactly what's happening with the vineyards day to day, especially during harvest. We're trying to make our picking decisions, which is one of our most important decisions, based on all of these things. If we didn’t have that relationship and we were in the dark, that’d be much more difficult to do and result in a lower quality wine.
Q: Alamati produces some untraditional varietals for Santa Barbara County. How did you land on the specific set of varietals you ended up producing?
A: Well, when we started talking with Louis he already grew a lot of different varietals. We love Nebbiolo. Spending some time in Italy, we started drinking a lot of Italian varietals together and fell in love with them. We probably drink more Nebbiolo than any other varietal, so that became our keystone.
We were originally looking for Gamay. But then we saw Louis had Dolcetto planted, which is a perfect complement to Nebbiolo because it's this young drinking, red varietal. It’s very fresh and approachable within six months of making it. Then we were looking for a white that was delicious and complex, so chose Riesling.
One piece of advice we got was that there’s so much Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay already, do something different. We still love those varietals, but that's where Dolcetto made sense for us. That's where Riesling also made sense for us. Everything we make is because we want to drink it, selfishly. And we know so many great Pinot Noir producers in this county that we’d rather support them at this point.
Alamati Wine’s current release
Q: What, in your minds, makes the central coast such a special place?
A: We’re both from here [Santa Barbara] and are locals through and through. The coolest part about the central coast, especially in terms of what we're doing, is that it can host so many different types of varietals in so many different microclimates. People talk about Santa Barbara County being cool climate. You have Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, a little Burgundian area; But then you go two minutes down the road to Happy Canyon and you're making these full bodied Cabs that you'd think came from Napa.
So that’s especially cool for us because we can find these little micro areas where varietals like Nebbiolo work great, and it's not like Nebbiolo grows everywhere. You can find almost anything you want here. So we're trying to bring to light the fact that Santa Barbara County is so much more than just being Pinot or Chardonnay.
There's also this idea that Santa Barbara still seems very approachable. We don't want wine to be intimidating, or for people to think, “I don't know how to talk about that.” That's fine. We don't want to use annoying word jargon all the time. We love to hear your raw, unadulterated vision of a wine or how it tastes and whether or not you like it. And Santa Barbara creates a space that can achieve that.
On top of that, because there's all these varietals and different farmers, you don't need to go own your own vineyard or estate. There’s a lot of young winemakers who are on a budget and able to source some fruit to create and share something that ties in with the community. Whether people are coming in from the natural side, the classic side, or just some garage project that they're passionate about, there's a space here for being a little more out there and kind of funky. That’s welcomed.
Q: What do most people get wrong about winemaking?
A: We're just glorified janitors. The whole thing is pretty…not glamorous. It’s 80% cleaning things and making sure everything is sanitized.
The first question we always get is usually, “Oh, where do you grow your grapes?” Everyone assumes automatically that anyone who makes wine grows grapes. We're sourcing our grapes from different vineyards. We choose where we want to get the grapes from and we love it.
Another thing we see a lot is the confusion between making wine and being a sommelier. We know our region and our wines. But fundamentally, we're more on the creative side whereas a sommelier is more about historical knowledge, service and the sensory experience of tasting. We're kind of just laborers creating something and shepherding a product. And it's not necessarily some pretty and glorious barrel cave all the time.
Q: What’s the long term vision for Alamati Wine?
A: Ideally, we'd like to move into a space in Santa Barbara and build on this idea of approachability. Have a small operation that is very open to the public where people can come in and see the grapes and ask questions. Why do we step on them with our feet? Which yes, we do actually do sometimes. Why are there whole clusters in this one? What does stem inclusion mean? We want to bring the community in to see these steps so it's more of an educational experience. We’d love to have art up all the time supporting local artists, food pop ups, music, and to have a shared communal space.
Q: What are some of your favorite producers or spots to go to in the valley at the moment?
A: We have to promote some of the places we have worked at. Storm wines if you're looking for lighter Pinot Noirs and Sauvignon Blanc. Also for Pinot Noir, The Hilt’s Radian Vineyard is just perfect. The Star Lane Cabernet Sauvignon is a top quality Bordeaux style Cab that has longevity.
Peake Ranch is doing a phenomenal job. Wynne (Peake winemaker) is killing it over there. Their Pinot Noir is superb. We also love what Gretchen is doing with Luna Hart and Piazza.
Q: Do you guys have any after drink spots to unwind at the end of the day?
A: Uptown Lounge, Riviera Bar, or Tiburon Tavern right next door for karaoke.
Q: Karaoke?! What’s your guys’ go to song?
Gloria Gaynor, “I Will Survive.” We performed that as fourth graders in our school talent show together (laughs).
Q: What’s the best way for people to support you?
A: Ordering wines through our website is the best way to directly support us and following us on socials.
Another way to support us is to buy local products. If you're buying something local, you're maybe a degree or two away from supporting us at all times. Whether you're buying a beer from a local brewery, or any local shop, we're all in the same group. We want to see our peers succeed and in turn that helps us succeed.
That's been the coolest part about this whole experience. There’s all these different wineries and winemakers that are in this small little county and we've gotten nothing but support from all of them. You’d think they’d view us as a competitor. But it's not competitive. They're helping us more than anybody else. That's really cool to see.
We want to give a huge thank you to Cooper and Niko (and Reuben) for sitting down and chatting with us. If you’d like to support Alamati Wine be sure to purchase some bottles and follow them on Instagram!
Alamati Wine (@alamatiwine) • Instagram photos and videos
Uncorked
Forsu Red Blend
Forsu Red Blend
A bottle in honor of the women in winemaker Emmy Sue Fjerstad’s life. Forsu is quite literally for Sue, the name of Emmy’s late mother and grandmother. This bottle is a shining example of the simple and unpretentious wines that Emmy strives to produce. The grapes for this 2021 natural wine were organically grown on Demetria Vineyard in Los Olivos District, highlighted in last week’s issue! It is 85% Syrah and 15% Grenache.
Nose: eucalyptus, leather, blackberry
Palette: anise, black cherry
Pairs well with: lamb shawarma, peppercorn pork tenderloin
Available at: Satellite Santa Barbara, Midtown Wines in Ventura
Cebada Brut Sparking Rosé
Cebada Brut Sparkling Rosé
Sandra Newman is one of the first female winemakers in Santa Barbara County and she always sticks to her old world style. Lying just 12 miles from the Pacific Ocean, Cebada Vineyard epitomizes cool climate, Burgundian wine. Made in the traditional champagne method using Pinot Noir grapes, this dry sparkling rosé is perfect if you’re planning a special brunch this weekend! They also produce a fun sparkling blueberry wine made with blueberries from their own farm that is worth a try.
Nose: strawberry, baked bread
Palette: underripe peach, raspberry
Pairs well with: fried chicken, smoked salmon, goat cheese
Available at: Santa Barbara Wine Collective, tastings can be arranged at the vineyard and farm by appointment only
Storm Cabernet Franc
Storm Cabernet Franc
This is truly a family run operation. While winemaker Ernst Storm runs production, both his wife and sister in law manage the tasting room and wine club. Even their daughter, Elsa, is involved as she is the artistic mastermind behind the label of this 2021 carbonic Cabernet Franc.
Nose: tea leaf, bell pepper, cherry
Palette: blackberry, jalapeño, baking spices
Pairs well with: BBQ beans and smoked ribs
Available at: Storm Wines in Los Olivos, Satellite Santa Barbara
What’s happening?
Mother’s Day Weekend at Edna Valley Vineyard: At $50/person, Edna Valley Vineyard in SLO is offering a special tasting experience for Mother’s Day weekend from Friday, May 12th to Sunday, May 14th.
Half Moon Bay Wine and Jazz Festival: Boogie down and enjoy some of the best wines in California. General admission is $50 and the festival is on Saturday, May 13th from 12-5 p.m.
Paint & Sip at Foxen for Mother’s Day: This event is sponsored by Art Spot on Wheels on Sunday, May 14th at 10 a.m. You will be expertly instructed on how to paint your beautiful vineyard view at Foxen, while sipping their wine. Channel your inner Bob Ross with mom this year for $85/person and go home with a masterpiece.
Mother’s Day Macramé Wine Tote Workshop: Is mom into crafting while drinking wine? Take her to this event with Tied + True Goods hosted by Zaca Mesa Winery in Los Olivos and leave with a beautiful tote and a new skill. Tickets are $55/person and it starts at 11 a.m. on Sunday, May 14th.
Mother’s Day Brunch Buffet: Take mom to brunch for Mother’s Day at Vega Vineyard and Farm in Santa Ynez. With three seating time slots, you can enjoy this lovely event for $69/person on Sunday, May 14th.
Outstanding in the Field: This truly incredible experience is being hosted at Tira Nanza in Carmel Valley on Sunday, May 14th at 4 p.m. for $375 per ticket. If you’re looking for a super special occasion, this is it!
The Farmer and the Cook: On Tuesday, May 16th at 6 p.m., Taste of Santa Barbara is putting on this event to celebrate the culinary bounty of Santa Barbara County. For $150 you can enjoy a four course meal at Bouchon in Santa Barbara, paired with wines from Liquid Farm and Margerum Wine Company.
Cheers!
If you haven’t already, consider following us on Instagram to stay up to date on all the things!
Up in the Valley (@_upinthevalley_) • Instagram photos and videos
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🍾 Loved it, like a fine wine | 🍇 Approaching ideal maturity | 🙁 Sour grapes