In the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley there are 600 hundred amazing acres. They are at the center of a story you think you know, but you don’t. They are more than words, more than images, they are Jonata.
In time, more will follow, more words, more pictures, more story. For now, I share a small piece of why I have come to love this place.
Jonata, in pictures. … Continue Reading
Doon on the Clos was a huge success! At the end of all the planning and phone calls, emails and tweets, people showed up, people drank, they ate, they listened, and they bought wine.
A highlight of the evening was an open discussion on biodynamics as well as the philosophies of Bonny Doon’s Randall Grahm and Clos Pepe’s Wes Hagen. It was spirited, let’s put it that way. As I get some time, we will post some of that content.
We were thrilled to have our friend Jeremy Ball in attendance. Jeremy is one of the most talented wine and food photographers on the Central Coast and his company, Bottle Branding, works with the best producers in Santa Barbara County. We have gotten to know Jeremy over the last few years and are big fans of his work.
All the images in this gallery are his and we are thankful to have them! Spend some time on his site, it is beautiful work. … Continue Reading
We always envisioned A Long Pour as a space where we can support people, not just objects. I am proud of the work we have done in creating a project that speaks to the passions of people rather than trivial criticisms.
For us, the visual image is just as important to our stories as the words. Sometimes, the best way to tell a story is to attempt to do so in pictures.
These days, there are many amazing tools to help us do that. One of those amazing tools is Hipstamatic, an app for the iPhone. What we love about Hipstamatic is the analog approach to a digital medium. Like traditional film, there is some thought that goes into it. Unlike other apps that let you edit an image after taking it, Hipstamatic requires some creative thought. What lens will I use? What film? What combinations work best for this situation? The results are often unexpected and incredibly beautiful.
2011 took us many places. While the travel schedule was less hectic than 2010’s 5,000+ mile marathon, we still did our fair share of road miles and met numerous interesting people.
From meeting three cult icons of California wine (I have yet to write about two of them) in the same week, to being on hand for the naming ceremony of Popelouchum, Randall Grahm’s new vineyard, our experiences were wide and varied. While we try to experience as much as we can in this industry, there were a few experiences that stood out from the year.
One was night harvesting Pinot Noir under a nearly full moon at Clos Pepe with Wes Hagen. Their Sta. Rita Hills estate has become a special place for us and it was a real eye opener to actually get our hands dirty and fill-up some buckets with delicious tiny grapes. I only wish I had pictures, but we were working, not shooting.
A few weeks ago I posted the “Secret Project” with some shots of a friend’s new winery taking shape.
At the time, the space was still in a raw state, holes in the ground, bare walls, cut concrete. In terms of photographing a new winery, one might say there was not much to see, no barrels, no equipment, no bottles. But the components were there and perhaps they were more significant than the sum of their parts.
I returned a few weeks later to find a different scene, a more complete one. The holes were patched, walls were painted, fresh concrete was drying. There was more to see now, there was a winery where before there was only a plan. There were barrels, equipment, and yes, a few bottles too. Still, it was in the individual components I found the most inspired images. … Continue Reading
We have grown rather accustomed to long trips for short stays, so much so that a 500 mile weekend is not such a big deal anymore. There are a lot of events we are invited to and we can only attend a few of them. But when Randall Graham asks you to attend, you attend. […]
A few weeks ago I posted the “Secret Project” with some shots of a friend’s new winery taking shape. At the time, the space was still in a raw state, holes in the ground, bare walls, cut concrete. In terms of photographing a new winery, one might say there was not much to see, no […]