Carucci Wines

Eric Carucci makes around 800 cases a year at Carucci Wines, a family winery with a tasting room in Los Olivos, California, and production space in nearby Buellton. He also pours most weekends, making this a good stop for visitors who want to talk directly with the person making the wine rather than hear a memorized tasting script. His wife, Lindsay, handles the business side alongside her work as a teacher.

The wines favor freshness and aromatics over sheer weight. Carucci sources fruit rather than owning vineyards, drawing on cool coastal sites across Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. Chardonnay comes from organically farmed Donnachadh Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills American Viticultural Area; Cabernet Franc comes from the windy slopes of Portico Hills in Los Alamos. That Cabernet Franc sometimes carries green-chili aromas—hence its nickname, “taco wine.” Grenache, Syrah and Pinot Noir round out the range.

The 499-square-foot tasting room sits on Grand Avenue near the downtown flagpole, with Adirondack chairs outside for lingering over a bottle. Friday-through-Sunday afternoon tastings cost $25 for five or six wines and take about an hour. Walk-ins are welcome, but weekend reservations are recommended. Well-behaved dogs and food from town are welcome, too. The draw is conversation and small-production wine, not a sprawling vineyard estate.