Santa Maria Valley
DECEMBER 2024
Located between San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara, the Santa Maria Valley (with original vineyards dating back to the 1830's) is known for producing some of California's finest Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Established in 1981, this cooler region is one of the original AVA's in California. It is approximately 150 square miles of wide open valley with rolling hills, cool winds and fog from the Pacific Ocean, lengthening the growing season. The soils in the valley range from sandy loam to clay loam to shale and silt loams in the hillier areas.
Your club contains a lovely Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, perfect for the holidays. Both wines were on a close-out sale. I bought everything they had a couple months ago and saved them for your December club. Hope you enjoy. They are delicious wines!
Miller Family Wines
The Miller family is one of the oldest winegrowing families in California, dating back to 1871, when William and Francis Broome immigrated from England to California and started farming in Ventura County (California's Central Coast).
Five generations later, Nicholas and Marshall Miller (pictured) actively tend their high quality fruit, producing multiple lines of wines.
Lifted 2020 Chardonnay • Santa Maria Valley, California • Reg $24.99 | Wine Club $14.99
100% Chardonnay. Spices, baked apples, pear, and some floral notes. Luscious. Spiced apples, pears, note of pineapple, touch of marzipan, then a note of lemon rind on the finish. Festive winter white!
Lifted 2020 Pinot Noir • Santa Maria Valley, California • Reg $24.99 | Wine Club $14.99
100% Pinot Noir. Spicy cherry on the foreground. Lots of black cherries on the palate + black raspberries. Wonderful acidity. Herbs, soft earth, fruit on the long, spicy, super-inviting finish. Terrific value for Pinot Noir.
Never have we showcased wines from the Santa Maria Valley in this club. In fact, we seldom have them in the shop at all, so it's a fun opportunity to try wines from this part of California's Central Coast. They are killer, especially for the price!
Your wine club pick-up tasting is always the 2nd Saturday of the month. Join to taste and learn about your December club wines as well as the Portalis FLAGSHIP club wines – Holiday Varietals that start with a "C".... Carménère, Cabernet Franc & Chardonnay.
Hope you can join us!
Cheers,
Jens Strecker, Owner
Portalis Wine Shop
If you are here because you’re curious about our wine clubs: Here’s more general info & online signup> You can also peruse the last 12 months of both clubs to get a feel for the themes we pick and the wines we showcase: Portalis EXPLORES (our everyday wine club) & Portalis FLAGSHIP (our signature club).