{"id":9343,"date":"2018-10-22T18:12:57","date_gmt":"2018-10-23T01:12:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=9343"},"modified":"2018-10-24T10:43:27","modified_gmt":"2018-10-24T17:43:27","slug":"cocktail-corner-brave-maidens-new-estate-winery-and-tasting-room","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=9343","title":{"rendered":"Cocktail Corner: Brave & Maiden’s New Estate Winery\u00a0and Tasting Room"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Brave

Brave & Maiden Estate exterior, courtesy photo.<\/p><\/div>\n

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! by\u00a0Leslie Dinaberg<\/a><\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n

Wow. The breathtaking new\u00a0Brave\u00a0& Maiden Estate<\/span>\u00a0Winery and Tasting Room<\/a> is definitely upscale and sophisticated. This is not your grandma’s winery for sure! This beautiful 70-acre estate, with a brand new state-of-the-art\u00a0facility, brings an\u00a0exceptional new wine experience to the Santa Ynez Valley. <\/span><\/p>\n

Owner Rizal Risjad purchased the property in 2010 and, with his\u00a0business partner and\u00a0Managing Director, Jason Djang, established Brave & Maiden Estate in 2011.<\/p>\n

\"Brave

Brave & Maiden Estate, inside winery, courtesy photo.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cFrom the beginning, our vision for Brave & Maiden\u00a0has been to become a world-class brand and we\u2019ve never wavered from that,\u201d\u00a0said Djang, at a press preview event last month. \u201cFrom\u00a0our top winemaking team to our certified sustainable\u00a0vineyard, the completion of our winery and tasting room is a giant leap towards\u00a0making that vision a\u00a0reality.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Brave & Maiden name is from the \u201cLegend of Nojoqui,\u201d a local version of the Romeo & Juliet<\/em> story. Set at the nearby Nojoqui Falls<\/a>, the legend recounts the story of star-crossed lovers who choose sacrifice over separation. According to the website, “inspired by such profound commitment, we\u2019ve created a twofold and ambitious commitment of our own: to craft extraordinary wines and to share them with unforgettable hospitality.”<\/p>\n

\"Brave

Brave & Maiden Estate exterior, courtesy photo.<\/p><\/div>\n

The 46-acre vineyard includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot,\u00a0Syrah, Grenache and Sauvignon Blanc. Brave & Maiden is also a SIP\u00a0certified sustainable vineyard dedicated to producing handcrafted,\u00a0single-vineyard estate wines\u00a0and red blends.<\/p>\n

Under the direction of Winemaker and Consultant\u00a0Paul Hobbs and Winemaker Josh Klapper, with Ruben Solorzano managing the\u00a0vineyard,\u00a0Brave & Maiden\u2019s wines are committed\u00a0to producing estate wines with the utmost level of quality and care. This attention to detail is obvious in <\/span>Brave & Maiden\u2019s new tasting room and\u00a08,000-case production facility, which were designed by\u00a0Backen, Gillam & Kroeger Architects<\/span><\/a>, who are known for projects as Harlan Estate Winery<\/a>, Larkmead Winery<\/a> and\u00a0Meadowood Napa Valley<\/a>,\u00a0Brave & Maiden is their first winery project on the Central Coast.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Tasting

Tasting Room interior of Brave & Maiden Estate, photo by Jeremy Ball.<\/p><\/div>\n

With stunning fireplaces, wood paneling and neutral earth tones, the impressive\u00a0tasting room is\u00a0spacious and comfortable, with indoor and outdoor seating areas and a private side area reserved for wine club members’ use. A huge sliding glass wall opens onto the\u00a0expansive\u00a0olive tree-filled courtyard between the tasting room and production\u00a0facility, providing a great place to enjoy views of\u00a0the\u00a0picturesque vineyards and mountains.<\/p>\n

Brave & Maiden offers three new wine\u00a0experiences, all daily by\u00a0appointment:<\/p>\n

-a 45-minute Seated Tasting, where a dedicated host will guide guests through a\u00a0curated selection of\u00a0limited-production wines<\/p>\n

-the Tour and Tasting option,\u00a0offering a glimpse into the vineyard and backstage view of Brave & Maiden\u2019s\u00a0winemaking process,\u00a0ending with a seated tasting<\/p>\n

-the Tour, Tasting &\u00a0Lunch, a two-hour elevated experience that includes a guided tour of the\u00a0estate, followed by a seated\u00a0tasting and gourmet lunch.<\/p>\n

\"Brave

Brave & Maiden Estate, inside winery, courtesy photo.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cWith our new facility, our\u00a0goal is to provide extraordinary experiences that are tailored to each\u00a0individual guest, where they feel educated,\u00a0entertained and cared for,\u201d says Djang. \u201cWe couldn\u2019t be more thrilled to share our journey and our wine with the\u00a0community in an unforgettable\u00a0experience of hospitality.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBrave & Maiden\u2019s sustainably\u00a0farmed vineyard is exceptional and\u00a0I have no doubts the addition of the new\u00a0winery and hospitality facility will further enhance and validate the brand\u2019s\u00a0presence in this world-class wine\u00a0region,\u201d shares Hobbs, who is somewhat of a legend in the winemaking world, as part of the initial team at Opus One, with a South American winemaking career that carries on today with his wines from Vi\u00f1a Cobos and his legendary status as the pioneer who launched malbec\u2019s rise to fame. In additional to consulting projects, his impressive pedigree also includes being the owner and winemaker for Sebastopol-based wineries, Paul Hobbs Winery<\/a> and CrossBarn<\/a>, as well as his international partnerships, Vi\u00f1a Cobos (Cobos, Bramare, Cocodrilo, Felino), Crocus (Cahors, France), and Yacoubian-Hobbs (Armenia).<\/p>\n

\"Brave

Brave & Maiden Estate exterior, courtesy photo.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve invested all of ourselves in this\u00a0project and are eager for guests to experience our wines first-hand. We\u00a0strongly believe in the\u00a0greatness of Santa Barbara County as a wine region and\u00a0are privileged to be a part of it,\u201d says Djang.<\/p>\n

Brave & Maiden Estate is located at\u00a0649 N. Refugio Rd.,\u00a0Santa Ynez. For reservations, please call\u00a0<\/span>805\/693-2989, email <\/span>reservations@braveandmaiden.com, or\u00a0visit\u00a0braveandmaiden.com<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

Cheers! Click\u00a0here<\/a>\u00a0for more Cocktail Corner columns.<\/p>\n

\"Leslie

Leslie Dinaberg<\/p><\/div>\n

When she\u2019s not busy working as the editor of Santa Barbara SEASONS, Cocktail Corner author Leslie Dinaberg writes<\/i>\u00a0mag<\/i>azine articles, newspaper columns and grocery lists. When it comes to cocktails, Leslie believes variety is the spice of life. Send your suggestions to Leslie@sbseasons.com.<\/i><\/p>\n

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons<\/em><\/a> on October 19, 2018.<\/p>\n

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