Chanin Wine Co. is dedicated to crafting wines from Santa Barbara County that reflect the individual vineyard in which they are grown. We focus on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, two grapes that are especially revealing of subtle differences in geography, geology and climate. Our grapes are grown in Santa Barbara County, where cool coastal winds, diverse marine based soils and a long growing season provide an exciting and unique environment for Burgundian varieties.
The vineyards are the focus of all of our wines and each wine is made from grapes grown at one vineyard and not blended. We search out old vines, and make wine from some of the oldest in the county. This allows us to make refreshingly balanced wines at lower alcohol levels than most California “blockbuster” or “cult” styled wines. Through low yields, improved farming techniques and gentle winemaking we aim to create a wine that pairs well with food and is delicious young, but is also age-worthy. All of our vineyards are organic or sustainably farmed.
Our winemaking philosophy is rooted in representing each individual vineyard by emphasizing balance, finesse, and complexity. We avoid excessive alcohol, and modern winemaking additives (such as commercial yeasts, bacteria, enzymes) that can overshadow vineyard characteristics. We also do not filter our wines or use intrusive wine processing machines. The goal is to grow grapes that are so healthy none of the above is needed.
ABOUT LUTUM:
LUTUM was born from a shared vision between Bill Price, entrepreneur and owner of Classic Wines and Price Family Vineyards, and winemaker Gavin Chanin. Their wine focuses on small-production, single-vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from prime vineyard sites in California. The name LUTUM is Latin for dirt or soil, referencing their mission to make wines that express these great sites, with little to mask the vineyards’ natural character. Together, they are the Bards of LUTUM.
CHUCK FURUYA - DK RESTAURANTS
The final nominees will be announced on Wednesday, March 14. The 2018 James Beard Awards Gala will take place on Monday, May 7, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. The 2018 Media Awards will be held on Friday, April 27, at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers in New York City. Tickets to both will be on sale beginning March 21 at jamesbeard.org/awards.
ABOUT CHUCK FURUYA
In 1988 Chuck Furuya became only the tenth person in the United States to pass the rigorous Master Sommelier examination. It was his passion to fully aexcel at wine service and education that led him on the path to certification as a Master Sommelier
Furuya first began working in restaurants while attending college as a way to earn extra income. Chuck ended up managing some of Hawaii’s most highly regarded establishments including Bagwell’s 2424 in the Hyatt Regency Waikiki, La Mer at the Halekulani, and serving as cellarmaster at the former Kahala Hilton.
Sharing a mutual passion for wine and food and a desire to create exceptional, quality dining at reasonable prices, restaurateur D.K. Kodama and Chuck Furuya began collaborating in 2003. Today, they have 8 restaurants together. (Visit www.dkrestaurants.com for more information). VINO, for instance, located at Honolulu’s Restaurant Row was recently featured in Travel & Leisure’s article “America’s Top 25 Wine Bars”.
A noted expert on pairing wines with Pacific Rim cuisine, Furuya created the pairings and wrote the wine introduction for the first Hawaii regional cuisine cookbook, The New Cuisine of Hawaii. He has worked at special events with virtually every celebrity chef in America; Thomas Keller, Mario Batali, Nancy Oakes, Marcel Desaulniers, Charlie Trotter, Emeril Lagasse, Ming Tsai, Norman van Aken, Rick Bayless, Nobu Matsuhisa, Douglas Rodriguez, Bobby Flay and Joachim Splichal, as well as with Hawaii’s own big names – Roy Yamaguchi and Alan Wong.
In addition, Chuck writes a monthly wine column for the Honolulu Star Advertiser and is also a regular contributor for New York based wine writer, Stephen Tanzer’s Winophilia.
Educating people about wine and discovering new talent, however, is what brings him the most satisfaction. “I love finding new wines, especially great values. I love pairing wines with foods. But most of all I love teaching.”
To that end, Chuck conducts winetastings for the trade/professionals every week and is therefore on a different island weekly still teaching. As the former Chairman of Education for the American Chapter of the Court of Master Sommeliers, he was nationally involved in wine education and certification.