There are lots of winemakers in California doing lots of cool things right now. However, Kathy Joseph has been doing cool things for some 30 years. As winemaker and “Head Fiddle” at Fiddlehead Cellars in Santa Barbara County, she is doing crazy things with wine in the Central Coast of California. I’ll tell you what in today’s Wine Wednesday feature.

I had the honor of sitting next to her at a winemaker dinner in Napa last month. She is so vibrant and excited about her wine projects from the field, to the labels to the names. Kathy founded Fiddlehead Cellars in 1989 and is one of Santa Barbara County’s first female winemakers to own both her own winery and vineyard. She does it all from farming to winemaking to sales. When her wines were featured in a scene from the movie Sideways, she became somewhat of a cult success as well.

Wine in the Central Coast

Kathy is credited with helping to define regions like Santa Barbara County and also Willamette Valley in Oregon. She was growing and using grapes from these areas before they were designated AVA’s. One more thing that is pretty cool for wine geeks, she was one of the first to grow and bottle Grüner Veltliner from Santa Barbara County. She even makes a spectacular late harvest wine from the grape. Wine geeks rejoice. It was fascinating to drink these older vintages and see how bright and lively they still were.

Click here for a short video of the dinner and scroll down for some more photos with Kathy. This is a wine brand worth seeking out. She is doing crazy things with wine in the Central Coast of California, and they are all good.

• Kathy Joseph and Gina Birch

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  Fiddlehead Cellars Winemaker Kathy Joseph and Gina Birch raise a glass at a wine dinner at Lucy Restaurant and Bar in Yountville, CA

• Bubbles to start

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  It's traditional to begin a wine dinner with something that sparkles. 2014 Fiddlehead Cellars 728 bubbles is 100% pinot noir and it is delightful. Mineral, floral

• The delicious menu

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  Here is the crazy menu, complete with pairings. It's what was served at the Filddlehead Cellars Wine Dinner at Lucy Restaurant and bar in Yountville, CA
• Place setting

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  My seat at Lucy Restaurant and Bar was the best seat. It was next to winemaker Kathy Joseph and I wasn't giving it up for anything.

• Egg Sandwich

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  While enjoying Fiddlehead 728 Blanc de Noir sparkling wine, we snacked on canapes like this fancy egg sandwich. It was made with white sturgeon caviar, trout roe, egg and lemon. So cute and so good

• Fiddlehead Cellars Seven Twenty Eight Pinot Noir

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  This pinot is from Santa RIta HIlls. A 2016, it was served with Seared Day Boat Scallops and was a nice match. The dish aslo had chermoula, organic carrots and toasted quinoa.
• Stone Fruit Gazpacho

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  Our Amuse Bouche was a unique Stone Fruit Gazpacho that had a little ginger, tarragon and roasted black garlic that was so good with Fiddlehead Seven Twenty-Eight Pinot Noir

• Fiddlehead Cellars Oldsville Reserve Pinot Noir

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  This 2012 pinot noir is from Oregon. Kathy brought a magnum. It was a supple wine, balanced and beautiful

• Seared Day Boat Scallops

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  Our first full course featured two scallops with chermoula, organic carrots and toasted quinoa. It was served with both a pinot noir and a FIddlehead Hunnysuckle Sauvignon Blanc. Both worked, but the sauv blanc was right on. It's a fantastic wine.
• Fiddlehead Cellars Lollapalooza Pinot Noir

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  This one was another magnum and a 2011 vintage. It was still so bright and fresh. It had a touch of cherry cola as well. I thought it was fantastic with the lamb dish.

• Roasted Lamb Loin

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  This Roasted Lamb Loin is topped with a summer melon slaw. The broth is a savory with lots of umami. We had a magnum of Fiddlehead Lollapalooza Pinot Noir (2011) and Bebble Reserve Gruner Veltliner, 2016

• Fiddlehead Cellars Bebble Reserve Gruner Veltliner

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  This is a 2016 and it is such a fresh pretty wine still. The aromas were a bit exotic with ginger and lemongrass. On the palate there was pineapple and lots of tropical notes. Only 220 cases. So good and even went with the lamb shank
• Blue Cheese Panna Cotta

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  This dessert may sound weird but holy cow was it good. So unique. The blue cheese was subtle and it was sprinkled with this aromatic wild fennel pollen. On the plate is rhubarb and lavender

• Late Harvest Gruner Veltliner

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  This is such a cool wine. You don't typically see a Gruner Veltliner crafted into a sweet wine, It was great with our blue cheese panna cotta for dessert. Only 131 cases were made.

• Kathy Joseph and Gina Birch

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  Fiddlehead Cellars Winemaker Kathy Joseph and Gina Birch raise a glass at a wine dinner at Lucy Restaurant and Bar in Yountville, CA. She really is an inspiration for people in the wine business and just for life in general.
• Table set

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  I love looking at all of the glasses on a table during a wine dinner. Kathy brought some really great selections from her library to share with us

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