Kalyra Winery, Santa Ynez CA

I had found a Living Social deal for this winery, and I'm glad I bought it because I don't know if we ever would have made it out to this winery! Its near Solvang, but it is off on its own road in the Santa Ynez Valley.  I love going to wineries and seeing their vines and their facilities! This was a cute little winery with an island / aboriginal theme.  The winemaker learned how to make his wines in Australia and decorated the tasting room in lovely aboriginal art.  They also had some amazing music - Foster the People, Telepopmusik, MGMT - all the great relaxing indie songs! I was in heaven.

I think the cutest part about this tasting room was that they had a little tiki hut around one of their bar areas, which gave a great vibe to the whole place.  Our pourer was extremely sweet and friendly, and I would love to go back sometime soon!

Oh, and I guess one of their bar areas was featured in the movie Sideways!  It is $10 for 4 tastes of wine.  You have the option between 8 types, so my friend and I each tried a different wine to get a taste of all their varieties. I apologize ahead of time for the quality of the photos of the wine labels; it was incredibly bright out and a terrible angle! But you get the picture :) Visit their website here.

Sauvignon Blanc (2012), $19: "This is a new world style Sauvignon Blanc by using stainless steel fermentation and is one of our flagship wines of Kalyra.  The crisp, dry nature of this wine reflects the optimum growing conditions of 2012.  You will detect a slight "grassiness" on th enose which is a trademark of a cooler-weather Sauvignon Blanc."

• Color - light, slight yellow, but mostly clear.
• Aroma - a little sharp from the stainless steel with a hint of lime.
• Taste - tart, sweet, and slightly dry.
• ABV - 13.5%
• Overall - This was a refreshing Sauvignon Blanc, but nothing special in my opinion.

Barrel Select Chardonnay (2011), $21.50: "This pristine Chardonnay from the Whitehawk Vineyards in Los Alamos was primed in neutral French Oak barrels for a soft, yet vibrant, easy drinking wine.  We believe it to be one of the best Chardonnays in the last several years."

• Color - golden hay
• Aroma - creamy, very much like a typical Chardonnay scent.
• Taste - slightly creamy, somewhat bitter.
• ABV - 13.5%
• Overall - I didn't enjoy this Chardonnay at all, it didn't go down well and tasted bitter to me.

Semillon (2011), $17: "This off-dry (slightly sweet) wine is Kalyra's quintessential summer wine, with hints of apricot, white peaches and vanilla.  A great match for light cheeses or sushi, and the perfect poolside sipper."

• Color - clear, yellow tinge.
• Aroma - cream, but slightly tart with a 'fresh' smell to it.
• Taste - complex for a white, pleasantly sweet, with notes of apricot and ripe fruit.
• ABV - 13.5%
• Overall - I really enjoyed this Semillon, and the description the winemaker gave goes perfectly.  I truly did start to crave sushi, and could envision myself relaxing at the beach or pool with this delicious white wine.

Sangiovese (2009), $28: "This Tuscan varietal is slowly building momentum here in the Santa Ynez Valley.  The tannins are very structured and the 26-month French oak aging is subtly integrated in the wine.  It shows off bright black cherry flavors and a ripe sappy berry finish."

• Color - medium burgundy.
• Aroma - black cherry, slightly sweet.
• Taste - light and fruity, but not overpowering.  Tastes of berries with slight tannins.
• ABV - 13.8%
• Overall - This was alright, but not my favorite.

Concordia Blend, $30: "This blossoming cuvee is a tremendously balanced blend of Sangiovese and Barbra both sourced from right behind the winery at Vina de Santa Inez.  It offers dark fruit on the front and a soft, luscious finish."

• Color - deep burgundy, bright garnet, purple.
• Aroma - sweet and refreshing, fruity.
• Taste - incredibly smooth and fruity with a soft finish.
• ABV - 13.7%
• Overall - This was my favorite wine on the menu! It was absolutely delicious, and I couldn't go home without a bottle.  They also let us revisit a wine, and this is the one I chose.  A great red!

NV Cashmere Blend No. 64, $19: "This delicious blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah shows off rich berry flavors and has a nice full body.  The Merlot adds some classic structure and mildly complex tannins.  The Cabernet Sauvignon adds a delightful nose and some soft chocolate overtones on the finish."

• Color - very deep burgundy.
• Aroma - bright and lively.
• Taste - smooth and light, could definitely taste the Cab.  Slight tannons.
• ABV - 13.8%
• Overall - This was my second favorite wine on the menu! Very tasty, how a red should taste.

NV Orange Muscat, $17: "This particular Muscat dessert wine was fortified during fermentation for a resultant 15% alcohol and 8% residual sugar.  It has nicely balanced flavors of citrus, apricot with a touch of orange blossom and honey on the nose."

• Color - muted gold.
• Aroma - citrus and honey. Surprisingly not very sweet smelling.
• Taste - Citrusy with a hint of apricot and honey, not too sweet.
• ABV - 15%
• Overall - For a dessert wine, this was alright.  I enjoyed the unique flavors and aroma of honey and apricot.

NV Rare Tawny, $30: "Aged in French hogshead barrels for roughly 10 years.  This Tawny port style wine is truly opulent, showing off flavors of dark berry fruit, as well as raisin, prune, and just a touch of hazelnut."

• Color - burnt burgundy.
• Aroma - almost sickeningly sweet.
• Taste - too overpowering, tasted like cough syrup to me.  I could taste the raisin a bit.
• ABV - 18%
• Overall - This port hit me the wrong way; I really could barely take a sip.  However, my friend who doesn't normally enjoy dessert wines liked this one... but that could also be due to the fact that this was our 3rd winery :P