One of the preeminent wine festivals is the Kapalua Wine & Food Festival held for more than 40 years in beautiful Maui. Among the many activities available are wine tasting events during which participants get to meet and gain insight from the winemakers themselves. It’s so interesting and insightful to hear these artisans talk about their businesses, their vines, the grapes, the wines they make and their lives. Wine tastings can be very personal, both for the panelist and the guest sipping, taking notes, and learning. Here, Real Food Traveler’s Eco-Friendly Food, Travel & Adventure Editor, Jimmy McDonough, gives us a glimpse of what it’s like to attend a wine tasting panel. 

Save this article about what it’s really like to go to a wine tasting seminar at the Kapalua Wine & Food Festival to Pinterest to help you plan your journey. Photos by Jimmy McDonough. Graphic by RealFoodTraveler.com.

At the 2023 Kapalua Wine & Food Festival, I was lucky enough to participate in the California Dreamin’ Tasting Seminar. A true love fest between the panelists, Festival Host Michael Jordan (Master Sommelier, Certified Wine Educator and amazing human!), and the audience, an authentic passion for wine making was on full display. At times, emotions surfaced that surprised this wine taster – revealing how winemaking is a calling and connected to so much more than tangible equipment and tools.

Each winemaker described the qualities that make their wines unique and an expression of terroir, technique, and personal passions. As with any artist, the members of the brotherhood shared their story and how winemaking is so much more than a job or a business—it is a way of life, a calling, and an expression of something more than a liquid in a glass.

The California Dreamin’ seminar shared stories and wines from these three winemakers.

Hungry for more? See what it’s like to attend the Kapalua Wine & Food Festival.

The Personal Side of a Wine Tasting Seminar at the Kapalua Wine & Food Festival

Greg Brewer – Brewer-Clifton/Diatom/Ex Post Facto

Greg presented first and spoke of the unique topography of the vineyards – the interaction between the fog, humidity, sun, and soils of complex California coast landscapes. Greg passionately believes his wines must reveal “fidelity to a landscape” and that wine is about hospitality and is all about “You” – the consumer of the wine.

Event host, Michael Jordan, introducing winemaker Greg Brewer during a winemaker dinner at the Kapalua Wine & Food Festival in 2023. Photo by RealFoodTraveler.com.

James Ontiveros – Ranchos de Ontiveros & Native 9

James is the farmer of the grapes for his wines- continuing a family tradition that spans 9 generations in California. His pride and respect for his family’s history and traditions of hard work through the decades brought him to tears- and everyone else as well. Such heartfelt passion is contagious and humbling.

Jeff Stewart – Hartford Family Wines

Jeff lovingly described their scattered vineyards in Sonoma County and the Russian River Valley that produce a wide array of varietals for their offerings; his comments brought back fond memories of an earlier trip to Sonoma. Hartford produces 40 wines a year, including a whopping 18 Pinot Noirs!

Nine wines were tasted, in this order – with my notes to inform and entertain (tasting notes are so personal!):

• 2021 Brewer-Clifton, Chardonnay, Santa Rita Hills
  • Traditional, solid chardonnay
• 2020 Diatom, Chardonnay, Santa Barbara County
  • Light, fresh, smooth, with a full finish. Would be perfect paired with fish/seafood.
• 2018 Brewer-Clifton, Pinot Noir, Machado Vineyard, Santa Rita Hills
  • Full flavored, spice and chocolate; smooth, lingering finish. Rests in barrels aged 15-20 years old. Whole cluster fermentation. Enjoy by a fire on a chilly night.
• 2021 Hartford Court, Chardonnay, Seascape Vineyard, Sonoma Coast
  • Mango, full mouthfeel. Late harvest grapes. Grown in gravel, clay, loam soils 1,000 feet overlooking the Pacific, next to a Redwood forest. Daily fog. Drink for summer.
• 2021 Hartford Court, Pinot Noir, Jennifer’s vineyard, Russian River Valley
  • Long, lasting, robust finish – memorable. Above Bodega Bay, 10 miles inland, Sebastopol hills. Drink solo, like an after-dinner treat. Drink this at my funeral.
• 2021 Hartford Court, Zinfandel, “Highwire” Old Vine Zinfandel, Russian River Valley
  • Peppery, sharp; nose is harsh but not unpleasant. Bright ruby. 120-year-old vines. Pair with cheese and steak.
• 2019 Rancho Vinedo, Chardonnay, Rancho Vinedo Vineyard, Santa María Valley
  • Bright, citrus, pleasant. A loving tribute to Grandmother Donna Martina. Sip on the terrace with friends.
• 2016 Native 9, Pinot Noir, Rancho Ontiveros Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley
  • Bold, raisin, prune. A touch of orange. Whole cluster fermentation. Serve with olive oil cake or biscotti.
• 2017 Ranchos de Ontiveros, Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Ynez Valley
  • Big, intense, fruity, smooth, lingering. Bold cheeses and charcuterie.

Hungry for more? Get a unique perspective on wine and food pairings.

Notably, all of them spoke of having a respect for the land and the importance of sustainable practices – they know that without this, all is lost. They expressed confidence that their California wine country would change, yes, and that with proper stewardship, would continue to flourish in the years ahead.

Taking notes at the Kapalua Wine & Food Festival seminars was encouraged. I found the California Dreamin’ seminar so interesting, I was happy to have the means to take lots of notes.

My big take-away from the tasting – learn more about who makes your wine, how and where it is grown. Are the winemakers and growers passionate about their product? Their fields, and relationships with their community? Are they artists with a calling to share their creation with others? If they are, it will reveal itself in the glass and your appreciation of their artistry will be far deeper.

Learn more about what it is like to attend the Kapalua Wine and Food Festival with our article here. Plan ahead now to attend the 2024 Kapalua Wine & Food Festival here!

-Story and photos, except where noted, by Jimmy McDonough, Real Food Traveler’s Eco-Friendly Food, Travel & Adventure Editor

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