Bridlewood Estate Winery expands

They say honesty is the best policy. So here’s a bit of honesty for you: I took this gig partly in hopes of getting some free hooch. My patience and laziness paid off recently when I was invited to a tasting at BO-Beau by Bridlewood Estate Winery, whose roots are in Santa Ynez.

Another truth: I had expected to be there only an hour or so. I hadn’t planned on a three-hour meal, which found me breaking bread with several San Diego journo types, including former-CityBeatnik-turned-foodie-celeb Troy Johnson. We were joined by the winery’s general manager and winemaker, as well as the guy responsible for curating Bridlewood’s art. Best known for its Syrahs, this is a winery trying to diversify by lowering its price points and expanding its selections, hoping to carve a niche of reasonably priced wines that can compare to the stuff that comes out of Napa.

I tasted five Bridlewood wines and found myself most fond of the 2009 Monterey County Chardonnay and the Paso Robles Cab from the same year. The former had more bite than I expect from a Chardonnay, which usually leaves me wanting something stronger, and the Cabernet was bold without being overpowering. We were also given the 2009 Red Blend 175, which seemed to go over better with the other writers than with me—call me a purist. And there was a Pinot, which I didn’t enjoy as much as the other bottles, as well as a Viognier with dessert that I was simply too full to really take in.

The wines I tried were good without being extravagant, and if I see a Bridlewood bottle on the shelf, I’ll be tempted to take it home if it’s in the $12 to $14 range.

Hey, I’m just being honest.

—Anders Wright