Wine is Good Living - Doug Margerum - winemaker

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Doug Margerum was honored as the 2017 Vintner of the Year by the Arthritis Foundation and recently took time to chat with Mark and Patrick about Santa Barbara County winemaking. Doug's been involved in hospitality since his early days at UCSB, the Lobster House, in Santa Barbara and Borsodis (great coffee house in the 70's in Isla Vista). He's been an entrepreneur since his early teens, climbing up trees to harvest mistletoe during the holidays, and setting up a restaurant in the front yard of his home. Doug has always had a position of responsibility, from the early days with his mentor, a neighbor judge with homing pigeons, to now, as one of the most respected voices in the wine industry in Santa Ynez. Locals will know his Margerum Tasting Room in the El Paseo and remember his earlier venture as one of the founders of the Wine Cask. He made the transition from restaurateur to vintner after a trip to New Orleans where he met Emeril's sommelier and decided to make the leap. He started with 400 cases and this year, 2017, Margerum Wines will produce 16,000 cases from their home base in Santa Ynez. His story of the past decade takes him from renting space from friends and winemakers to getting his own place in Buellton on Industrial Way. We want to thank Doug for taking us to school on the geology of our region, the history of winemaking here in Santa Barbara County and a deep dive into why this region is responsible for some of the top wines in the world.