Noozhawk covers new Margerum Tasting Room at the Hotel Californian

Margerum Wine Company Toasts New Tasting Room in Funk Zone

By Scott Wetherby for Margerum Wine Company | May 15, 2019 | 9:50 a.m.

Doug Margerum and the Margerum Wine Company have announced the soft opening of their new tasting room at the Hotel Californian, 19 Mason St., in Santa Barbara's Funk Zone.

The tasting room offers distinctive flights and wines by the glass from their premium wines produced at state-of-the-art Buellton winery.

Leading the Margerum Wine Company team is creator and namesake, Douglas Barden Margerum, a long-time Santa Barbara resident who has been a fixture in the Santa Barbara food and wine scene for 35 years. Rani Mclean oversees the tasting room as the direct to consumer manager.
 
Entry to the tasting room is across from the entrance to the Hotel California from Mason Street. The exterior embodies a Santa Barbara Spanish colonial architecture and multi-faceted modern style.

The interior was styled by designer Marni Blau Margerum,who describes it as “where modern farmhouse meets couture boutique.”

Her eclectic design style centers on an expansive bar made of a reclaimed and flattened oak barrel staves from the winery. The bar is the focal point, anchoring the spacious interior to create a naturally defined room for wine tasting and socializing.

The oak stairs lead past the hand-forged cast-iron railings to the private tasting room that accommodates up to 32 people for a seated event or 50 for a stand-up reception or custom wine-tasting menu.

Crafty details and high ceilings are accented by crimson red velvet curtains on the mezzanine, providing a cozy lounge for wine club members and larger groups with reservations. Private lunches or dinner parties are available as well.

The outdoor patio, which provides a vantage point for lounging, wine-tasting and people-watching, can be transformed into a private space for exclusive events day or night, which can accommodate up to 24 guests for an alfresco experience.
 
The wines are produced from Margerum's estate vineyard and from purchased top Santa Barbara County growers to create hand-crafted wines indicative of the region, showcasing individual characteristics and personality of each terroir.

The scale of production is kept at a level where they can touch and know the wine as it is raised to the bottle. The standards of quality are measured by Margerum's own criteria (not external sources), and they only make wines they personally enjoy — some to drink young; others for long-aging in cool cellars for future generations to enjoy.
 
Margerum produces several different wine varietals, including: Sybarite Sauvignon Blanc; UBER Syrah (blend of Syrah grapes from Santa Barbara county vineyards); Riviera Rosé (mainly Grenache grapes); the flagship Rhône Varietal Red Blend M5 (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Counoise grapes); M5 White (Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Marsanne, Viognier, Vermentino); and Amaro, a fortified wine made from herbs, barks, roots, dried orange peels, barrel-aged brandy and caramelized simple syrup.

Margerum Wine Company produces about 16,000 cases a year.

Doug Margerum’s background includes being the sommelier/owner of The Wine Cask, a Wine Spectator Grand Award restaurant recipient, and as a respected winemaker sought out by a variety of wineries to assist in the formation of their brands.

He has consulted for Chêne Bleu super Rhône wines in France, and continues to consult for La Encantada Vineyards, Rancho Boa Vista and Happy Canyon Vineyards, all in Santa Barbara County, as well as the Santa Barbara wines of Paradise Springs Winery based in Virginia.