FIRSTS
Fred Brander’s passion:
A new Mexican folk art gallery opens at Brander Winery by “El Rey” de Sauvignon Blanc By Leslie A. Westbrook Photos by Corina Schweller
F
red Brander has been making wines in Santa Ynez Valley since 1977. Most people know Brander for his sublime, award-winning Sauvignon Blanc, which won Santa Barbara County’s first gold medal at a major wine competition. His dependably elegant white wine has continued to earn many more awards and accolades over the decades. But the winemaker might just become as well known for another reason: his new Mexican folk art museum that opened in November. It’s no surprise that Brander has amassed an amazing, unique collection of Mexican folk art, with an emphasis on ceramics, since import/export is in his blood. His Swedish grandfather, Fritz, made his mark bringing cobblestones from Sweden to Argentina and Argentine wheat to Scandinavia. Consisting of over 900 pieces, the new Brander Museum of Folk Art is set in an 8,000-square-foot space open by appointment at the winery. His passion began 15 years ago when Brander took a Santa Barbara Museum of Art tour to Oaxaca, Puebla, and Chiapas. He found a correlation between winemaking and ceramic pieces also from “the soil” that showcase the fingerprints of each maker, “just like a winemaker’s imprint is shown in their wines,” he said. 26
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