WINEMAKER Q&A
Lane & Lumen shine bright A Q&A with winemaker Lane Tanner
By Hana-Lee Sedgwick
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t’s safe to say Lane Tanner is an icon. One of the first female winemakers in Santa Barbara County, for 16 years Tanner was also the only area winemaker to focus exclusively on pinot noir. Having built a reputation as one of the top winemakers in California, she’s most known for her eponymous label she founded in 1984. Today she proudly continues her winemaking legacy as partner and winemaker of Lumen Wines. Along with co-owner Will Henry, the duo produce limited quantities of cool-climate pinot noir, chardonnay, grenache, grenache blanc, and pinot gris, driven by their commitment to making honest, handcrafted wines from sustainably certified and biodynamic vineyards throughout Santa Barbara County. You’ve had a long career as a winemaker in Santa Barbara County, having made wine here since 1981. In 2009 you completed your last vintage under your Lane Tanner label and set your eyes on retirement. At what point did you decide to embark on this new venture with Will?
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FOOD + HOME
I got out of the business in 2010 after selling my entire last vintage to Trader Joe’s. Two very big beautiful checks! I really wanted to get away from the wine industry because it had changed so much since I started. I started a new company in a totally different field … and I flopped big time. I still had money so I just floated for about a year before I got bored with life. I eased back into winemaking by helping Sierra Madre Vineyard. They decided to drop their label and I was wondering what my future held when Will turned up and purchased the wine I had made for his new project, Lumen. He asked me to join him on this new venture but I wasn’t too sure. He finally wooed me into being his partner a few months later, right before harvest 2013. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Lumen is known for bright, low-alcohol wines from select cool-climate vineyards. Is this how you’d describe your typical winemaking style? I’m very lucky that Will wanted not only my expertise but my wineW W W. F O O D – H O M E . C O M
