wineMAker Q&A: lAne tAnner luMen

Lane & Lumen shine bright

A Q&A with winemaker Lane Tanner

by hana-lee sedgWICK

It’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?

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 wine-

making style, so I have never had to change . I’m known to be very early to pick — I look for fruit that tastes bright and exciting, just past the green flavors . I never use stems or much new oak . Both of these things are fine but do nothing but mask the fruit and I am all about the fruit . I view it as: You don’t let a pear sit on the tree till it’s old and shriveled then eat it along with the stem and seeds, so why would you do that with grapes? Our single vineyard wines are almost all free run, which means they don’t even see the press .

You source fruit from four different vineyards in the region. How important to you is vineyard location, soil types, and clonal selection in making quality wine?

Vineyard location and clonal type are super important to me . Each grape needs a special place . Grenache likes a bit of heat, but not too much . Pinot noir wants cool days and warm nights, like the magical Santa Maria Valley . Once I find that perfect vineyard site, then clones come into play (kind of like thinking you need ice cream, then trying to decide exactly what flavor) . Each clone type gives me a certain taste, mouthfeel, color, and nose .

I understand the winemaking for Lumen is now a joint effort between you, Will, and assistant winemaker Justin Trabue. What would you say each of you brings to the table, in and out of the cellar?

I’m like the orchestra leader but we’re all in the band . Justin is great . She’s still new to winemaking but she has skills people don’t think about . She’s a clean freak so she handles sanitation, which is way more important than most people think . She also does most of my sampling . I’m super strict about this job because deciding when to pick is “just” the most important part of the process . Will is my muscle . He does most of the punch downs, which may sound easy but it’s not . There are myriad different types of punch downs depending on what stage the fermentation is, and he knows them all . He’s also the go-to guy to take over for me when some disaster keeps me from the winery . Out of the cellar, they’re both just really nice, fun people to be around . Who needs more than that?

Not only are you considered one of the pioneering winemakers of this region, but you were the first independent female winemaker in Santa Barbara County. That’s quite a title. How much did that shape you as a winemaker or has it not been that significant?

I’m not sure it made any difference at all . When you’re living your life, you really don’t think how your life will look to others years down the line . As a winemaker, I’ve always done my best to honor the grapes . I would still have that mindset, no matter what gender/color/age I am .

Last question: Do you have a favorite pairing with any Lumen wines?

I like Lumen wines with food . Lumen also pairs well with family outings, sports, and sex .

Friendly, experienced staff to help you with...

• weekly specials • landscaping plants • bedding plants • roses • vegetables • color baskets • fruit trees • houseplants • garden supplies

SERVING SANTA BARBARA FOR OVER 60 YEARS