Troublemakers in Campbell

 
Travieso. It sounds like an Italian-inspired name. Right?  Wrong! Travieso is a Spanish word that means troublemaker. This mischievous moniker informs the artwork and the spirit of the winery. For instance, the mascot of Travieso winery is the chupacabra, or goat sucker, a creature, which according to legend, sucks the blood from livestock.  The chupacabra is handsomely portrayed on the poster above, and we have embraced his motto as our own.

A Groupon, for which I paid $20.00 for $40.00 worth of wines, inspired the visit to this winery which is only open to the public on Saturday.  Located in an industrial park in Campbell, CA, with a scenic view of Highway 17, Travieso is an example of the growing category of urban wineries. While the facilities are not fancy, the hospitality and wonderful wines make this a first-class operation.  

We were warmly greeted by Ray Sliter, the wine maker, who along with his partner, Dr. Mats Hagstrom started making wine in 1999.   It all started when a patient of Dr. Hagstrom gave him some grapes. He brought  the grapes over to Ray's house, where they proceeded to make wine in Ray's living room.  Eventually they moved their winemaking activites to their current location in Campbell, which they share with Pinder Winery. Travieso Winery became bonded in 2005.

Travieso is dedicated to quality wine making.  They don't just purchase fruit by the ton. They pursue a more costly route and buy their grapes in acre lots so they can more closely monitor the quality of the grapes and pick selectively when the grapes have reached their maximum potential. While the winery is not certified organic, none of their grapes are sprayed with pesticides. Additionally, the wines are neither filtered nor fined.

Presiding over the tasting table was the charming and knowledgable, Christy Bergman, proprietor of the Secret Wine Shop in San Francisco.  Christy features Travieso wines in her tasting room.

The tasting commenced as follows:

• Opening the tasting is the first white wine Travieso has produced, the 2009 La Llorona White Wine, composed of 45% Viognier, 45% Chardonnay and 10% Roussanne.
• We moved on to the reds with a 2007 The Other Program Sangiovese (Louvau Vineyard Dry Creek).
• Next up was the 2006 El Chupacabras Proprietary Red (Santa Barbara County) - a glass of which is keeping me company as I write - this is a blend of Syrah, Grenache and Viognier.  I
  was surprised to see a red blend include a white varietal, but Christy explained this is quite common in French blends.  The Chupacabras received a favorable review from Robert Parker Jr. - 91 points
• The 2007 Amaranta Syrah (Fairview Ranch Santa Lucia Highlands) was LOML's favorite wine of the day.  Robert Parker Jr. also liked this Syrah and awarded it 92 points.
• 2007 El Rey Cabernet Sauvignon (Louvau Vineyard Dry Creek)
•  2007 El Rey Cabernet Sauvignon (Louvau Vineyard Dry Creek)
• From their Library Selections, a 2003 El Rey Cabernet Sauvignon (Louvau Vineyard Dry Creek), which is their first commercial vintage.

Travieso should also be commended for their great labels, which are created by artist, Jody Brookens.  The labels on the back of the bottles often include Spanish poems and mariachi lyrics.  I scanned a postcard of the labels which can be viewed at the bottom of the post.

We went home with bottles of the Chupacabras, the Syrah and the 2003 Cabernet and one of the fabulous Travieso posters.  The poster is now hanging outside our wine cellar as a vigilant reminder to not drink sucky wines.

Travieso Winery
165 Cristich Lane Unit F
Campbell CA 95008
650.248.5641
Open Saturdays 11-4

The Secret Wine Shop
1097 Howard St. #209
San Francisco, CA 94103
415.625-3285
By appointment

 

Comments

[Mats]

Dear SOCO,

Thank you for your visit, purchase and kind words about our winery.

Please come by and visit any time!

All the best,

Mats