Casa Cassera and Brian Freeborn

I received a phone call the other day from a young gentleman requesting a visit so we could taste his wine. He is the head winemaker for Casa Cassera out of Lompoc. Since The Wine Cottage is still in the construction phase, we usually meet winemakers and distributors at my house. After speaking to Brian for a little while I could see that in order to get a full experience in tasting his wines we needed to meet him in the vineyard. We met him at the corner of 246 and Mail Rd. because he said he didn't want us getting lost. We then traversed a mountain which lead us to the most incredible view of the entire Santa Rita AVA and Santa Barbara County. He graciously lined up all his wine from the light, citrusy Sauv Blanc to the deep, rich Syrah. All in all we tasted over 12 wines. The wines that Brian creates are complex and beautiful. The estate Pinot from their own 5 acre parcel was our favorite. The Syrah from Colson Canyon was a very close second.

Brian is also in his 9th crush, meaning he started very young. He is a mild, unassuming winemaker who is passionate about his wine and the roll he is able to play. He is also very generous and hospitable. He sent us home with the remaining wine that we were not able to taste. We had a surprise party for Ron and Yolanda so having the wine to share with our friends made the entire experience complete.

We are excited to have Brian on board with The Wine Cottage and be able to show case his wines. He will be our first Wine Maker dinner and feature Winery for the Month of December. Look on our site for more information on Brian and Casa Cassara wines.