Caren Rideau: Designer, Vintner, Entertainer [PART 2 OF 3]

Caren Rideau is a triple threat. She is a designer, a vintner and knows how to throw a party! Entertainment planning aficionado. We spoke with Caren a short time ago about her work as a luxury kitchen designer. Today we are showcasing her work as a vintner, in the second part of our three-part series. We are not sure where she finds the time, but it is clear she is passionate about everything she does.

In addition to her design practice, Caren and her partner Andres Ibarra founded the wine label Tierra y Vino, a boutique winery nestled in the Santa Ynez Valley. Her favorite food and wine pairing is a Albarino and ceviche. Caren divides her time between her home in Los Angeles where she entertains family and friends at the drop of a hat and her tasting room in California’s central coast where she finds joy in making wine and sharing with others.

Grab a glass of wine and enjoy!

What is special about the Santa Barbara wine region? 

The Santa Barbara region is unique because it’s inland and gets the high temperatures during the day for the grapes to ripen, but cools down significantly at night. (it can be a 30-degree difference between day and night) this is an ideal appellation for growing Rhône-style wines and pinot noirs.

How important is it for the winemaking team to “sip” wine made by the competition? 

It is very important that we work in a small community and our fellow tasting rooms and winemakers co-mingle together-we and all have respect for one another as an appellation and community. Some of our dearest friends are fellow winemakers-makes it fun for an evening together-lot of great wines floating around the dinner table.

What is your favorite wine in your collection?  

Oh my, I don’t discriminate, they are like our children, they have their own power and shine at different times. Honestly, it has a lot to do with what I’m eating, that’s when they shine the most.

As a winemaker, what is your biggest challenge? 

It differs from year to year, but currently it is climate change-the weather is not dependable and not seasonal like in the past. The newest challenge is inflation and shortage of supplies (glass and corks).

How has your brand developed the winemaking team? What is collaboration like behind closed doors?  

Branding always brings challenges, especially for a boutique winery like ourselves. We simply don’t have the funding or development behind us. It is a longer process because when tasting wines, people love our wines but they don’t always trust their palates. It is always easier to talk about a cult wine they tried versus a hidden gem they recently discovered.

What is your biggest challenge as a winemaker in a bad growing season?

Again climate change-in the past 2-3 years, we lost a lot of crops to extreme temperatures during a 2-3 day period. It caused a lot of the grapes to shrivel up. It has not happened to us but up north on Napa, the fires due to lack of rain, have caused lost crops.

In general, what is your biggest challenge as a winemaker? 

Lack of rain-DROUGHT and climate change.

What is the business culture like in a family that has been making wine for over 20 years?  

Our work becomes our lives and our lives are our work and they bleed into one another, a lifestyle.

How have your wines evolved over the years? 

I think we’re always learning and the minute you think you know it all, will be when you stay stagnant or challenged by the next.

What is your favorite type of varietal or blend to work with?  

I love working with single varietals because they represent the soils and the grape itself. Blends are also very interesting because it is an opportunity to be creative with different grapes.

What is the one thing you have yet to achieve as a winemaker?  

It’s a process and I allow it to unfold organically-I don’t want to miss anything.

What advice do you have for prospective winemakers?  

Winemaking is a lifestyle, you need to have passion for the business, you cannot speed up the process and it requires a large investment.

Sustainability is oh so important! 

Based on the harm we have done to our planet, sustainability is very important at all levels.

What makes your wine so special? 

That I have the opportunity to make the best wines possible with my winemaker partner, Andres Ibarra and that we grow our own grapes.

Where does the inspiration come from when developing a new wine? 

It comes from the varietals we enjoy drinking and the wine we want to share with the world.

How would you compare winemaking in your area to others? 

The climate and soil dictate what grows the best-for instance, you cannot expect to taste a meaty Cabernet Sauvignon from our region that you would find in Napa-we don’t get the same heat as they do.

How much of your time is spent in the fields versus in the lab? 

I think it depends on the time of the year, but the winery/lab. the grapes are in barrels in the winery on average for 2 years and there is a lot of work that goes along with that.

What is the most rewarding part of your work? 

Seeing the outcome of the wines we produce, accolades that come with it, and most important people enjoying our finished product.

Of the wines you’ve produced, which is your favorite?

We enjoy them all or it would not go into the bottle.

Which of your wines would you recommend for a novice drinker? Which for an aficionado?  

For a novice drinker, the lighter-styled wines, like rosé, albariño or sauvignon blanc. For an aficionado, the fuller-bodied wines with some tannins, like our tres uvas or petite Sarah.

What is a surprisingly good, unusual wine and food pairing? 

Albarino and ceviche.

When you dine out, where do you go? 

Mozza, Major Domo and Petit Trios. 

Favorite wine, beer, or cocktail, after hours?  

Tequila.

What has been the most exciting moment in your career? 

NOW!

What book are you reading now? 

Delicious by Ruth Reichl.

Tell us one thing about yourself that most people don’t know?  

I love to go to bed early.

What should we look forward to tasting from your winery in the future? 

A Pinot Noir and a Malbec.

How do you define luxury? 

When you work hard and you can live your dreams.

Anything else you would like to share? 

I have an extreme passion for cooking and find it very relaxing after a stressful week.

Again, thank you to Caren for sharing her story with us. In Part II of this series, it’s all about entertaining!

To learn more about her winery visit tierrayvino.net.

Feature photo © 2022 Lena Fredrickson