Ballard Canyon + Biodynamic = Beckmen Vineyards

Syrah producers got a great opportunity to introduce wine writers and bloggers to the new Ballard Canyon appellation at the 2014 Wine Blogging Conference, held this weekend in Buellton (in lovely Santa Barbara County).

Enjoy these photos from the event.

Steve Beckmen of Beckmen Vineyards with his
Purisima Mountain Syrah - made from the various
elevations on Beckmen's 125 acre Biodynamic vineyard.
Sixty percent of it is planted to Syrah.

Patrick Comiskey (left), wine writer for LA Weekly, made impassioned
introductory remarks about the love of Syrah, calling the varietal
"rebellion in a glass" for its wilder side (which may be somewhat of an
exaggeration but makes great copy for Twitterers - of whom there
were plenty at the conference.)

Ballard Canyon AVA organizer Pete Stolpman said while Syrah's
reputation had suffered for producers who have  Syrah but
don't specialize in it (i.e. a Napa Cab vintner with a Syrah on the side),
the Syrah specialist producers were doing just fine. 

To learn more about the panel, check out Tweets from #wbc2014 and/or
#SBCVintners

The Beckmen Purisima Mountain Syrah (top glass in this
lineup)

For more information on Beckmen's Syrahs (the winery makes 4 different ones from certified Biodynamic vines), check out the Biodynamic Vine Finder app.