Behind the vine

Jessica Gasca - Story of Soil Wines - Santa Barbara County, California, U.S.A.

When do you think you fell in love with wine, enough to make a career of it?

When I was in my 20s, I attempted to be a New Yorker. I failed miserably and left after a few months, but if I had never taken that jump and moved across the country, I would never be where I am today. That's because in NYC I worked as a bartender at a great French restaurant called 'Nice Matin'. The sommelier there would present everyone who worked there with the wines on our list and I was fascinated that this person knew so much about this beverage, and therefore, the world. That was the spark, my first real connection to wine, and from there I really got into learning about it.

When I moved back to California, my journey continued. I had spent time as a restaurant manager in LA, but I wasn't happy with that life. I thought I'd go back to get my Masters, but I had no desire to open a book and study. I thought it would be so cool to learn more about wine and the process of making it.

So, in 2009, I was living in Manhattan Beach and wanted to work a harvest. I called my uncle who was a winemaker in Santa Barbara County and I told him I would love to learn to make wine. I went and interned, took the leap and worked harvest. Any moment I wasn't at my job I was in the vineyards or with my uncle in the winery. I submerged myself in the experience and industry within a 3 month period and that's where I fell in love. I fell in love with harvest, with getting up at 3 am and going to the vineyard in the freezing cold. During that experience, you're so exhausted, but it's so magical. I couldn't wait for the next day. When you find something you love to learn about, it isn't work.

What story does your wine tell?

If we look back at history and where wine originated, you'd have a family that owned the piece of land for generations. Those families would put their name on the bottle and you learnt about their piece of land through that wine. I don't own any land, but I source fruit from different high-quality, exceptionally farmed vineyards in Santa Barbara County. My wines are single vineyard, single varietal. I want you to learn the topicity and terroir of Santa Barbara County. That's what I aim for with the wines. I use neutral oak, minimal intervention and I want you to taste the place the grapes are grown. You taste the vineyard site.

What misconceptions about wine do you think people should forget?

A lot of people say 'if there's sulfur in wine, I can't drink it.' That's not true. A box of raisins has more sulfur than my wine. Sulfur is to protect the wine and to ensure it lasts. Wines that have no sulfur are going to turn, like the apple on your counter. Huge amounts of sulfur, OK, I understand that, but that's not the truth of a lot of wine.

What great things about wine do you think people should remember?

I always say that there's something so magical about this beverage. It's the past, but it can also be the future. You have a bottle of wine and you can hold it for 5 years, but it was made 5 years prior.

Wine is such a special thing in our lives that is also a connector. Some of the most wonderful times we have with our partners and friends happen over a bottle of wine.

What is a piece of advice you would give to a woman interested in breaking into the wine world?

Take the leap and take that chance. If you're not happy in your current job and you want to learn about wine, just do it. You could work in a tasting room, at a wine bar, or take classes on the side.

Where can women find your wine?

We're very small and mostly everything goes to our wine club. You can visit our website and we ship to almost every state.

Who is a women in wine you think everyone should know about?

Amy Christine. I really respect her. She's a Master of Wine and the fact that she has that level of education and knowledge in her brain is something I wish I had!

There's another woman on the Central Coast - Gina - who is the winemaker for Lady of the Sunshine. She has her own wine brand, but she's farming a certified biodynamic vineyard. She's young, passionate, and doing it all. She's out there on the tractor, spraying, and pruning. I find that very admirable.