This label of the Lucas & Lewellen partnership makes their Italian-style wines including Pinot Grigio, Barbera, Nebbiolo, Moscato, Sangiovese, Toccata, Pinot Nero, Dolcetto, Malvasia Bianca, as well as the Super-Tuscan blends of Bordeaux and Italian varietals. The grapes are mostly estate-grown from the Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Maria, and Los Alamos.
Just up the street from Lucas & Lewelling – their sister winery - in the quaint town of Solvang, the warm and intimate European ambiance of the Mandolina Tasting Room is a refuge. The room has an extensive gift shop featuring a variety of gourmet foods, paintings, lovely Italian gifts, pottery and unique wine-related items displayed on heavy wooden tables. The wood-beamed ceiling creates a cozy space in which to taste their excellent wines. The wine bar has comfortable chairs, and the staff is friendly and knowledgeable.
Why the name change from Mandolina:
"In 2000 we launched our Mandolina brand with the goal of sharing our wines, made from Italian heritage grape varietals, grown in our vineyards in Santa Barbara County. The pairing of wine and music are so complimentary of each other, especially when one thinks of Italy, that we embraced Mandolina as a perfect name for our new winery. At just about the same time, another California winery with a very similar name opened its doors. For the first several years both wineries were very amicable in allowing each other to sell their wines in their own worlds; but as the years passed, both wineries grew and the concept of sharing similar names became confusing in the competitive marketplace."
"As the smaller of the two wineries, and with less distribution in place, we decided that in order to independently grow, a name change was justified, and thus, Mandolina evolved into Toccata. Among several musical definitions, Toccata is a true virtuoso composition with rhythmic, freestyle runs and high harmonies. Not only is it a perfect name for our Italian heritage wines, but also the name that we have used for years to describe our blended Mandolina wines. With our new name, we are confident that we will continue to deliver these beautiful wines to our friends and customers as a uniquely identifiable brand." Enjoy!
