Visiting Firestone Vineyard
Firestone Vineyard was founded by the son of Harvey Firestone—the same Firestone of Firestone Tires. It's named Santa Barbara County's first estate winery, a distinction that is not lost on the guest by the impressive architecture, immaculate grounds and haughty staff. I went on the vineyard tour, which was informative in a museum docent kind of way. Our guide was packed with facts and information—and a sneak peek into the VIP and club member tasting rooms—but the banal monotone in which these data were rattled off left me in a daze.
This elitist snobbery continued into the tasting, where the pourer behind the enormous and oddly-shaped bar was far too bored with her job to engage in basic hospitality—until she discovered I knew something about wine. Forget a smile. Her eyes didn't even light up until halfway through the tasting. Her demeanor, and that of the tour guide, was pretty on par with the wine I tasted—solid and capable, but without soul or passion. Her delivery of the tasting notes was deliberate, but in the same monotone as the tour guide. Is this a part of training?
Don't get me wrong. Everything was okay. The syrah was very good, I even bought a bottle to take back home with me. I loved the experience of walking around a vineyard, viewing the barrel rooms, having the winemaking process explained to me. Hell, I even saw a cork tree.
Incidentally, Firestone Vineyard just sold its holdings to Bill Foley, of Foley Estates. Has anyone visited Firestone before the sale? I wonder if the mood changed and that was why the staff was so uninspired. Maybe they'd just had too much vino.
This elitist snobbery continued into the tasting, where the pourer behind the enormous and oddly-shaped bar was far too bored with her job to engage in basic hospitality—until she discovered I knew something about wine. Forget a smile. Her eyes didn't even light up until halfway through the tasting. Her demeanor, and that of the tour guide, was pretty on par with the wine I tasted—solid and capable, but without soul or passion. Her delivery of the tasting notes was deliberate, but in the same monotone as the tour guide. Is this a part of training?
Don't get me wrong. Everything was okay. The syrah was very good, I even bought a bottle to take back home with me. I loved the experience of walking around a vineyard, viewing the barrel rooms, having the winemaking process explained to me. Hell, I even saw a cork tree.
Incidentally, Firestone Vineyard just sold its holdings to Bill Foley, of Foley Estates. Has anyone visited Firestone before the sale? I wonder if the mood changed and that was why the staff was so uninspired. Maybe they'd just had too much vino.
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