21 Aug Please The Palate Wine of the Week: Tercero Wines Curiosity #1, Santa Barbara County

If you have met Larry Schaffer, owner and winemaker of Tercero Wines, you know he is thoughtful, knowledgeable, and talkative. But he is also curious. It was this curiousness that inspired him to make a non-vintage wine, the Tercero Wines Curiosity #1 from Santa Barbara County. As a curious person myself, I love to explore unique wines and this wine caught my attention. That is why it is the Please The Palate wine of the week.

About

At Tercero Wines, Larry Schaffer focuses on Rhone varieties. But he has learned that with wine, you cannot live with a dogmatic statement, except for the one: never say never. With this attitude, he has explored other grapes, such as Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc, and Pinot Noir. And his newest exploration is with non-vintage, or multi-vintage, wine with his first bottling of Curiosity. It is a wine with no rules. He saw what extra wine was in the cellar and made a wine of equal parts Carignan, Counoise, and Cinsault from three vintages, 2020, 2021, and 2022.

Larry enjoyed making a wine that does not follow rules and he felt liberated. So the question is what will Curiosity #2 be? Curiosity wines will always be three equal parts but what will those parts be? He teased that maybe it will be Grenache, Syrah, Marsanne, a play on GSM (which is classically a Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre combo). But we will just have to wait and see what he comes up with!

Tasting Notes

Curiosity #1 is fun, bright, savory, and tasty with aromas of wild berries, plums, and floral notes. The bright fruit aromas come from the Counoise and Cinsault. Carignan gives the wine its earthiness. The Cinsault is the oldest wine, coming from 2020, and gives the wine its back texture. The stem inclusion in the winemaking process contributes savory and herbaceous notes.

Food Pairing

With fresh fruit aromas and a savory texture, this is a wine to pair with any meal. Try it with hamburgers, grilled fish, grilled chicken, cheese, charcuterie, and more.

Where To Purchase

Curiosity #1 retails for $40 and is available directly at the Tercero Wines tasting room in Los Olivos or from the Tercero Wines website. There were only three barrels (75 cases) of Curiosity #1 made. If you don’t get a bottle of Curiosity #1, then stay tuned for Curiosity #2.

Meet the Winemaker

Get to know Larry Schaffer is 30 questions on the Wine Soundtrack podcast.

Meet Larry Schaffer in a profile I wrote for California Winery Advisor.

Four Questions and Four Wines with Larry Schaffer from J Living Magazine.