Nowadays

Country: United States
Region: California - Santa Barbara
Founded: 2015
Farming: Sustainable, organic
Website: www.municipalwinemakers.com/pages/nowadays

Santa Barbara, located about two hours north of Los Angeles, is widely considered to be one of the most dynamic winemaking regions in California today. With its wide range of microclimates, everything from delicate Riesling to powerful Syrah is successfully grown here, making this region as diverse as anywhere else in the world. There is a focus on innovation here as well. A relatively low price of entry for sourcing high-quality grapes means that young winemakers have more favorable conditions for getting fledgling projects off the ground – and invariably with young talent comes ambition and experimentation.

David Potter is one of the new guard making a name for himself in Santa Barbara. After honing his craft at Fess Parker, where he was the assistant winemaker for several years, and is currently Director of Winemaking Operations, Potter went on to launch his first brand, Municipal Winemakers, in 2007, with a focus on making high-quality wines at entry-level prices.

If wine was a kaleidoscopic third eye, a glimpse into the future and the past, it would be the Nowadays line. This is wine as it was made in antiquity and should be made from now on. The future is unfiltered and chemical-free. It’s cloudy, dirty, funky, and steps into the cool, fragrant shadows at the hottest part of the day. These wines say “take me as I am.”