Back in 1983, my first trip to Santa Barbara coincided with my husband's first day off in his first year of law school and my mother's first visit to CA since our move in August. It was a glorious hot October morning when we set off from Santa Monica in our new Honda Accord LX hatchback.
There's a big hill that you go over as you cross the Valley into Camarillo and I so clearly remember the three of us feeling that we were off on a spectacular adventure as the farmland of Camarillo came into sight on the way down, the car accelerating on the steep incline.
We hadn't been to Santa Barbara before and I don't even think we had a map or guidebook with us to direct us up to Firestone Vineyards (this would later turn out to be a huge problem when we got lost looking for the Hitching Post Bar & Restaurant) but once we saw the sign for the already famous Firestone we couldn't jump out of the car fast enough - we were so excited.
We were well acquainted with Firestone back in the early 80's - we were drinking their wine in NYC before we came to LA and it was one of our favorites. The property was spectacular and the winery beautiful. I remember thinking that this was heaven on earth.
So it was with incredible nostalgia that I read this week that William P. Foley, noted owner of two other vineyards in Santa Barbara would be purchasing the Firestone.
Bill Foley is an extraordinary man and his talent for creating a winery known for producing excellent wines has made him one of the Santa Barbara wineries of distinction so the Firestone's have certainly made a good choice in passing the torch in this direction.
I know Bill Foley from my years in the title insurance industry and he's a visionary. While I never had the pleasure of working directly with him, his talents for growing successful businesses and being an innovator is legendary.
Today's LA Times said that that Foley is exploring other wine making opportunities in Sonoma, Napa, Oregon and Washington so I'm sure that we'll be hearing more about Foley in the coming months.
Andrew Firestone, best known for his role on "The Bachelor" has charted a new course with the family holdings in Paso Robles and has become an ambassador of sorts for creating awareness of the area as an outstanding wine making region and destination.
Congratulations Bill. Perhaps our paths will cross again in the world of wine and thank you for helping to continue the legacy of Firestone. We know it's in good hands.
Hoping you're enjoying your summer.
Julie
