Laetitia Vineyard & Winery in Arroyo Grande, CA | Food and Wine

Laetitia Vineyard & Winery

When he was nearly 70 years old, Selim Zilkha embarked on a new career as a vineyard and winery owner and began an adventurous journey that has resulted in three successful winery brands, a host of award-winning wines, and a lifestyle that has proven to be genteel and satisfying for this eclectic entrepreneur.
Eric Hickey is Laetitia Vineyard & Winery’s General Manager and Head Winemaker. Eric Hickey has winemaking in his blood. Stylistically, Eric’s wines exemplify his love of balance, his respect for the vineyard and typicity, and his sense of adventure. The wines are categorically well-balanced and elegant, while still exhibiting a bright, exciting fruit component.
Winemaking. Combining traditional French techniques with American innovation, our winemakers strive to showcase the unique expression of Laetitia's estate grapes through meticulous winemaking.
We offer:
- Pinot Noir. Respectful of the fragile nature of Pinot Noir, Pinot Noir at Laetitia is made with the utmost care and a minimum of manipulation. Grapes are de-stemmed whole berry and transferred into open top fermenters where they receive a three day cold soak prior to fermentation. After bottling, the wines age an additional six months in bottle before being released.
- White Wines. Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc at Laetitia benefit from the same gentle care given Pinot Noir. Grapes are loaded direct-to-press after which the juice is settled and racked to French oak barrels for fermentation. Chardonnays undergo full malolactic fermentation and monthly hand-stirring of the lees known as batonage. Pinot Blanc is only 50% barrel fermented to preserve its bright fruit profile. The white wines age for ten months in French oak.
- Méthode Champenoise Sparkling Wines. Laetitia has been making traditional Méthode Champenoise sparkling wines for nearly 20 years. Estate-grown Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc grapes are gently pressed in European wooden basket presses, the only ones of this kind in use in the United States. The wines are disgorged, corked and labeled on site, the final step in the wine's 30 to 42 month journey from harvest to release.
The Laetitia and Barnwood Wine Enthusiast Club is an exclusive membership which gives the participants the opportunity to receive quarterly shipments of our fine wines, pre-release and special winemaker selections (including library bottles) at discounted prices.
Laetitia & Barnwood Tasting Room. Laetitia offers wine tasting of Barnwood and Laetitia wines at a beautiful hilltop visitor center that features commanding views of the vineyards, the Arroyo Grande Valley, and the Pacific Ocean. Visitors are invited to use the scenic picnic area. Tasting Room Hours - Open daily from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. Closed New Year's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas.