It is internationally agreed that one of the best areas for growing Pinot Noir in the US is the Santa Rita Hills near Santa Ynez Valley. This is an east-west-running valley spreading from Buellton towards the coast, and not too surprisingly, one of the less-crowded spots around for wine tasting.

The owner – shhh! don’t tell anyone – is credited with being the father of Pinot Noir in this area and has given his name (and brand) to Sanford Winery down the road. But it’s here in a tin-roofed ramshackle hut that Richard Sanford is busy crafting his beloved wines like they were his own children.

You’ll find the charming Alma Rosa Winery hut down a dirt road entrance after passing through a small cactus forest. His organic and sustainable approach to grape growing pays off in the many Pinot Noirs offered on the Alma Rosa tasting list at any one time. Also on the list are a Vin Gris (rosé of Pinot Noir) Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and several (Pinot) Chardonnays. This guy loves his pinot.

And we do too. The last time I tasted, there were two tastings: an overall tasting (all the white varietals plus several pinots) or an entire Pinot Noir tasting. This list offers various pinot clones from various vineyards with prices ranging from $20 to $49 per bottle, about 5 at any one time. You’re pretty much guaranteed to find one you like. And one your mom will like, your dog-sitter, even your ex the wine snob. Another bonus is seeing Chris, the tasting room manager and mini-star of the film Sideways, pouring wine and manning the cash register.

Whether you’re just staring to become pinot-obsessed or have full-fledged pinot envy, Alma Rosa is the best place in California to satisfy the craving.

Ace, my super-business-consultant boyfriend, was reclining on the couch with a strange but calm look on his face. It was gray and dismal outside the small window in our apartment, but he had a small ray of sun shining in his eyes. In his hand was a dark amber-colored liquid in a tiny wine glass, and he was swirling and sniffing it.

“It tastes just like autumn in a glass,” he sighed.

Before long it was down the hatch and the glass was refilled. I tried the rich-colored late-harvest sauvignon blanc. Visions of tall trees with multi-colored leaves, damp earth and crisp air filled my head as the sweet fruit hit my tongue.

“Mmm, autumn,” I agreed. We had gotten the small bottle when visiting Lafond Winery (in the Santa Rita Hills near Santa Ynez Valley) over New Year’s Eve weekend, and had forgotten about it until now.

The next time we visited the area, the bottle was long gone, and Ace insisted we get back to Lafond to pick up another bottle on our way out of town. We turned off the 101 and drove the quiet road through vineyards and fields to get there. We tasted all the wines (still loved them all) and were distressed to see the late-harvest sauvignon blanc was no longer on the tasting list.

“We’d like a bottle of the late-harvest sauvignon blanc please,” we blurted quickly at the nearest pourer.

“Oh, we sold out of that, and we’re not making it anymore. We don’t even plant sauvignon grapes anymore.”

Ace’s eyes grew wide. “They’re not even making it anymore,” he breathed. This made the wine even more valuable in his eyes. He asked if they could find any bottles in the back, or perhaps in someone’s shipment that hadn’t yet gone out.

The answer was no. We mournfully looked around the tasting room, trying to decide if we wanted to buy anything else. We loved their wines, but nothing was as special as that dessert wine.

Suddenly we saw it! A double-magnum of late harvest sauvignon blanc: eight times the amount we had bought the first time (and eight times the price). He seized the huge bottle and I scurried to fill out the membership paperwork, giving us a sizeable new member discount.

Ace was smiling as we got in the car…we were taking Autumn home with us.