Steve Woodward in Santa Barbara County, Calif.

Let it be known that HinsdaleCellars.com represents a collaboration by two “formers”. Co-founder and merchant extraordinaire Sean Chaudhry is a former executive from the ranks of corporate America. I am a “reformed journalist”, although it seems I might never entirely liberate myself from excessive typing.

The point of this explanation is that for as much as I cherish premium wine and its inspiring qualities, I am equally fascinated by the people working behind the scenes in this business, as well as their passion for it and the stories of how they came to it. That is why we were thrilled late last month when Sea Smoke general manager Victor Gallegos (below right, explaining the region’s geography) agreed to show us around the magical vineyards and practical production facilities where some of the most coveted Central Coast Pinot Noir is created.

This was only days before he learned that the 2004 proprietary blend red wine he makes under the Melis label in Torroja del Priorat, Spain, merited 94 points in Wine Advocate’s comprehensive Feb. 28 Spanish wine tasting release. “A splendid example of what can be achieved in Priorat,” wrote the Advocate’s Jay Miller.

Gallegos is a splendid example of what can be achieved by a human being. He is supremely confident — you ought to see how he maneuvers his Range Rover through the muddy vineyard paths — but also grounded by a keen sense of humor and, we’d guess, humbled a bit by knowing he has a job a lot of people would kill for.

We invite you to watch (below) Gallegos’ “insider” explanation of the philosophies and processes behind his Sea Smoke Pinot Noir, captured exclusively here on video (the background noise is caused by 2005 Botella being bottled nearby), but we also want to mention a few other headlines from our visit:

- Sea Smoke, planted on 100 acres (across a gorgeous 350-acre footprint) and 10 miles from the hamlet of Lompoc, is approaching its output capacity of 16,000 cases annually. “We’re almost there,” Gallegos said.

- Two of the 25 vineyards blocks on the property (P and Q, occupying about 12 acres) are 18 months into being designated as a biodynamic experimental area. Victor and celebrated winemaker Kris Curran are not by any means yet biodynamic farming converts. But they are willing to explore the upside. “Success,” he told us, “means we don’t take a step back in the quality of our wines.”

- Gallegos travels three times a year to Priorat to oversee his operations there, and harvest seasons coincide. So his comings and goings to Spain are often entirely Mother Nature driven. This is a dramatically different lifestyle than Gallegos might have had in mind when he enrolled at Cal-Davis back when to study … veterinary medicine.

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