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 Like many of the visitors to their tasting room in downtown Solvang, it was a day trip that brought Ken and Jennifer Soni to the Central Coast.
Fifteen years ago, immersed in their respective careers and with a baby daughter in tow, Ken took them on a trip from Long Beach to see Hearst Castle. They came through the Central Coast wine region on Valentine’s Day. They viewed the vineyards, fell in love with the area and soon put down roots. Today, their zeal for business and fine wine has matured into Lions Peak Vineyards.
The busy couple owns an estate vineyard, make all the wines, and manage and staff their tasting room along Copenhagen Drive.
"We met, enjoyed wine, and it kept progressing," Jennifer said. "For Ken, wine appreciation was a lifetime passion and hobby that became an avocation. For me, it was a career change."
He's from New York and she's from Dallas. They met in Los Angeles and say that owning a vineyard and winery is the fulfillment of their dreams. But don't think they've slowed down.
"You have to have passion and be driven to succeed," she said. "We don't follow others. We do what we think is right."
Lions Peak is a small producer, generating 5,000 to 8,000 cases per year, and plans to keep it that way. So far, their wines have earned a host of awards at wine competitions such as the L.A. County Fair, Orange County Fair, California State Fair and many national and international judgings.
Starting with their first vintage in 1994, the Sonis employed brokers to place their wine in Central Coast establishments and into southern and northern California. They re-evaluated the marketing strategy and focused on the tasting room, wine club, restaurants and shops along the Central Coast and out-of-state distributors specializing in high-end boutique products. "Our specialty is Bordeaux and Rhones," she said. "We like the taste."
Lions Peak produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Mouvedre, Cabernet Franc, Viognier, Marsanne and a Cabernet "Port." Award-winning blends include Lionnesse Bon Courage and Lulu.
They decided to make several sweeter wines in response to customers who asked for them in the tasting room. A new wine they call Sisters, a blend of Marsanne, Viognier and Rousanne with a little Orange Muscat, was bottled in late spring.
"We are always here at the tasting room," she said. "We feel it's very important to teach and talk about wines. It becomes like a family. We are the face of the winery."
Jennifer gives much of the credit to her husband for his vision and hard work. She also is quick to give credit to Robert Lawrence Balzer, a longtime Los Angeles Times food and wine critic and mentor with whom they traveled and experienced tastings at many of the world's most famous wine producers in Europe.
Jennifer was born in Ohio and grew up in Texas. She studied interior design and came to California to accept a position with a national design firm in Los Angeles.
These days, as vice president of Lions Peak Vineyards and Winery, Jennifer oversees the brand development and selects the artistic wine labels, all of which have their special story. Visitors to the tasting room can usually find a great selection of wines for tasting, from tempting whites to big reds and dessert specialties.
"Something for every palate," Jennifer said. For those interested in a wine-related gift, the store's vintage shop offers hand-painted wine artisan glasses and even some gifts made in Africa such as bracelets and wood carvings.
Jennifer and Ken are very sociable and easily exchange banter and tips about the area with visitors. Their continuing education at UC Davis and Cal Poly have taught them well, but it's the hands-on experience in the vineyard and wine tasting and traveling to various wine regions that round out their knowledge.
Lions Peak Vineyard and Winery tasting room is located at 1659 Copenhagen Drive in Solvang.
Source: Inside Santa Ynez Valley Magazine, by Mark van de Kamp
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