Local Winery in the Spotlight
At Ventura Rotary South
 
From its beaches to its restaurants to its balmy Mediterranean climate, Ventura County is known for many wonderful things. Typically, winemaking isn't one of them. However, the owners of Four Brix Winery are on a mission to change that. From humble beginnings as home winemakers in 2002, Karen and Gary Stewart, together with a few wine-loving friends, built a local winery with a current annual production of 1500-2000 cases, and growing.
 
Karen, pictured above with a sample bottle of juice just beginning its fermentation, joined us for lunch as our speaker on Monday, August 1. She began by announcing that Four Brix Winery is on the verge of a major expansion, doubling its current footprint to approximately 8,400 square feet at 2290 Eastman Avenue in Ventura. "We needed more space for production and for wine events," said Karen.
 
Karen also explained how the business got its name. "Brix" is a French term that refers to the quantity of sugar in grape juice. The number four pays tribute to the Stewarts' four favorite wine regions of the world: France, Italy, Spain, and California, all of which are reflected in the wine varieties they produce.
 
Nearly all of the winery's grapes come from Central California, although Karen noted that the winery also uses fruit from vineyards in Ojai. She explained that the drought has had a major impact on growers, with some suffering as much as a 75-percent cut in production. "However," said Karen, "the grapes that we do get are of extremely high quality."
 
Karen walked Rotary Ventura South  members and guests through the winemaking process, noting that it typically takes about five years to go from grape harvest to a bottle ready for purchase. Four Brix wines may be purchased directly from the winery. More information is available at their website: fourbrixwine.com. Thank you, Karen and ... "Cheers!"