Walk down Copenhagen Drive in Solvang, past the windmills and the bakeries, and you find a small Italy hiding in plain sight. Toccata is the Italian-varietal label of the Lucas and Lewellen family, a bet that the grapes of Tuscany and Piedmont belong in Santa Barbara sunshine. The room is modern Tuscan, the welcome is easy, and the wines, from Sangiovese to Nebbiolo to a crisp Pinot Grigio, make the case that la dolce vita travels well.

Old world grapes, new world sun

Toccata is the bold, Italian-leaning side of Lucas and Lewellen Vineyards, one of the larger family farming operations in Santa Barbara County. The grapes are grown by Louis Lucas, a veteran Central Coast grower whose decades in the vineyard go back to the earliest days of the region, and the wines are handcrafted by winemaker Megan McGrath Gates. Together they take the classic varieties of Italy and give them new life under a California sun.

The idea is simple and a little rebellious. While most of the county reaches for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Toccata plants Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Barbera, and a range of Italian whites, then farms them sustainably and makes them with a light, low-intervention hand. The result is a lineup you cannot find on every tasting room block, wines built for the table and for sharing la dolce vita with friends.

Why these grapes work here

Italian varieties love sunshine, warmth, and a long growing season, and the inland stretches of Santa Barbara County deliver exactly that. The same east-west mountains that pull cold fog into the cool coastal valleys leave the warmer interior open to ripen heat-loving grapes like Sangiovese and Nebbiolo fully, while the reliable nighttime cooling keeps the acidity bright. That is the secret to Italian reds: high acid and firm structure, the very things that make them such natural food wines.

Sangiovese, the grape behind Chianti, gives savory red cherry, tomato leaf, and a mouthwatering tang. Nebbiolo, the noble grape of Barolo, brings rose, tar, and serious tannin. Barbera offers deep color and juicy acidity with soft tannin. Grown on Lucas family estate vineyards and farmed with care, these old-world grapes taste both familiar and distinctly Californian.

The wines

The Toccata lineup is a tour of the Italian wine map. On the red side, expect estate Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, and Barbera, the backbone of Tuscany and Piedmont, plus concept blends that play with the same palette. On the white side, the star is a hyper-local Pinot Grigio, crisp and refreshing, alongside the aromatic Malvasia Bianca and a fun Sparkling Rosato.

These are versatile, food-friendly, fairly priced wines made in a relaxed spirit. Toccata does not chase big scores or heavy oak. It chases the feeling of an Italian table, where the wine is there to make the meal better and the afternoon longer.

What to pour it with

Italian grapes were built for Italian food, and the chemistry is the reason. Pour the Sangiovese with a tomato-based pasta, a margherita pizza, or lasagna: the wine high acidity matches the acidity in the tomato, so neither tastes sour, and that bright acid also cuts through cheese and olive oil to reset your palate. This is what is meant by what grows together goes together, a pairing earned over centuries of the same ground feeding the same table.

Reach for the Nebbiolo when there is something rich and savory on the plate, like braised short ribs or a mushroom risotto, since its firm tannins bind to the protein and fat and soften beautifully while its earthy side bridges to the mushrooms. The Barbera, with its juicy acid and soft tannin, is your everyday red for grilled sausage or a weeknight ragu. Pour the Pinot Grigio with fritto misto or a plate of clams, where its crisp acidity slices through the fry and lifts the brine. Skip the tannic Nebbiolo with delicate white fish, which it would simply overwhelm.

Toccata: common questions