Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/29638
C Bob Lindquist. Capitalizing on Central Coast Syrah O n March 8, fi nance fi rm Bacchus Capital Management announced that it will provide growth capital in the form of a second lien loan to Santa Barbara County winery Qupé. Owner Bob Lindquist plans to use the resources to expand and eventually double the winery’s Syrah production. In 1982, Lindquist was the fi rst winemaker to produce a Santa Barbara County Syrah. “It was the wine that put us on the map,” he says. Today Qupé’s Central Coast Syrah, a yin-yang blend of savory cool-climate juice and ripe Paso Robles fruit, accounts for 50% of the winery’s total 35,000-case production. Lindquist hopes to capitalize on the cur- rent over-abundance of Syrah fruit on the market to produce more of the Northern Rhône—style wines he is known for. “More than half of our sales are within California,” Lindquist states. “Bacchus Capital Management sees the potential beyond California and is willing to help us expand. We’re gambling on the future of Syrah.” —Laura Sanchez M Y CM MY CY CMY K PHOTO: LAURA SANCHEZ