This is a very special episode of Chopping It Up with Keith Saarloos.

Episode 34 is the audio companion to our 2026 Winter Allocation, shared here so the stories behind these wines can be heard in perpetuity. I’ve made more than 75 allocation videos over the years, and this episode lives as part of that permanent record.

Recorded live from Ballard Canyon, this episode isn’t just about wine — it’s about farming, family, risk, and legacy.

Inside, I walk you through the wines that define this allocation:

• Mayhem 🌊 — a carbonic Grenache moonshot, a farming flex, a prayer paddled into the unknown

• Purpose 🌱 — Syrah grown with intention on the high hill

• Resiliency 🛡️ — Syrah from one of the hardest vineyards to farm in Santa Barbara County

• Legacy 🦅 — Syrah from a steep, dangerous hillside that reminds us what we’re protecting

• GRIT 💪 — a Petit Verdot built like the people it honors, strong, patient, and earned over time

These wines are not manufactured.
They are not repeated.
They are one hillside, one year, one moment, bottled.

This episode also touches on:

• The Very Ambitious Group Project — one small act a day to push good back into the world

• Why farming and winemaking are not separate things

• Why stress, risk, and difficulty make better wine — and better people

• Honoring my father, Larry Saarloos, and the values that built everything we stand on

This is about giving our farming a shot at immortality in the bottles you open with people you love.

If you’ve ever wondered where wine really comes from —
not the winery,
but where the song is written —
this episode is for you.

Thank you for being part of our family.
We live to honor those who came before us.
And we prepare the way for those yet to come.

Stick with us.
We’ve got your back. 🍇➡️🍷