Loam Baby Launches

The wine world just got a lot cooler, thanks to this month’s inaugural issue of Loam Baby: A Wine Culture Journal, an advertising-free ‘zine that takes a look at Santa Barbara County’s winemakers and will examine other regions in the months to come. For the often stodgy industry, it’s a welcome dose of quirky color, featuring Greg Brewer’s tattoos, Chad Melville’s red VW bus, and Paul Lato’s Polish humor, as well as comic strips and mixed-tape suggestions for each appellation.

The reclusive publisher-editor, who goes by the name of R.H. Drexel, wasn’t too keen on self-promotion. “It’s more about the winemakers than it is about me — I’m just the messenger,” said the industry vet. “I hope to just quietly crank out cool stories about winemakers that hopefully people will dig.” To read it online or order your own $11 hard copy, see loambaby.com.