Samra Morris took an unusual path to becoming a winemaker in the surging Sta. Rita Hills region of California. A native of Bosnia, she grew up in a war zone. Later she had dreams of becoming a brewmaster. Now she is the winemaker for Alma Rosa, a Sta. Rita Hills winery that makes some outstanding wines. Trying to make the best of the COVID pandemic lockdown, Alma Rosa introduced Samra to wine writers via a virtual tasting. She was delightful, and her wines were fabulous. The four wines we tasted all were the first wines in which she had control from vineyard to glass. I would prefer to do these wine tastings in person, and nothing can compare to meeting winemakers face-to-face, but the virtual tastings do allow all of us a greater range of tastings. And while wineries are slowly reopening tasting rooms, they can at least reach wine…
