Chopping It Up with Keith Saarloos | The Santa Ynez Valley Stories

🎙️ Episode 49 🍷 Larry Schaffer | Curiosity, Community, and Why Wine Should Be Fun

There are people who make wine. And then there are people who spend their lives asking questions. This week on Choppin' It Up, Keith sits down with one of the most outspoken, thoughtful, and genuinely curious people in the Santa Barbara County wine industry... Larry Schaffer of Tercero Wines. Before Larry was a winemaker, he was working in the music business. Before that, he was a kid from Los Angeles who didn't grow up around wine at all. Then one day he decided to do something most people never do. He started over. Larry walked away from a successful career, went back to school, moved to the Santa Ynez Valley, and built a wine brand from scratch because he believed life was too short to spend doing something he didn't love. What follows is less of a wine conversation and more of a conversation about life. 🍷 Why wine should never make people feel intimidated 🎸 The similarities between music, art, and wine 🤔 Why curiosity keeps people young 🔥 Why groupthink is dangerous 🌱 The future of Santa Barbara County wine 🏔️ Why the Santa Ynez Valley remains one of the most unique wine regions in the world 💬 Social media, storytelling, hospitality, and the lost art of conversation Most of all, Larry makes a compelling argument for a simple idea: Drink what you like. Like what you like. And stop worrying about what everyone else thinks. This episode is about wine. But it's really about curiosity. And curiosity might just be one of the most important things we lose as adults. Pull up a chair. Bring an opinion. Larry probably has a different one.

Episode 48 🎨 LOON — The Most Interesting Man in the World

There are people who make art… and then there are people who quietly dedicate their lives to observing humanity… pointing out the absurd… and somehow making us love each other a little more because of it. This week on Chopping It Up, Keith sits down with international treasure, artist, humorist, adventurer, former Scots Guards officer, accidental aristocrat, and world-famous illustrator… Alasdair Hilleary — known around the world simply as “Loon.” And honestly… this conversation feels less like an interview and more like sitting around a campfire listening to the most interesting man alive tell stories until the whiskey runs out. Loon’s life sounds fictional: Growing up in a 52-room estate in Scotland. Riding ponies through hallways. Tobogganing down staircases. Serving in the British Army. Guarding Buckingham Palace. Meeting the Queen. Traveling the world with the love of his life. Living in a garage in the Santa Ynez Valley. Creating artwork collected by royalty… while still somehow remaining completely grounded, warm, funny, and deeply human. Keith and Loon talk about: • Why humor should never become cruelty • The disappearing analog world • Art, adventure, and living a meaningful life • Scottish aristocracy and American cowboy culture • Why dogs always seem smarter than humans • Why modern life desperately needs face-to-face connection • The danger of AI replacing humanity • The beauty of friendship, storytelling, patriotism, and shared experience • And why embarrassed humans will always be funny Loon feels like Norman Rockwell crossed with Gary Larson… filtered through mud, military humor, sporting tradition, watercolor, whiskey, and complete human chaos. This episode is funny. It’s heartfelt. It’s philosophical. And by the end of it… you may find yourself wanting to put your phone down, sit around a fire, and actually live a little. Ladies and Gentlemen… Our Friend… LOON.

Episode 47 🍔🔥⛷️ Kevin Malone — The Local Kid Behind the Grill at Mattie’s Tavern

This week on Chopping It Up with Keith Saarloos, Keith sits down with one of the most interesting guys quietly shaping the Santa Ynez Valley food scene… Executive Chef Kevin Malone of Mattei's Tavern.  But this episode isn’t just about food. It’s about passion. About obsession. About the kind of people who go all in on everything they touch. Before Kevin was running one of the most beloved kitchens in the Valley, he was a ski bum riding a Greyhound bus from Massachusetts to Mammoth chasing the dream of becoming a professional skier. He built terrain parks. Drove snowcats. Sent himself off jumps big enough to make normal people question reality. Then somewhere along the way… life pivoted.  Now he’s the guy rebuilding the soul of Mattie’s Tavern. Keith and Kevin dive deep into: * Why Mattie’s Tavern feels like the “living room of the Valley” * The impossible balancing act of luxury hospitality and local authenticity * Burgers, bars, fireside booths, and community ownership * Snowcats, ski culture, and moving across the country chasing passion * Swapping an engine in a 1981 Rabbit pickup truck in one week… then immediately driving it 1,000 miles in a rally * The pirate-ship culture of restaurant kitchens * Why local restaurants matter more than ever * What happens when a chef truly loves the place he cooks for More than anything, this episode is about craftsmanship. The kind that happens when somebody doesn’t just work somewhere… they belong there. If you’ve been wondering whether Mattie’s Tavern “feels like the old days again”… this episode explains exactly why people are saying that. And if you love this Valley, love food, love community, or just love hearing passionate people talk about what they do — this one’s for you. Grab a burger. Sit by the fire. Stay awhile. 🎙️ Hosted by Keith Saarloos 📍 Broadcasting from the Santa Ynez Valley 📻 Chopping It Up with Keith Saarloos on KRAZy Country 105.9 And remember… Pick up litter. Support local. Spend your money in the hood.

46 VIDEO EPISODE : How to Fix Your Mental Health in 25 Minutes 🧠🍷 | SAARLOOS + SONS Spring Allocation

Before there was wine… there were people worth remembering. This is the RAW Video0 from our 2026 Spring Allocation—recorded in the vineyard as everything comes back to life. No script. No polish. Just the truth. I spent time this week with my son and we unplugged from everything—no phones, no noise, no distractions. And it hit me: We’ve built a world around convenience… but what we’re actually craving is connection.  This episode isn’t about wine. It’s about what happens when you slow down long enough to be present with someone else. Inside this, we walk through three wines—Mom, Dad, and Soulmates—and what they really represent: • Mom — unconditional love, the ones who poured into you • Dad — the backbone, the one who shows up when you’re in a hole • Soulmates — not found… built over time, pressure, and commitment Each bottle is just a reason to do something we’ve forgotten how to do: Sit down. Look someone in the eye. Share something real. Because wine isn’t just a drink—it’s a time machine. A way to step out of the noise and into a moment that actually matters. If you’re overwhelmed… distracted… feeling pulled in a thousand directions… Take 25 minutes. Put the phone down. Go outside. Open something meaningful. Be where your feet are. That’s the reset. — SAARLOOS + SONS A small family farm doing things differently. From our plow to your porch 🍷

Episode 45 🎙️🎓  Dr. Kimberly Sheehan | Santa Ynez Valley Union High School - “ Is The Total Package” Community High School California Should Try To Emulate

If you’re a parent… this is not optional listening. Because everything you think you know about schools, kids, and “how things are these days”… might not be the full story. This week on Chopping It Up, Keith sits down with Dr. Kimberly Sheehan, Superintendent of Santa Ynez Valley Union High School—and what comes out of this conversation is something you don’t hear enough of: Hope. Not the fake kind. Not the brochure version. The real thing. – A school where kids want to be – Where 90% of students are involved in something bigger than themselves – Where trades matter just as much as college – Where accountability isn’t punishment—it’s preparation – Where kids still say “yes sir” and “yes ma’am” But here’s the part every parent needs to hear: These kids are showing up. They’re working. They’re supporting each other. They’re becoming the kind of people you hope your kids grow up to be. And it’s not happening by accident. It’s happening because a community decided to care… and a school decided to lead. In a world full of noise about what’s broken— this is a story about what’s working. If you have kids… if you’re raising kids… or if you care about the next generation— 👉 Press play.