Santa Ynez Valley Stories - Chopping it up - with Keith Saarloos

This week, Keith sits down with longtime friend and Valley local Adrian Kays—an award-winning trailer editor whose work has helped launch films like John Wick, Longlegs, I Saw the Devil, and more. From driving an ’87 FJ Land Cruiser coast-to-coast with nothing but a dream, to answering phones in Warren Beatty’s office, to cutting trailers that get audiences out of their seats and into theaters—Adrian’s story is all about grit, timing, and a love for the movies.

We talk about breaking into Hollywood, what really makes a trailer work (and what ruins it), why he chose the Santa Ynez Valley for his family, and the joy of a 50-yard commute down Ballard Canyon. This isn’t an interview—it’s a conversation about movies, friendship, and how the smallest cuts can make the biggest impact.

Organic strawberry farmer Parker Jones doesn’t just grow fruit—he grows the biggest crop in Santa Barbara County, by hand, under a system stacked against him. We talk about picking 80,000 boxes a week, why the “cold chain” starts in the field, and how water falling on his land legally isn’t his. Parker breaks down labor struggles, foreign competition, government red tape, and what it takes to feed 99% of America when you’re in the 1% that still farms. It’s a raw look at dirt, grit, and the fight to keep real food on the table.

At 16, most kids are thinking about the weekend. Von Gordon is thinking about Sunday at Augusta. In this episode, Keith sits down with the San Ynez golf phenom who’s already a two-time CIF champion, a Lanai golf model, and a fierce competitor shooting 65s from the tips. They talk work ethic, the mental grind of tournament play, pounding the rock when results don’t come easy, and why the game of golf might be the best training ground for life itself.

Some families grow grapes. Some raise cattle. The Kunkles? They build a life in the sky. In this episode, Chris Kunkle takes us from his grandfather’s P-38 missions in World War II—dogfighting over the Central Coast and landing in Normandy days after D-Day—to the airfield that now bears their name. We talk about keeping aviation alive in the Valley, giving local kids a free shot at a pilot’s license, and the quiet heroics of flying supplies into the backcountry when floods cut neighbors off from the world. Legacy, grit, and the kind of community you can only understand if you’ve seen it from the air.

Playwright, foster care advocate, VR arcade owner… and now novelist. Jamie Baker’s debut novel You Ate It is more than a story—it’s an interactive experience that pulls you through QR codes, secret calls, and even the mysterious “Pretentious Boar” restaurant Instagram that had the Santa Ynez Valley hunting for reservations that didn’t exist. We talk about his theatre roots, years in child welfare, raising three kids in the Valley, and why his book blends fiction with real local people and places. Part mystery, part love letter to the Valley, this is storytelling with teeth.

From fox-trot ranch roads to the hot steel of a 200-square-foot kitchen, Kris Parker’s story is a Santa Ynez original served with a pint. Grandson of Fess Parker, Kris grew up in the long shadow of a Hollywood legend, learned the family wine trade, and then broke the mold by founding Third Window Brewing in Santa Barbara. When the pandemic tried to pull the plug, he lit the griddle—turning Wagyu ground beef into cult-status burgers that drew lines around the block. We talk terroir-driven beers, forging flavors from backyard citrus, building something that feels like the Valley even across the hill, and what it means to keep your life’s buoys lined up. Burgers, beer, family legacy—this is local grit on tap.

Carlisle Eubanks grew up running the hills of the Santa Ynez Valley—then ran straight into Hollywood, writing and directing films that landed at Sundance and beyond. In this episode, we talk about his newest film, Broke—a modern western starring Wyatt Russell, Dennis Quaid, Tom Skerritt, and Mary McDonnell—that smells like the Valley in every frame.

Carlisle takes us from making home movies with his brother on local ranches to surviving blizzards in Montana while filming on a shoestring budget. We get into the grit it takes to make your first feature, the beauty of casting actors who can break your heart without saying a word, and the deep connection between the film’s story and the questions every person faces about purpose, choices, and not giving up.

This isn’t just about filmmaking—it’s about the long road between dream and reality, the hay squeezes and rodeo dust that make a story real, and the hope that carries you through when quitting looks easier.

If you’ve ever wondered how far a kid from the Valley can go—or needed proof that you can drag your dream home and make it happen—this is the conversation.

For the inaugural episode of Chopping It Up on Krazy Country 105.9, I sat down with someone I’ve admired for decades — Clark Staub, the founder of Full of Life Flatbread in Los Alamos, California.

Clark isn’t just a chef. He’s a builder of communities, a keeper of stories, and the kind of guy who can turn a 23-ton wood-fired oven into the beating heart of a small town. We talk about his winding path from the corporate music industry to running an organic bakery in Claremont, starting a farmers market from scratch, and eventually landing in Los Alamos — long before it was a food destination.

This conversation isn’t just about pizza (though we talk about plenty of that). It’s about creating something that matters in a place that matters. Clark shares how he built Full of Life by hand, piece by piece, with benches made from a single salvaged tree, a kitchen anchored by an oven inspired by Spain and Quebec, and a menu that changes every single week based on what local farmers bring to market.

We get into the big stuff — the joy and grind of running a restaurant for 23 years, the employees who’ve been with him since day one, the chefs he’s mentored who’ve gone on to start their own places, and the endless inspiration that comes from cooking with purpose. We also talk about why he refuses to “chase the dollar” by opening every day, choosing instead to focus on quality, seasonality, and zero waste.

I tell Clark exactly what his restaurant has meant to me personally — how it’s been a touchstone in my life and my family’s life for over two decades, how it’s the place I send people when they ask where to eat in the Valley, and how I believe Full of Life helped spark the entire culinary renaissance of Los Alamos.

There’s a difference between eating and being fed. For 23 years, Clark has been feeding people — body and soul. If you’ve ever had one of his flatbreads, you know it’s more than food. It’s a story, a community, and a little bit of magic pulled from a 700-degree fire.

We also talk lamb and egg soup, chocolate clams from the Sea of Cortez, smoked Pacific whitefish, pork loin pizza, and even homemade Peeps (yes, really). And of course, we hear about what’s on the menu this Easter Sunday.

This isn’t an interview. It’s a conversation. A chance to hear from one of the people who’s helped shape the Santa Ynez Valley into the place we love. Pull up a chair, pour a glass, and join us.

There are moments in life when you stop and ask yourself, “What am I doing with my life?” Not in a passing way, but in the quiet, honest moments—when it’s just you and the weight of the work, the grind, and the sacrifice.

This episode isn’t about wine. It’s about the WHY behind it. The stories, the people, and the legacy that go into every bottle.

This Winter Allocation is more than just a shipment—it’s 25 years of showing up, no matter what.

Before you open your box, press play.

#SaarloosAndSons #TimeInABottle #MoreThanWine #WinterAllocation

Hey everyone, it’s Keith Saarloos, and right now, we're deep in the heart of harvest. For 364 days, we’ve worked for this one moment—to pick the fruit by hand, in the dark, on steep terraces that take courage just to stand on. This is the day we gather what we’ve grown, what we’ve fought for, and turn it into wines that make their way to your table.