Tag archives: wine
The Friendship Center held its 11th Annual Wine Down fundraiser at its Montecito location on Thursday, September 14 from 4 to 7 pm. The support for this homespun event was large, with over 200 guests and volunteers stopping by to sip and mingle with friends, and enjoy the charcuterie table, especially the freshly baked sweets […]
Taste of the Santa Ynez Valley makes its grand return this month, though you could really say this will be the feast’s true premiere. The pandemic put on the brakes after the event’s first year. And while last year marked its official post-Covid return, all signs point to the 2023 rendering of this multi-day, multi-city, […]
Animal activist and winemaker Gretchen Lieff threw an end of summer bash at her La Lieff winery in the Funk Zone for 50 guests. “It has been a wonderful summer,” says Gretchen. “We hosted events for Planned Parenthood, the Wildlife Care Network, C.A.R.E.4Paws, the Adopt-a-Pet program, UCSB Arts & Lectures, and the Teddy Bear Cancer […]
My husband and I were thrilled when I was chosen to be a judge at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, hosted this year by Vinistra, the Association of Winegrowers and Winemakers of the Istrian Peninsula in Croatia. Returning to Croatia, one of our cherished travel destinations from a decade ago, was a dream come true. […]
McPrice Myers has long been a fan of Central Coast syrahs and grenaches. But in the two decades since he launched his eponymous wine label in Paso Robles, the self-dubbed “Rhône guy” has been lured by the ultimate Bordeaux darling. And now, he’s set off to make “the ultimate expression of cabernet sauvignon.” Myers dumped […]
With summer in full swing, my husband, our chihuahua, and I embarked on a thrilling road trip from Santa Barbara to the Tri-Valley area. The Tri-Valley is a triangular-shaped region just 35 miles east of San Francisco. From the top of Mount Diablo, you can see the three valleys that give the region its name, […]
The Parkers have been busy. The multi-generational enterprise behind a slew of visitor options across the Santa Ynez Valley is repositioning itself as a local leader in the arenas of wine and hospitality. “People these days who are investing to come visit our area – they do have higher expectations today than they used to,” […]
Living in Santa Barbara wine country is a stroke of good fortune for wine enthusiasts and connoisseurs alike. Crowned the wine region of the year in 2021 by Wine Enthusiast Magazine, this beautiful area offers a delightful blend of scenic landscapes, exceptional wines, and a thriving wine culture. Nestled along the Central Coast of California, […]
Dana Volk trademarked the “Happy Mommy” wine back in 2018, when she launched her venture as an independent winemaker. “I always wanted to make a local wine under $20, as a way to connect with fellow moms,” she recalls. “And I thought, ‘Maybe someday!’” Five years later, as the repute of her original, fine wine […]
Everyone’s heard of Champagne, and most people have heard of Prosecco, but the new darling in the world of sparkling wine is Cava. This delicious bubbly from Penedès, Spain, is actually not so new, having been discovered in the late 1800s. For those who are unfamiliar with Cava, it’s a sparkling wine that’s made using […]
The newest wine tasting destination in Santa Barbara County is, actually, 50 years in the making. The Gatehouse at Bien Nacido Vineyard officially opens to the public this Memorial Day weekend. It’s a brand-new structure – two-stories, plenty of indoor and outdoor spaces, sustainably built from the ground up – located right at the entrance […]
To Blackbird at uber-vintner Bill Foley’s Hotel Californian for a four-course winemaker dinner delightfully prepared by longtime executive chef Travis Watson with senior winemaker Michael Beaulac explaining the intricacies of the process with each course served to the 33 guests, including gourmands and oenophiles from far and wide. Having covered the eatery’s opening six years […]
Santa Barbara’s wine industry is rolling out the red carpet. Mid-May is studded with a bevy of events aimed at maximizing the enjoyment of, and understanding of, locally-produced wines. Here’s a snapshot of some of the key events presented by both the Santa Barbara Culinary Experience’s “Taste of Santa Barbara,” making a triumphant return, as […]
There’s a new culinary experience at the San Ysidro Ranch – and it’s top secret. The Secret Cellar premiered in December, building on the luxe property’s famous world-class dining but offering something totally exclusive. It brings diners underground – past the Stonehouse patio, past the entrance to the Plow & Angel and down the stone […]
“The practices we use to do business today, from a sustainability standpoint, are the same ones my grandfather used 95 years ago,” vintner Steve Sangiacomo told me this week. “How we farm, how we treat our employees – it’s all about responsibility.” Sangiacomo Family Wines is a premium wine brand in Northern California – they […]
“The wine bottle – it’s the only time machine that works!” Just one of the many colorful one-liners delivered by wine whiz Wes Hagen, as a small group of wine buffs gathers around the table inside the rustic The Maker’s Son eatery in downtown Los Alamos last month. An authority on all things Santa Barbara […]
On Sunday night, a group of my Montecito neighbors gathered with animal activist Gretchen Lieff at her La Lieff tasting room in the Funk Zone with a three-man crew from U.K.’s ITV, led by Washington, D.C. news editor Alex Chandler, to watch the Duke of Sussex’s controversial half-hour interview with Cooper and give our thoughts […]
Montecito hedge fund titan Graham Duncan is the new owner of the late Pierre Lafond’s Wine Bistro in the Upper Village. Duncan, co-founder of East Rock Capital, a multi-family investment office, bought the former Montecito home of Lisa Hearst Hagerman, granddaughter of legendary publisher William Randolph Hearst, for $19.4 million in March 2021. The property, […]
It was a very personal turn-of-life event that led James Sparks to the world of wine creation – and consumption. One of a dozen children raised in a small, rural Idaho town, he left the Mormon religion a little over 15 years ago. The road to a new way of life led to Santa Barbara […]
All that glitters may not be gold. But when it comes to these sparkling wine bottles – glittering and bursting with color – the flavors definitely shine. Just in time for the holidays, Riverbench Winery is bringing back this unique festive packaging for its full line of sparkling wines. The “Glitter Bottles” are fully covered […]
