What am I missing? Love some more ideas and improvements Ian Blackburn LearnAboutWine recommendations for Santa Barbara (updated 3.29.14) In celebration of my involvement in Santa Barbara Vintners Spring Weekend, I have decided to dust off my Santa Barbara suggestion list and refresh it with all my latest information and ideas: sbvintnersweekend/event-schedule.html Crystal Ball: My Bold Predictions (5 years from now?) - Santa Rita Hills is the home of the best pinot noir in California and everyone will no that! Prices will be much higher (Double?) - Ballard Canyon Syrah will be the answer that Syrah has been waiting for. - Happy Canyon will get some big respect in the Cabernet Sauvignon community - A movie called Sideways II will be made and it will renew interest in Santa Barbara even though the movie is about Oregon Pinot Noir... the original movie gets an additional 20 million views. Top Things to do at the Santa Barbara Vintners Weekend: - Take a train to Santa Barbara and then UBER to wine country with a couple friends! - Thursday: SB Vintners Festival Sta. Rita Hill AVA Dinner & Wine Pairing @ Industrial Eats 6:30pm-9:30pmhttps://nightout/events/sbvintnersfest-industrial-eats/tickets#.Uzd0dl7zfgp - Friday: SB Vintners Festival Wine Education Seminar Series at Hotel Corque in Solvang 9:00am-3:00pm with Wes Hagen! https://nightout/events/sbvintnersfest-wine-education-seminar/tickets#.Uzd0TF7zfgp - Saturday: Grand Festival sbvintnersweekend/festival.html - Saturday Night: Grassini Family Vineyards Dinner with Sea Smoke, Margerum, and Friends! https://nightout/events/sbvintnersfest-grassini-dinner/tickets#.Uzd1Dl7zfgp - Sunday: Taste, taste, taste - sbvintnersweekend/event-schedule.html Here is my revised list of Wineries To Visit - no appointment needed: Larner Estate – The new tasting room is modest and confined but has a beautiful store in downtown Los Olivos but it represents some of the best wine and dirt in Santa Barbara and the future which is Ballard Canyon. *Syrah, Grenache, *GSM, Rose, Malvasia Bianca larnervineyard/Welcome.html 2900 Grand Ave Los Olivos, CA 93441 (805) 688-8148 Dragonette – Big wines, robust and intense. Pinot, Sauvignon Blanc*, Syrah, Rose https://dragonettecellars/ 55 Los Padres Way #1 Buellton, CA 93427 (805) 693-0077 Tercero - Larry Schaffer is quickly becoming a crowd favorite with top quality wines and top value prices. https://tercerowines/ 2445 Alamo Pintado Ave #104, Los Olivos, CA 93441 (805) 245-9584 Foxen – A long time favorite, worth the drive… and the new location is very nice. Dick Dore is the long time owner and winemaker and a legend. Chenin Blanc* and Pinot Noir* are worth the drive. Link: [foxenvineyard/] 7200 & 7400Foxen Canyon Road, Santa Maria, CA 93454, Tel: (805) 937-4251 Palmina – LearnAboutWine favorite Palmina is in what they call “the ghetto” but so are all the other great wines… you will be impressed. Nebbiolo – Nobody does it better. Link: [palminawines/] 1520 East Chestnut Court, Lompoc, CA 93436, Tel: (805) 735-2030 Jaffurs Wine Cellars – Downtown Santa Barbara – former fire station. I think that works well, because I’m on fire for this brand. Rhone Varietals (Syrah, Viognier) Link: [jaffurswine/] 819 East Montecito Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93103, Tel: (805) 962-7003 Sunstone – My award for most improved wines in Santa Barbara County. The location has always been beautiful but now the wines are great too! Winemaker Bion Rice has really focused inwards and set the winery up for success. sunstonewinery/ 125 N Refugio Rd, Santa Ynez, CA 93460 (805) 688-9463 Wineries Appointment Needed: Note, if you are a LearnAboutWine Vintage member – we will help you with appointments. Seasmoke Cellar (Mon – Friday only) – “Grand Cru” quality pinot noir Link: [https://seasmokecellars/index.asp] 1712 Industrial Way, Lompoc, CA 93436 Tel: (866) Pinot-Noir (866-746-6866) Grassini Family Vineyards – This is Happy Canyon’s Star producer of Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon - grassinifamilyvineyards/ (805) 897-3366. Brewer Clifton – Long aging *Chardonnay and Pinot Noir Link: [brewerclifton/] 329 North F Street, Lompoc, CA 93436, Tel: (805) 735-9184 Tantara – The best Pinot Noir from Santa Maria is Tantara Old Vines Bien Nacido! Link: [tantarawinery/] 4747 Ontiveros Ln, Santa Maria, CA 93454, Tel: (805) 938-5051 Demetria – Beautiful grounds and great wines - Demetria – Beautiful grounds and great wines –Rhone Varietals and Blends demetriaestate/ 805-686-2522 Crawford Family – Santa Rita Hills, Chardonnay and *Pinot Noir for noble sources. crawfordfamilywines/ 805-698-3888 Brands to Watch: - Jonata - Top red blends - Hilt (by Jonata) - Chardonnay in the extreme - Westerly - impressed with quality in Bordeaux wines - Riverbench – top quality pinot and chardonnay - Pence Ranch – top quality Santa Rita Hills Pinot - Bonaccorsi - very lovely Pinot Noir from vineyard designations - Solminer – cooler climate syrah and some cool ideas on the rise Recommended Restaurants In Santa Rita Hills Industrial Eats - Industrial Eats 181 Industrial Way Buellton, CA, 93427 https://facebook/industrialeats In Los Olivos: Sides: yelp/biz/sides-hardware-and-shoes-a-brothers-restaurant-los-olivos-3 In Lompoc: Hitching Post – Fun place to eat a great steak Link: [hitchingpost2/HPWinery.html] In Santa Ynez: Trattoria Grappolo | Italian $$ - Best in Santa Ynez Link: [opentable/trattoria-grappolo] In Downtown Santa Barbara: Stonehouse at San Ysidro Ranch | Contemporary American $$$ A standard for excellence in Monticito area. Link: [opentable/stonehouse-at-san-ysidro-ranch] Bouchon | French $$$$ - When in Downtown, this is the best wine list, and the restaurant is run by one of the best guys. Link: [opentable/bouchon-santa-barbara] Julienne | American $$$ - the reviews are always tops at Julienne Link: [restaurantjulienne/] Lilly’s Taco’s – Mexican yelp/biz/lillys-tacos-santa-barbara-2 Hotels: In Wine County: The Ballard Inn – Want a place to go to rest – this is the place… great food too. tripadvisor/Restaurant_Review-g33045-d497821-Reviews-The_Ballard_Inn_Restaurant-Santa_Barbara_California.html Chumash Casino – I think you will be surprised how nice the rooms are in this 4 Diamond hotel… AAA wasn’t. The rates can be hard to beat, but so are the blackjack tables… so be warned… the location is great for wine trips and big groups going for a weekend in Santa Barbara wine country. chumashcasino/Home.aspx In Downtown Santa Barbara Value based and great for Dog Lovers (travelling with your dog?) La Quinta Inn in Downtown Santa Barbara (NEW) yelp/biz/la-quinta-inn-and-suites-santa-barbara-santa-barbara Pacifica Suites - Good Value for the quality and convenience tripadvisor/Hotel_Review-g33045-d119682-Reviews-Pacifica_Suites_Santa_Barbara-Santa_Barbara_California.html Luxury on your mind? Check out: San Ysidro Ranch, A Rosewood Resort – A special place to visit, but don’t go alone, you will start to call your exgirlfriends at this romantic place. Link: [tripadvisor/Hotel_Review-g33045-d81955-Reviews-San_Ysidro_Ranch_A_Rosewood_Resort-Santa_Barbara_California.html]
Posted on: Sun, 30 Mar 2014 01:53:02 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015