Monday, June 10, 2013 

2014 Wine Bloggers Conference


WBC14SB 

is coming to Santa Barbara County!
We are extremely excited to announce the 2014 Wine Bloggers Conference will be in Santa Barbara, California on July 11-13th. The conference has not been back to California since its first two years, in 2008 and 2009, and we know California and the Santa Barbara area will give us a good reception.

The conference will take place at the Santa Ynez Valley Marriott in Buellton, in the heart of Santa Barbara’s wine country. The population of the town is about 5,000, which means everyone will know we are there. The city is located right in the heart of wine country, which (if you have not been) is beautiful, with large open expanses and rolling hills. - Wine Bloggers Conference
And, yes...you can register now!

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10:02 PM | |

Sunday, November 11, 2012 

LA Weekly lists 5 top Chardonnays for the Holidays

and two in Santa Barbara County are on it. Cheers!

 2009 Chanin Santa Maria Valley Bien Nacido Vineyard Chardonnay 
Gavin Chanin worked three vintages under the tutelage of Jim Clendenen, whose Au Bon Climat chardonnays have been models of restraint for decades. He's learned well: floral, mineral, zesty, there's a thrilling tension to this wine as it hits the tongue. -- About $35

 2010 Alma Rosa Santa Rita Hills El Jabali Vineyard Chardonnay 
From the cool Santa Rita Hills, winemaker Richard Sanford suppresses malolactic fermentation in this tangy white, redolent of apples and minerals, a pronounced salinity like it's giving off sea air. -- About $28

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12:06 PM | |

Thursday, October 18, 2012 

Bill Foley's Foley Food and Wine Society

I'm sure that Foley's Lincourt and Firestone Vineyards will be very involved in providing Santa Barbara County wine to the Society.
Fidelity National Financial Inc. Chairman Bill Foley plans to launch “The Foley Food & Wine Society” to offer members-only access to wineries, restaurants and other destinations in the U.S. and Zealand. 
...“Become a member of the Foley Food and Wine Society and receive exclusive access to our world-class collection of wineries, lodging, golf courses, restaurants and luxury lifestyle partners,” it says.
“Our team of experts will provide useful information on wine education, cooking, gardening, and farm to table cuisine, golf, ski, and fitness tips – a wealth of information exclusively for member,” it says. 
Members also will receive other offers and discounts at Foley Family and partner properties as well as access to the Foley Food and Wine Exchange, where members can shop online for wines and other items.

Members will be enrolled in the Society Points program and receive 2,500 points upon joining and 1 point for every dollar spent with the society. Points can be used for tickets to Foley Food and Wine Society events at wineries, restaurants, lodges, dinners and at partner properties around the world as well as discounts off wine and lodging, private reserve tastings, seminars and wine education, and tours, cooking and gardening events, private meals, golf, ski passes and more at society properties. - Jacksonville Daily Record and the Wall Street Journal

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7:52 PM | |

Tuesday, September 04, 2012 

California Wine Month!

September in California has never tasted so luscious. 
Raise a glass to our grapes!  

Visit some of our local wineries and tasting rooms.


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1:49 PM | |

Friday, January 06, 2012 

2012 San Francisco Chron Wine Competition Results

are in!

Congrats - Alma Rosa, Curtis Winery, De Paola Vineyard, Epiphany Cellars, Fess Parker, Hearst Ranch, Oreana, Santa Barbara Winery, Saucelito Canyon, Scott Cellars, Sea Glass, Tercero, Wild Horse and all those from our local vineyards! 


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3:01 PM | |

Monday, November 14, 2011 

Santa Barbara restaurants new to Opentable

A few Santa Barbara restaurants have joined Opentable lately. They may be new to the online reservations service...but they certainly aren't new around town.


Arnoldi's. (yes...complete with bocci ball court)

Bella Vista at the Four Seasons Biltmore.

The Ballard Inn up in the Valley in Ballard.


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9:47 PM | |

Sunday, November 13, 2011 

Santa Barbara - Vote Snowy Plover!

Audubon California is having a vote for Audubon's California Bird of 2011. Among the nominees are two local birds of reknown, the California Condor and the Snowy Plover. It's a tough decision, but I am encouraging everyone to vote SNOWY!


A volunteer program to protect nests for the tiny, threatened snowy plover on a popular surfing beach has proven a model, but the birds still can’t fly solo. - Miller McCune



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10:43 AM | |

Tuesday, April 19, 2011 

Seminar addressing winery issues this Thursday

An educational seminar on vineyard and winery issues will be held at 8 a.m. Thursday, April 21, at Laetitia Vineyard and Winery in Arroyo Grande.

The seminar is free to Central Coast Wine Growers’ Association members and open to the public for a fee of $15, which includes lunch and a sample of wine from Laetitia Winery.

Kelly Krug, deputy director of the National Agricultural Statistics Service of the USDA California field office, will discuss the Grape Crush Report for 2010, focusing on District 8, which includes San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. 

Brenda Ouwerkerk, deputy San Luis Obispo County deputy agriculture commissioner, will discuss the right to farm.

Cathy Fisher, recently appointed Santa Barbara County agriculture commissioner, will discuss that county’s crop.

Kevin Lynn of Invensure Insurance will moderate the roundtable session on laws, contracts and insurance affecting vineyards and wineries.

For reservations, email ccwga@ccwga.org or call John Burke at 928-4950. - Santa Ynez Valley News

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8:35 PM | |

Wednesday, November 17, 2010 

2,975 Thanksgiving Turkeys needed

25 on hand.
This is the situation being experienced by the Food Bank of Santa Barbara.

Having a slow start is nothing new, but this year’s level is unprecedented, according to development associate Gina Fischer. She said she hopes Santa Barbara residents may not yet be in the Thanksgiving mind-set, and that a reminder will spur people into action.

“If we can’t collect all these turkeys, that’s a lot of nonprofit food pantries and soup kitchens that don’t get them,” Fischer said. - Noozhawk

Santa Barbara, home to Oprah Winfrey, Ty Warner of BeanieBabies, Kenny Loggins, Warren Buffet's Yacht, Bo Derek, Julia Louis-Dryfuss, Howard Schultz, Cat Cora, Jeff Bridges, Dennis Miller, Kathy Ireland, The Reitmans (Ivan and Jason), Marcy Carsey, etc.

You mean to tell me, between them all they can't come up with some spare change to give some of their local neighbors a little something to eat on Thanksgiving?

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9:14 PM | |

Monday, November 08, 2010 

Brothers' Restaurant at Mattei's Tavern

has a cookbook out!
Since the beginning of Brothers Restaurant in 1996, Matt and Jeff Nichols have cooked for over a half million people and have had thousands of requests for their recipes. Now they share their passion and over 145 recipes with those who enjoy cooking at home with a collection of the Nichols’ guests’ favorite dishes: Jalapeño Cornbread, Tuna Tartar with Avocado & Spicy Yuzu Vinaigrette, Heirloom Tomato and Burrata Salad, Puree of Sweet Corn Soup with Maine Lobster, Morel Mushroom and English Pea Risotto, Horseradish-Crusted Irish Salmon, Grilled Iowa Pork Rib Chop with Apple Sauce & Honey Butter, Grilled Filet of Prime Beef with Stilton Cheese & Port Wine Sauce, Strawberry Shortcake, and Mud Pie with Chocolate & Caramel Sauces, to name just a few.

The Nichols brothers have also incorporated “Bro Notes” to help give home cooks insight and culinary tricks of the trade along with recipe variations. The book includes the history of their journey in building their own restaurant, the “Brothers Philosophy,” an overview of living life in Santa Barbara Wine Country, and Seasonal Menus. - BusinessWire
The book is available exclusively through Brothers Restaurant and limited local retailers in the Santa Ynez valley. Book yourself a reservation at the restaurant and go taste test for yourself some of the brother's fabulous dishes.

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9:00 AM | |

Monday, September 06, 2010 

The SFChron recommends some 2008 Santa Barbara County Pinot Noirs

2008 Alma Rosa La Encantada Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir ($43)
Richard Sanford, one of Santa Barbara's wine pioneers (Sanford & Benedict), continues to set a standard for the region with his Alma Rosa label. His 2008s, made by Christian Roguenant, are wonderfully nuanced, and this gorgeous estate bottling is deeply aromatic and mineral-edged, with tobacco and nutmeg, and a balance of delicate dark blue fruit and tangy wild strawberry.
2008 Au Bon Climat Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir ($50)
Talk about a classic Santa Barbara matchup: winemaker Jim Clendenen with the historic Sanford & Benedict site. A smoky cola-edged, nuanced take, with lots of robust dark cherry and dried moss; a mineral edge that lifts the finish. It's opulent, layered Sta. Rita Pinot with a serious pedigree.
2008 Byron Bien Nacido Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir ($40):
Byron turned out a solid lineup for 2008, but Bien Nacido particularly left an impression. A darker, loamier profile, with a subtle musk amid generous, rich plum and blackberry fruit. That deeper, earth-driven style could use some time to reach its full potential, but it's a compelling expression.
2008 Dragonette Cellars Cargasacchi-Jalama Vineyard Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir ($38):
This young label founded by Steve and John Dragonette and Brandon Sparks-Gillis has access to some of Santa Barbara's best vineyards, including this colder site southwest of the Sta. Rita Hills. Landing at just 13.3 percent alcohol and aged in neutral oak, it's impressively nuanced, with roasted orange highlights and a warm mace spice and musk, plus radiant raspberry and cherry.
2008 Lafond Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir ($27)
Bruce McGuire mixed estate grapes with fruit from the Arita Hills and Kick On Ranch sites for this accessible Sta. Rita cuvee. The nose has an earthy presence, with damp soil and nutmeg that accent tangy strawberry fruit. The vibrancy isn't all red fruit, though, with some black-fruit flavors adding a core of weight.

2008 Longoria Rancho Santa Rosa Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir ($45)

Rick Longoria found a terrific tension in this benchmark Sta. Rita site, with scents that are slightly sanguine and tightly wound. It's a weightier style, with lift and delicacy from an interplay of bright, brilliant strawberry and deeper huckleberry jam flavors.

And, why yes...there are MORE. Go see...at SFGate.com

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5:22 PM | |

Thursday, August 19, 2010 

EDC TGIF in Santa Ynez!

Mark your calendars for a great TGIF from the EDC.

SEPTEMBER 24, 5:30PM-7:30PM
After an extremely successful gathering at the Solvang Theaterfest in May, The Environmental Defense Center has decided to host another TGIF at the same location. Please mark your calendars and join us for live music, food, wine, beer and an opportunity to come together as a community and exchange ideas in a relaxed and friendly environment, offer support, strengthen connections, and promote environmental issues and awareness. The theme of this event will be local Santa Ynez Valley agriculture, and it will include a speaker from the county Agricultural Futures Alliance.

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8:51 PM | |

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