Eve Gives Lompoc a Shout Out – Eve's Wine and Spirits 101

Sneaking off to Lompoc and Santa Ynez soon…and since many of you have sent your suggestions I wanted to check in and fill you in on what we have planned. Feel free to email me if you have any other wine-filled ideas: eve@evewine101.com

We will spend Saturday in the Lompoc Ghetto with appointments set for us at Taste of Sta. Rita Hills, Jalama Wines, Fiddlehead Cellars, Palmina Wines and Zotovich Cellars. (I’ve never visited the Sta. Rita Hills tasting room or any of the others, so I used the LompocTrail.com website to plan my schedule.)

I didn’t want to miss Jalama as I know as they are supporting Circle of Hope by pouring at the Vine 2 Wine Classic on August 17 (join us: http://circleofhopeinc.org/events/vine2wineclassic), Fiddlehead supported our WiSH Education Foundation tasting in the library this year with wine donations, I enjoyed Palmina at a LearnAboutWine event and Zotovich had the best Pinot Noir that I tasted at a Henry Wine Group event. It was prime time that I visited all of these!

Free breakfast at O'Cairns — Free breakfast at O’Cairns

Knowing it was going to be a full day of tasting I wanted to stay at a nearby hotel in Lompoc where we could rest up before heading out to dinner. We chose O’Cairns Inn and Suites, this is what their website promised:

…an unsurpassed complimentary cooked-to-order hot breakfast each morning…complimentary drinks during our Happy Hour…Our rooms are home-like, and include large flat screen TV’s, pillow top mattresses and some even have leather recliners…premium ice cream available 24-hours in the Lobby…toiletries, DVD rentals (over 1000 DVD Library, including up-to-date new releases), complimentary laundry service (including detergents), daily passes to Walnut Pier Health Club and copies of USA Today.

I was relaxed just thinking about the hotel but, I had to make dinner reservations. I tried the uber-popular Succulent and was told that they were booked, two months in advance, for the time I wanted. A pal suggested the new SY Kitchen in Santa Ynez that was created by the same people behind Bar Toscana. The website promised Italian fare served in a three-room (one is a porch) farmhouse. And the Facebook page had photos of the chef torching artichokes and plating chicken dishes…that did make my mouth water.

For Sunday wine-tasting plans I contacted Cheryl Stauffer, the director of the Santa Ynez Valley Wine Country Association, for a new itinerary. She set us up to start at Lucas & Lewellen in Solvang where owner Louie Lucas was planning to meet up with us. “In addition to his own winery operation,” Stauffer said, “Louie has a wealth of information on the Santa Ynez Valley AVA, the terroir and farming.” (I was looking forward to meeting Louie as a pal of mine had secured a generous donation of his wine for our Pour Into Sandy tasting event.)

From there we were to have tastings at Lincourt Vineyards, Rideau Vineyard and Buttonwood Farm Winery. Of these threes I hadn’t had Lincourt since a 2003 tasting via Valencia Wine Company and Rideau would be totally new to me! I had met and lunched with Buttonwood winemaker Karen Steinwachs via another LearnAboutWine event and looked forward to seeing her again – or at least her wines!

So, in a very big nutshell, these are our plans. Once I take the trip I will report back via Twitter, Yelp, Trip Advisor, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Facebook, a website or print magazine and my Dear Wine Friend Newsletter because, what’s the point in tasting something great if you don’t shout about it???

About the Santa Ynez Valley Wine Country Association

We are an association of select boutique wineries located in the heard of the Santa Ynez, California. Each winery has a unique story , tasting room and selection of award winning wines for you to sample.

Wine tasting in the Santa Ynez Valley offers an outstanding opportunity to try a variety of premium wines including (but not limited to!) Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Merlot. While visiting, discover the charm of the village of Los Olivos, rustic Santa Ynez and the quaint Danish village of Solvang. You can use our printable map to plan your next outing or just pick up a picnic lunch and head out to our wineries.

Relax amidst the vines while taking in the ancient oaks stretching out over gently rolling hills. With a moderate climate, beautiful scenery and peaceful country living, the Santa Ynez Valley has become a wine tasting destination unlike any other.

We hope you enjoy your visit and make sure to add Santa Ynez Valley Wine Country to your permanent list of delightful getaways.

About the Lompoc Trail Tasting Rooms

Come explore the bountiful wine region along the Lompoc Wine Trail. Lompoc is the gateway to the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, which is renowned for exceptional Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Many of the wine producers in Lompoc have their vineyards, or source grapes from this region.

Scattered along the loop of Highway 246 and Santa Rosa Road from Lompoc to Buellton there are a number of wineries which also include some larger, estate wineries.

The Wine List for Lompoc Wine Trail

Lompoc

Wine Ghetto

Sta. Rita Hills

The Wine List for the Santa Ynez Valley Wine Country Association

Our Association members are located throughout the Santa Ynez Valley. In Los Olivos: Alexander & Wayne, Arthur Earl, Cimarone & 3CV Wines, Daniel Gehrs Wines and Toretti Family Vineyards. In Solvang: Buttonwood Farm Winery, Casa Cassara, Lincourt Vineyards, Lucas & Lewellen, Rideau Vineyard and Toccata. In Santa Ynez: Imagine Wine and in Buellton: Standing Sun Wines.

More Links

http://www.lompocghetto.com (The link now goes to lompoctrail.com)

http://tasteofstaritahills.com/

https://www.jalamawines.com/

http://www.fiddleheadcellars.com/

http://www.palminawines.com/

http://zotovichcellars.com/cm/Home.html

http://circleofhopeinc.org/events/vine2wineclassic

http://www.learnaboutwine.com/

http://www.ocairnsinnandsuites.com/

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g32645-d77552-Reviews-O_Cairns_Inn_Suites-Lompoc_California.html#REVIEWS

http://sykitchen.com/index.htm