SANTA BARBARA, CA – 2019 – The Santa Barbara Vintners Festival, now in its 37th year, stands out in a world awash in wine festivals. Not only is it one of the largest wine festivals in Southern California, but it is often the actual winemaker or winery owner who is pouring for the public. Slated for May 4, 2019 at Rancho Sisquoc Winery, this festival sets itself apart as the wine festival put on by winemakers for wine lovers.
Novice and experienced oenophiles alike get the opportunity to ask their wine related questions during the weekend’s signature Festival Grand Tasting. Held the afternoon of May 4th, at majestic Rancho Sisquoc, the Festival Grand Tasting features over 70 wineries, many pouring newly released wines. Local food purveyors, live music, culinary and wine demonstrations, and a silent auction are a perfect pairing with the wine.
The Santa Barbara Vintners Festival allows wine lovers to taste over 70 varietals grown locally. No other wine festival in the world offers the opportunity to experience more local grapes. Santa Barbara is blessed with such great diversity because of its unique geography which includes a transverse valley. This east-west valley creates a quilt of micro-climates in the area, allowing for the wide range of grapes that thrive.
Drawing on the wealth of wine knowledge represented at the Festival, guests will get a behind-the-scenes look at how wine is made. There will be museum-like displays providing insight into the winemaking world, from watching a cooper make barrels, to seeing how wine actually gets in the bottle, to barrel-tasting at the winery itself.
During the weekend of the Festival, the Vintners Visa is also available. This $50 Wine Country Tasting Pass allows guests to pick tastings at 12 wineries in the county with over 40 wineries to choose from during the May 2-6, 2019 window. This pass is the most robust tasting ticket offered all year.
Several ticket options are available for the Santa Barbara Vintners Festival. Early Entry VIP access ($100), which allows holders access to the Festival Grand Tasting an hour before it opens to the public, General Admission ($75), Locals Only ($60) and Designated Drivers and Under 21 ($25).
This year the Festival returns to Santa Maria’s Rancho Sisquoc Winery, the beloved site of past Festivals. The winery is part of a 37,000 acre cattle ranch and farm purchased in 1952 by Mr. and Mrs. James Flood, who still own the property today. The ranch is part of an 1852 Mexican land grant and the Chumash Indians called this area “Sisquoc,” which meant “gathering place.” Today, Rancho Sisquoc remains a gathering place, this time for wine lovers.
The northern region of the Santa Barbara County, Santa Maria Valley, is renowned for world-class Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah. The area boasts 34 tasting rooms, six unique AVAs, 13 beaches, and a growing selection of local breweries, all within a beautiful 30-minute drive. If you are looking for sand dunes, hiking trails, horseback riding, cycling, and authentic Santa Maria Style barbecue, you’ll find all in Santa Maria Valley. Santa Maria Valley is the perfect home base to eat, drink and do more for less. Guests who are staying at any Santa Maria Valley hotel receive a special pass that include tastings at Santa Maria Valley area tasting rooms.
Tickets for the festival are available online now, visit www.sbvintnersweekend.com for more information.
SANTA BARBARA VINTNERS
The Santa Barbara Vintners (Santa Barbara County Vintners Association) is a non- profit 501 (c) 6 organization founded in 1983 to support and promote Santa Barbara County as a world-class, authentic wine producing and wine grape growing region. The Association includes winery members whose annual production is at least 75% Santa Barbara County (or sub-AVA) labeled, winery associates, vineyards, vineyard management companies, hospitality, and industry associate members. The Association produces festivals and wine country weekends; educational seminars and tastings; provides information to consumers, trade, and media; and advocates for the Santa Barbara County wine and grape industry. www.sbcountywines.com
Among this year’s luminaries are names like l’Arpege’s Alain Passard, Misiòn 19’s Javier Plascencia, Ludo Lefebvre of Ludo Bites, Masaharu Morimoto of Morimoto restaurants from New York to Napa, internationally renowned Argentinean grill master and featured chef on the Netflix original series Chef’s Table Francis Mallmann, DAMA’s Antonia Lofaso, Richard Blais of Trail Blais, Michelle Bernstein of Café La Trova, Dean Fearing of Fearing’s Restaurant, and the chef dubbed “The Last Magnificent,” Jeremiah Tower. A prime opportunity for event-goers to rub shoulders and snap photos with a veritable “who’s who” of culinary legends will take place at the Lexus Grand Tasting Tent on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, which will feature 30 chefs and more than 300 wines from top-notch producers around the world. Other event highlights include:
“I have been immediately captivated by the opportunity to feature Château Sainte Roseline at the South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival. This later is one of the oldest international wine festivals in the US which has been widely acclaimed by both the wine industry and the general public,” said Aurélie Bertin, owner of 
The tasting will bring together wine aficionados and collectors for an extremely rare showcase of Laurel Glen vintages across four decades. Current winemaker Randall Watkins will be joined by the estate’s founding winemaker, Patrick Campbell, as well as Proprietor and Managing Partner Bettina Sichel and winegrower Phil Coturri to provide ‘behind the vine’ perspectives. This special event will be moderated by Esther Mobley, wine critic and journalist at the San Francisco Chronicle, who will provide insight and perspective on the nuances of each vintage.
The much-anticipated weekend’s events range from educational seminars to a live music BBQ, grand tasting, winemaker dinners and free winery open houses – all hosted amidst the spectacular beauty of Anderson Valley’s vineyards and towering redwood trees. Music lovers will be happy to learn about an added bonus – this year Camp Navarro will host a concert on Saturday evening. The events have achieved a loyal following for being distinctively uncrowded and unpretentious, with an array of Pinot Noir styles that serve as the ideal introduction (or refresher course!) to the Anderson Valley.
The valley walked away from 2018 with more awards to add to its repertoire. The highlights for the year included Alara Cellars, who took home Best of Show, Best White Wine, Best of Class and a Double Gold for their 2017 Grenache Blanc. Sarah’s Vineyard received Top Pinot of 2018 by Wine Spectacular for its Pinot Noir.
Casa Ferreirinha’s current sustainability accomplishments include: vineyard certification by the International Organization of Biological Control (IOBC) Integrated Production (IP) standards; growing floristic biodiversity as a means of promoting natural enemies of grapevine pests like the grape moth; preservation of indigenous grapevine varieties like the Touriga Nacional; use of renewable energy (hydro, wind, and solar); aggressive short-term plan for reduction in CO2e emissions; and education, medical, and insurance programs available to its workforce. The vineyard has been working towards this award for almost a decade. In 2009, Casa Ferrreirinha was a founding member of the Portuguese Association for Grapevine Diversity (PORVID), a non-profit association promoting biodiversity and managing the preservation of indigenous grapevine varieties like the Touriga Nacional.
Now that the federal government has approved the AVA, on January 14 bottles with “Van Duzer Corridor AVA” may be printed on labels from the AVA’s seven wineries nested within the Willamette Valley.
Among the elite list of wineries showcasing their most popular pours are: 1849 Wine, Alpha Omega, Barnett Vineyards, Bouchaine Vineyards, Hertelendy Vineyards, Venge Vineyards, Frank Family Vineyards, Hesperian Wines, Kale Wines, Michael Mondavi Family Estate, Miner Family Winery, O’Connell Family, Teachworth Napa Valley, TOR, Trinitas Cellars, VGS Chateau Potelle, Yount Ridge Cellars, Emerson Brown Wines, Staglin Family Vineyard, Burgess Cellars, Newton Vineyard, Hestan Vineyard, Cliff Family Winery + many more!