Very pleased to be trying four new-to-me wines from the Santa Maria Valley and Santa Ynez: a Blanc de Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon all with the same winemaker and farmer though different vineyards. When I received the samples I also asked the owner who happens to be the farmer, James Ontiveros, for…
Do you remember the movie Sideways, the comedy film set in Santa Ynez? Memorable for wine lovers was the time the two despicable pals spent wine tasting at the Hitching Post…and things changed forever. Fast forward to today, last week in fact, when Eddie and I spent the day in the Danish-themed town of Solvang,…
It’s become our custom to escape some of the heat during the Las Vegas summers by planning a trip or two. It’s not always a wine-centric trip, but this year we wanted to do some wine tasting in an area that wouldn’t be as hot, so I did some googling and learned that Santa Barbara…
Join the Tradition! 40th Annual Santa Barbara Vintners Festival: A Must-Experience Wine Celebration On October 19, 2024, join the Santa Barbara Vintners to celebrate 40 years of exceptional wines at the legendary festival featuring gourmet food, world-class wines, and entertainment. Buellton, California—The Santa Barbara Vintners Association proudly announces the historic 40th annual celebration of Santa Barbara…
Solvang, California – Buttonwood Farm and Vineyard (www.buttonwoodwinery.com), a picturesque winery nestled in the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley, is proud to announce its partnership with Napa Valley Wine Academy (NVWA; www.napavalleywineacademy.com), a leading wine, spirits, beer, and sake education provider. The collaboration marks the launch of wine education classes at Buttonwood, NVWA’s Santa…
New restaurants, tasting rooms, and more continually refresh the experience, but the Santa Ynez Valley still manages to hold on to its charm (SANTA YNEZ VALLEY, Calif.) — The magic of the Santa Ynez Valley lies in how it continually innovates its wine country experience with fresh ways to taste, dine, recreate, and more, while…
I’ve met winemaker Paul Warson a couple of times at the popular Masters of Taste event in Pasadena. In one follow up article I had written this about him, “Warson is a seasoned winemaker with roots at UC Davis. He has made wine in places such as Australia, Napa, and the Central Coast. His longest…
Tickets now on sale for nearly two dozen events, each offering unique, up-close chance to wine and dine with the Santa Ynez Valley’s chefs and winemakers (SANTA YNEZ VALLEY, Calif.) — Tickets for Taste of the Santa Ynez Valley, the four-day, six-town celebration of the region’s bounty held each fall, are on sale now, Visit the…
Zaca Mesa Winery just celebrated its 50th anniversary. That’s quite an achievement in this relatively young wine region. The land was purchased in 1973 by John Cushman and five of his friends. It was only the third winery in Santa Barbary County and served as the training ground for many winemakers who then went on…
Our wine journey would probably have been a lot different if we hadn’t wandered into a certain modest storefront winery tasting room in downtown Los Olivos back in the mid-1990s. Yes, we had already discovered California Rhone wines with a bottle of Le Cigare Volant from Bonny Doon Vineyards that we had purchased at a…