Eve's Wine 101

TASTE OF THE SANTA YNEZ VALLEY RETURNS SEPT. 28-OCT. 1

by

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 Santa Ynez Valley announced. Held from Sept. 28-Oct. 1, the four-day, six-town celebration offers an experiential culinary exploration of the region’s food, wine, and more — and the people behind it all. 

Brought together by two of the West’s most respected travel brands—Visit the Santa Ynez Valley and Sunset Magazine—the unique event showcases the best of the region. More than 100 restaurants, wineries, tasting rooms, breweries, and distilleries will collaborate for more than a dozen main and ancillary events set in and around the distinct communities that make up the Santa Ynez Valley — Ballard, Buellton, Los Alamos, Los Olivos, Santa Ynez, and Solvang. 

“Taste of the Santa Ynez Valley offers an intimate and immersive view of what makes this region so appealing, in a way that is both memorable and fun,” said Shelby Sim, President/CEO of Visit the Santa Ynez Valley, which is overseeing the event’s production. “Whether you are a local or a visitor, Taste of the Santa Ynez Valley is a can’t-miss opportunity for anyone who wants to savor the region’s wine, food, and experiences.” 

Taste of the Santa Ynez Valley explores specific communities each day, beginning with a day in Los Alamos, the region’s burgeoning haven for foodies, on Thursday, Sept. 28. The celebration ends on Oct. 1, with the best of Solvang. Along the way, attendees are invited to enjoy wine and beer tastings, special communal and chef-driven dinners, vineyard experiences, horseback riding, wine tumbler making, and much more. 

This year’s late-September start for Taste of the Santa Ynez Valley also represents the earliest start for the event, during what many consider to be a favorite time of year in the region for the season’s mild temperatures and the buzz of harvest.

“Early fall’s combination of ideal weather and the excitement of harvest has always brought an alluring energy to the region,” Sim said. “There may be no better way to harness that energy than by celebrating over the four days of Taste of the Santa Ynez Valley.”

This year, 5% of all ticket sales for every Taste of the Santa Ynez Valley event benefits People Helping People, a local nonprofit that is a primary provider of human and social services in the region.

For more information on tickets and a full list of Taste of the Santa Ynez Valley events, dates, and times, visit TasteSYV.com.

About the Santa Ynez Valley:
Barely two hours from Los Angeles and a scenic four-hour drive from San Francisco, the Santa Ynez Valley is home to six distinct towns each with its own culture, vibe, and menu of experiences. Blanketed with fruitful farms and vineyards, the California Central Coast wine region’s temperate weather allows for year-round activities of all sorts, spread throughout the historical communities of Ballard, Buellton, Los Alamos, Los Olivos, Santa Ynez, and Solvang. Destination dining and world-class wines await, accompanied by lodging at every level, all painted into atmospheric backdrops that colorfully mesh Old World and Old West. Visit more than 100 wineries, feast on chef-driven cuisine, and enjoy festive events and design details from Victorian-era to mid-century to modern Danish. For more information, including a listing of wedding venues, restaurants, wineries, tasting rooms, and events, go to VisitSYV.com.

# # # 

TASTE OF THE SANTA YNEZ VALLEY

Thursday, Sept. 28

  • Los Alamos Wine Tasting Reception at The Maker’s Son, featuring wines from Los Alamos and the Santa Maria Valley: 4-5:30 p.m.
  • Los Alamos Dinner, served on a communal table on Bell Street and showcasing Full of Life Flatbread, Bell’s, PICO, Plenty, and Bob’s Well Bread Bakery and paired with Los Alamos and Santa Maria Valley wines: 6-8 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 29

  • Vino Vaqueros Horseback Riding: 9-11 a.m.
  • Zipline Tour with Highline Adventures: 9-11 a.m.
  • Vineyard Tour & Tasting with Lumen Wines: 9-11 a.m.
  • Los Olivos Wine Tasting Reception at the Coquelicot Tasting Room Courtyard, featuring wines from Los Olivos, Ballard Canyon, Santa Ynez, and Happy Canyon served with local bites: 4-5:30 p.m.
  • Los Olivos Dinner, served on a communal table at The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern. Featuring cuisine from the kitchens of Mattei’s Tavern, Bar Le Cote, S.Y. Kitchen, Los Olivos Wine Merchant Café, and Enjoy Cupcakes, and paired with wines from Los Olivos and Ballard Canyon: 6-8 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 30

  • Horseback Ride and Classic Cowboy Breakfast at Alisal Ranch: 7:15-11:15 a.m.
  • Haywagon Ride and Classic Cowboy Breakfast at Alisal Ranch: 8:30-10:45 a.m.
  • Guided Hike on the Midland School Trail System, led by Midland students: 9-11 a.m.
  • Zipline Tour with Highline Adventures: 9-11 a.m.
  • Create Your Own “Chato” Wine Tumbler with Community Clayworks: 10 a.m.-noon.
  • Buellton Beer-Focused Tasting at Figueroa Mountain Brewing, featuring Santa Ynez Valley craft beer and Sta. Rita Hills and Buellton wines: Noon-3 p.m.
  • Santa Ynez Tasting Reception and Dinner at The Victor’s Coach House. Sample wines from Santa Ynez and Happy Canyon and cuisine from the kitchens of The Victor and other favorite Santa Ynez restaurants: 5:30-8:30 p.m. 

Sunday, Oct. 1

  • Stolpman Hike with Wine Tasting: 9-11 a.m.
  • Zipline Tour with Highline Adventures: 9-11 a.m.
  • Solvang Food and Wine Tasting at Solvang Park, featuring cuisine from the kitchens of Solvang’s favorite restaurants and paired with Santa Ynez Valley wines, local craft beer, and live music: Noon-3 p.m. 

Perlises Pick ForFriends Inn And Village

by

Very early in our wine journey, Santa Barbara Country was a focal point of our interest. Back in the 1980s and early 1990s, there weren’t too many tasting options there yet. Memories can be hazy, but we have very fond ones, such as visiting The Brander Vineyard and tasting wines in the barn before the tasting room was even built.

As years went by, we expanded our domestic wine tasting horizons, venturing farther north to Paso Robles, Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino and up to Washington. But, we had grown nostalgic for Santa Barbara County. Although we would visit occasionally, we recently decided that it was high time to pay more attention to the area.

When visiting a new wine region, or revisiting one after an extended hiatus, checking out the local vintners’ association is a good idea. The Santa Barbara Country Vintners’ Association (www.sbcountywines.com) is a great resource for member winery suggestions as well as lodging and dining. We really appreciate all of the help that SBCVA’s Director of Operations Philip Carpenter provided to us.

Our first order of business was deciding on lodging. We were looking for a place to stay a little removed from the bustle of Solvang and Los Olivos, but still with easy access to them as well as the surrounding wine regions. Close [but not too close] to the roundabout where Highways 154 and 246 meet, ForFriends Inn & Village fit this requirement perfectly, with the added benefit of being easy to get to the city of Santa Barbara if we wanted to explore the tasting rooms there.

But location was far from the only benefit of staying at FFI&V.

In 2012, two couples – Dave and Katie Pollock along with Jim and Debbie Campbell acquired the Edison Street Inn in Santa Ynez and turned it into the ForFriends Inn. The Campbells have since moved on, but the Pollocks have turned FFI into what felt to us like a home away from home; actually even better since we didn’t have to lift a finger. (By the way, Dave answered my unspoken question that the name was always For[not Four]Friends Inn, as the property was intended for all friends, new and old, to enjoy.)

But the Pollocks weren’t done.

Ten years later in 2022, ForFriends Village came online. Just a very short walk around the corner from the original Inn, the Village is made up of six “tiny inns” in their own little community. Greatly expanding capacity from the eight rooms at the Inn, these rooms can hold up to four occupants each, include a kitchenette and are ideal for those wanting additional privacy or for a larger traveling party. Indeed, all or parts of the entire property are available for large groups and even corporate retreats.

Your day can revolve around what FFI&V has to offer. Starting with a delicious breakfast, guests have an option of scrambled eggs with perfectly cooked bacon or a daily special, also served with bacon. On our visit, our choices included banana pancakes with homemade coffee whipped cream, tomato quiche and chorizo breakfast tacos. In addition to the main course, breakfast includes a fruit cup with yogurt and granola as a starter, along with coffee and an assortment of juices.  Rosemary popovers were also served.  For the record, one day it was sausage instead of bacon, but since the sausage was some of the best we’ve had, there were no complaints from us.  

But FFI&V doesn’t stop there. A Friendship Pass is provided to all guests, which enables them to take advantage of some great winery, shopping and dining discounts throughout the area. After a day of enjoying Santa Barbara County, don’t forget to come back to the Inn for the daily happy hour of charcuterie and local wine; if you’re lucky, you may even get to be entertained by Dave on his guitar.  Depending on the weather, you can enjoy your wine and hors d’oeuvres in the gardens at the front and back of the inn.  The front porch is convenient too. Your day with ForFriends isn’t done though – don’t forget to bring the Friendship Pass with you to dinner as some local restaurants participate in it as well. If you need something sweet before going to bed, FFI&V has cookies and dessert wine to enjoy. Then, you can finally retire to your luxurious room after a day well spent.  

The above all sounds pretty terrific, doesn’t it? But do you know what the best part of all this is? It’s the amazing team that the Pollocks have put together. We want to thank Dave and Katie, along with Kalin, Sandra, Vanessa, Ben and Spencer [who we didn’t meet but feel like we did] for making us feel like we were part of the ForFriends family.

ForFriends Inn & Village

www.forfriendsinn.com

1121 Edison Street, Santa Ynez, CA 93460

Michael and Karen Perlis have been pursuing their passion for wine for more than 30 years. They have had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show them the way and after a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting wineries and vineyards, and tasting as much wine as they possibly could, they had the amazing luck to meet Eve Bushman. Michael and Karen do their best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers.

Discover the Next Great Micro-Production Winemakers: The Garagiste Festival Returns to Sonoma April 29th

by

PASO ROBLES, CA (PRWEB) – America’s Best Wine Festival[1], The Garagiste Festival: Northern Exposure, returns to Sonoma for the fifth time on April 29th, offering rare and first-look access to the best, hard-to-find wines from over 40 micro-production, commercial wineries. Held at the Sonoma Veterans Memorial Hall, walking distance from Sonoma’s historic downtown plaza, the festival features wineries from Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino, Lodi, Sierra Foothills, Suisun Valley, Anderson Valley, El Dorado County and Santa Clara Valley. Tickets now on sale here.

“‘Micro,’ ‘hand-crafted,’ ‘hard-to-find’ and ‘quality’ are terms that define the Garagiste Festival, and nowhere is this more in evidence than at our Sonoma festival: 90% of these wineries do not have a tasting room you can visit, 60% make less than 600 cases and four are pouring their very first vintage,” said Garagiste Co-founder Douglas Minnick. “The Sonoma Garagiste Festival is the only place where area wine lovers have this many opportunities to taste the region’s greatest micro-production wineries. all under one roof. While the festival ethos is ‘no-snobs allowed,’ its wine discovery opportunity is exclusive because we keep our crowds small for one-on-one interaction with the winemakers.”

Minnick noted that 17 of this year’s wineries, are brand new to the Garagiste Festival, including: Bard Clan Wines, Belong Wine Co., Darling Wines, Elaine Wines, Fest Wine Co., Mangels Vineyards, Manzanita Grove Vineyard, Monroy Wines, Moose Mountain Vineyards, Parea Wines, Puppione Family Wines, Stressed Vines Cellars, Sugarloaf Wine Co., The Elkhoury Family Vineyard, Thomas T Thomas Vineyards, Tiny Vineyards Wine Co and Tognetti Family Winery.

The line-up for the 5th annual Garagiste Festival: Northern Exposure includes:

  • VIP Rare and Reserve Access (1-2pm), featuring library, club only or reserve wines, only being poured during this first hour (VIP tickets only)
  • Grand Tasting (2pm-5pm) featuring over 40 winemakers pouring 150+ wines and 20+ different grape varieties. Includes complimentary cheese and charcuterie, along with delicious food samples from local artisan vendors and a souvenir crystal wine glass.
  • Silent Wine Auction with proceeds supporting the Garagiste Scholarship at Cal Poly SLO, to help fund the future of California winemaking.

The Northern Exposure festival is the second event of the 2023 Garagiste Festival season, preceded by the sold out Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure in Solvang in February, and followed by The Garagiste Festival: Urban Exposure in Los Angeles (June 17) and the ‘OG’ Festival in Paso Robles (November 10-11). The Garagiste Festival premiered in Paso Robles in 2011 and is the only wine festival that exclusively features high quality wines from commercial California ‘garagiste’ winemakers. Unlike other festivals, the wines are poured by the winemakers/owners themselves, offering a rare opportunity to interact with the creative forces behind the wines, while making brand new wine discoveries. The festival expanded to the Sonoma region in 2018 to highlight the wines of Sonoma, and surrounding Northern California AVAs.

Among the 40+ winemakers scheduled to pour are:
Alta Orsa Wines, *Bard Clan Wines, *Belong Wine Co., Boonville Road Wines, Burning Bench, Calstar Cellars, Carpenter Wine, Cazadero Winery, Dane Cellars, *Darling Wines, *Elaine Wines, Enriquez Wines, *Fest Wine Co., Fields Family Wines, Forgotten Union Wines, Gondak Cellars, Greyscale Wines, Intent Wines, Kendric Vineyards, Kitson Wines, Lussier Wine Co., *Mangels Vineyards, *Manzanita Grove Vineyard, *Monroy Wines, *Moose Mountain Vineyards, Murder Ridge, Omega Road Winery, *Parea Wines, Perri Jaye Vineyards, Pine Mountain Vineyards, Prima Materia, *Puppione Family Wines, Read Holland Wines, Ricci Vineyards, Rock & Clay Wines, *Stressed Vines Cellars, *Sugarloaf Wine Co., *The Elkhoury Family Vineyard, The Grenachista Wine Co., *Thomas T Thomas Vineyards, *Tiny Vineyards Wine Co and *Tognetti Family Winery.
*New to the festival

For more information and full Garagiste Festival: Northern Exposure schedule details, go to: http://www.garagistefestival.com/

Tickets are limited for Garagiste Festival Northern Exposure. Garagiste Festivals always sell out in advance. To buy tickets, go to: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/4th-annual-garagiste-wine-festival-northern-exposure-tickets-269198980397

For breaking Garagiste Festival news and special discounts, sign-up for our free newsletter, The Dirt, at https://www.garagistefestival.com/garagiste-blog or follow us on Twitter (@GaragisteFest) or Facebook.

Sponsors include:
G3 Enterprises, Bank of Marin, ETS Laboratories, Laffort USA, Digital Dogma, AgWest Farm Credit, mWEBB Communications, Fortis Solutions Group, Glenn Burdette, Sonoma Valley Sun, TricorBraun winepak, WIVI.

For sponsorship info, email info@garagistefestival.com.

About The Garagiste Wine Festival
The Garagiste Wine Festival (http://www.garagistefestival.com), named “Best of the Fests” for 2019 by Fest Forums and the ‘Best Wine Festival in the US in 2018 in USA Today’s 10Best Readers Choice Awards, is the first and only wine festival dedicated to the undiscovered and under-recognized American artisan ‘garagiste’ micro-wineries who are making some of the best, most exciting, handcrafted small-lot production wines in the world. Founded by fellow garagistes Stewart McLennan and Douglas Minnick, the Garagiste Festivals are committed to discovering the best and most innovative limited-production winemakers and promoting and showcasing them to a broad audience of discerning wine consumers. In addition to its flagship annual festival in Paso Robles, CA, the Garagiste Festival line-up includes Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure, featuring Santa Ynez Valley garagistes; the Garagiste Festival: Urban Exposure, in Los Angeles; the Garagiste Festival, Northern Exposure, in Sonoma; winemaker dinners, a newsletter, garagiste profiles and more.

In addition to being named the US’ Best Wine Festival, the Garagiste Festival was named one of the ‘Top Nine Incredible Epicurean Vacations’ in the world by ABC News, “one of the premier wine events of the year,” by the LA Times and “Best Festival” by Sunset Magazine’s ‘Best of the West.’ The festivals are produced by Garagiste Events, a non-profit dedicated to furthering the education of future winemakers and those training for employment within the wine industry. Proceeds from the festivals support the Garagiste Festival Scholarship fund of the California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo Wine and Viticulture Department.

*Garagiste (garage-east) is a term originally used in the Bordeaux region of France to denigrate renegade small-lot wine makers, sometimes working in their “garages” (anything considered not a chateau), who refused to follow the “rules,” and is now a full-fledged movement responsible for making some of the best wine in the world. The Garagiste Festivals were the first to shine a light on the American garagiste winemaker in 2011.

[[1]] The Garagiste Wine Festival was named “Best of the Fests” by Fest Forums and the ‘Best Wine Festival in the US in USA Today’s 10Best Readers Choice Awards

Garagiste Wine Festival Returns to Santa Ynez Valley: February 10th and 11th

by

PASO ROBLES, CALIF. (PRWEB) – America’s Best Wine Festival, The Garagiste Wine Festival, returns to Solvang in Santa Ynez Valley on February 10th – 11th, offering rare access to over 30 of the most exciting small-production winemakers from the Santa Barbara County area. Tickets are now on sale here. Following on the heels of another sold-out year of events, the festival also announced its line-up for 2023, which includes Sonoma, Los Angeles and Paso Robles.

Hosted in Solvang, one of America’s 10 Best Small Historic Towns, for the ninth time, ‘Southern Exposure’ will be held at the landmark Mission-style Veterans’ Memorial Hall on Solvang’s Mission Street, which was named one of the US’ Top Ten Best Looking Main Streets.

“This charming town has a special place in our hearts, not least because it is at the center of some of the best winemaking in the world, but also because it is a beautiful and walkable place to spend a weekend –all while tasting over 150 ultra-premium, handcrafted small-lot production wines, and meeting their winemakers, under one roof,” said Doug Minnick, Garagiste Festival Co-founder.

2023 ‘Southern Exposure’ includes Garagiste’s Friday night signature “Rare & Reserve” tasting with a traditional Santa Maria-style BBQ dinner buffet on February 10th and the Grand Tasting on Saturday February 11th, which includes a Silent Auction filled with first-rate wine packages that benefit The Garagiste Festival Scholarship Fund at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Weekend Pass holders have entry into both events, along with lunch and a special Valentine’s Day treat. Sunday, February 12th is the popular Garagiste Passport Day, during which several participating wineries – including some “Garagiste Graduate” wineries who have poured with Garagiste in past, but have grown larger in over the years – will be offering special treats and discounts for Garagiste Festival attendees.

“We love our Solvang event,” continued Minnick. “The Vet’s Hall is right in the heart of the village and makes for a fantastic casual weekend of walking the town, seeing the sights, and enjoying the many restaurants, shops, and all that Solvang has to offer. It’s a great way to get a jump on celebrating with your Valentine. And Sunday’s Passport Day is a perfect excuse to take an extra day and night in town. Call in sick if you have to – we always do!”

Southern Exposure starts the 2023 Garagiste Festival season which will bring hundreds of new wine discoveries from across California to wine lovers in Solvang, Paso Robles, Sonoma and Los Angeles. Of the nearly 200 wineries showcased by the festival in 2022, 45 were new to the festival. The 2023 line-up, in addition to Solvang, includes: Garagiste ‘Northern Exposure’ in Sonoma (April 29), Garagiste ‘Urban Exposure’ in Los Angeles (June 17) and the ‘OG’ Festival in Paso Robles (November 10-11).

The Garagiste Festival premiered in Paso Robles in 2011 and is the only wine festival that exclusively features high quality wines from commercial California ‘garagiste’ winemakers. Unlike other festivals, the wines are poured by the winemakers/owners themselves, offering a rare opportunity to interact with the creative forces behind the wines, while making brand new wine discoveries. The festival expanded to the Santa Ynez Valley in 2013 to highlight the wines of Santa Barbara County and surrounding AVAs, as well as small production wineries from across California.

The 30+ winemakers scheduled to pour at the Garagiste Festival Southern Exposure include: 
Camin’s 2 Dream, Costa Vinedo*, Cypher Winery, Diablo Paso, Dusty Nabor Wines, Entourage Wines, Fuil Wines*, Greyscale Wiines, Hayseed and Housdon, Herrmann York Wine*, Imagine Wines, Kendric Vineyards, Kimsey Vineyard, Lepiane Wines, LePoidevin Cellars, Lions Peak Winery, MCV Wines, Montagne Russe, Montemar Winery, Pine Moutain Vineyards, RF Fine Wines, Seven Oxen Estate, Silver Wines, Steinbeck Vineyards, Sycamore Ranch, Tercero Wines, Tomi Cellars, Trixon Wine Company.*

*New Wineries

For more information and full Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure schedule details, go to: http://www.garagistefestival.com/

Tickets are limited for Garagiste Festival Southern Exposure. Garagiste Festivals always sell out in advance. To buy tickets, go to: https://www.my805tix.com/e/garagiste-solvang

For breaking Garagiste Festival news and special discounts, sign-up for our free newsletter, The Dirt, at https://www.garagistefestival.com/garagiste-blog or follow us on Twitter (@GaragisteFest) or Facebook.

Sponsors include: 
Bank of Marin, Digital Dogma, ETS Laboratories, Farm Credit West, Fortis Solutions Group, G3, Glenn Burdette, Laffort, mWEBB Communications, Santa Ynez Valley, Solvang, TricorBraun winepak, Vinland Hotel & Lounge, WIVI.

About The Garagiste Wine Festival 
The Garagiste (pronounced garage-east)Wine Festival (http://www.garagistefestival.com), named “Best of the Fests” for 2019 by Fest Forums and the ‘Best Wine Festival in the US in 2018 in USA Today’s 10Best Readers Choice Awards, is the first and only wine festival dedicated to the undiscovered and under-recognized American artisan ‘garagiste’ micro-wineries who are making some of the best, most exciting, handcrafted small-lot production wines in the world. Founded by fellow garagistes Stewart McLennan and Douglas Minnick, the Garagiste Festivals are committed to discovering the best and most innovative limited-production winemakers and promoting and showcasing them to a broad audience of discerning wine consumers. In addition to its flagship annual festival in Paso Robles, CA, the Garagiste Festival line-up includes Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure, featuring Santa Ynez Valley garagistes; the Garagiste Festival: Urban Exposure, in Los Angeles; the Garagiste Festival, Northern Exposure, in Sonoma; winemaker dinners, a newsletter, garagiste profiles and more.

In addition to being named the US’ Best Wine Festival, the Garagiste Festival was named one of the ‘Top Nine Incredible Epicurean Vacations’ in the world by ABC News, “one of the premier wine events of the year,” by the LA Times and “Best Festival” by Sunset Magazine’s ‘Best of the West.’ The festivals are produced by Garagiste Events, a non-profit dedicated to furthering the education of future winemakers and those training for employment within the wine industry. Proceeds from the festivals support the Garagiste Festival Scholarship fund of the California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo Wine and Viticulture Department.

Garagiste (garage-east) is a term originally used in the Bordeaux region of France to denigrate renegade small-lot wine makers, sometimes working in their “garages” (anything considered not a chateau), who refused to follow the “rules,” and is now a full-fledged movement responsible for making some of the best wine in the world. The Garagiste Festivals were the first to shine a light on the American garagiste winemaker in 2011.

Santa Ynez Valley adds two more restaurants to MICHELIN Guide California

by

TWO NEW MICHELIN-RATED RESTAURANTS FURTHER CEMENT THE SANTA YNEZ VALLEY’S POSITION AS A CULINARY POWERHOUSE OF CALIFORNIA’S CENTRAL COAST
Bar Le Côte and peasants FEAST among 37 statewide additions to MICHELIN Guide California, joining Bell’s Los Alamos which already boasts a MICHELIN Star

(SANTA YNEZ VALLEY, Calif.) — The Santa Ynez Valley is now home to two more MICHELIN-rated restaurants after Bar Le Côte in Los Olivos and peasants FEAST in Solvang were recently added to the MICHELIN Guide California. Bar Le Côte and peasants FEAST were among the 37 “New” restaurants to be added to the MICHELIN Guide California.

The two restaurants join a growing list of restaurants in the Santa Ynez Valley to have earned a MICHELIN rating. Bell’s — a beloved French-inspired bistro in Los Alamos and sister restaurant to Bar Le Côte — became the first Santa Ynez Valley restaurant to earn a coveted MICHELIN Star in 2021. And First & Oak in Solvang was the first Santa Ynez Valley restaurant to be included in the California Guide when it was awarded a MICHELIN Plate in 2019.

Coincidentally, the announcement was timed between two of the Santa Ynez Valley’s biggest culinary celebrations: The immersive Taste of the Santa Ynez Valley, which took place Nov. 4-6, and Santa Ynez Valley Restaurant Weeks, which are scheduled for Jan. 16-31, 2023.

The full MICHELIN Guide distinction of both Bar Le Côte and peasants FEAST will be announced on Dec. 5 during the MICHELIN Star Revelation event at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.

“We are thrilled that the MICHELIN Guide has recognized two more incredibly deserving Santa Ynez Valley restaurants,” said Shelby Sim, President & CEO of Visit the Santa Ynez Valley. “The Santa Ynez Valley has built a reputation as the wine country jewel of California’s Central Coast. But thanks in large part to innovative kitchens such as those of Bar Le Côte, peasants FEAST, Bell’s, First & Oak, and others, the Santa Ynez Valley has earned its reputation as a world-class food destination, too. Not only do Bar Le Côte and peasants FEAST showcase the quality of Santa Ynez Valley cuisine, but they are also indicative of the growing diversity of the region’s culinary scene.” 

Bar Le Côte

Under the direction of Chef and Co-owner Brad Mathews and husband-and-wife team Greg and Daisy Ryan, who also co-own Bell’s, Bar Le Côte opened in 2021 in the quaint wine country town of Los Olivos. With cuisine inspired by the daily catch of the Central Coast and the modern cuisine of Europe’s seaside capitals, the casual and stylish seafood tavern has been an instant hit.

According to the MICHELIN Guide description of Bar Le Côte: “Slide in to one of the booths or banquettes and settle in for a meal that is an ode to the sea and is best enjoyed with shared plates.”

“We opened Bar Le Côte in 2021 with the intent of bringing an exciting new restaurant to the region that married the modern cuisine of Europe’s seaside villages with the abundant resources available to us here in the Santa Ynez Valley and along the Central Coast,” said Greg Ryan, co-owner of Bar Le Côte. “We knew that with chef/owner Brad Mathews, general manager Grace Gates, and the rest of the team in place, the sky was the limit. It’s wonderful to be recognized among a community of restaurants, farmers, and chefs that are raising the Santa Ynez Valley’s culinary bar even higher.” 

peasants FEAST

Chef Michael Cherney and his wife, Sarah — both veterans of the Santa Ynez Valley culinary scene — opened peasants FEAST in downtown Solvang in April 2020 just as the pandemic began to take hold. Opening under the weight of the worst crisis to ever face the restaurant industry was hardly ideal. But peasants FEAST managed to not just survive, it thrived with the Cherneys’ unique take on seasonal, farm-to-table comfort food.

According to the MICHELIN Guide description of peasants FEAST: “It may seem impossible to be even more charming than its Solvang surroundings, but peasants FEAST doubles down, and delivers. This daytime-only café from Michael and Sarah Cherney spotlights the seasons on its sandwich-driven menu.”

“When we opened peasants FEAST in April 2020, only two weeks into the pandemic, we did it as an expression of appreciation to our local community, our farmers, ranchers, fishermen, winemakers, brewers, and all of our regional food and drink purveyors,” said Michael Cherney, chef and co-owner of peasants FEAST. “We never expected that appreciation to be returned with the level of support that it has, including this great honor of being included in the MICHELIN Guide due to that support, the heartfelt reviews, and all of the foodie love.”

For more information, or to research events and attractions, book lodging and activities, and create a custom travel itinerary, visit visitsyv.com.

About Bar Le Côte:
Bar Le Côte is a stylish seafood tavern located in Los Olivos, California. Inspired by the daily catch of the Central Coast and the modern cuisine of Europe’s seaside capitals, our team, led by co-owner and chef Brad Mathews prepares thoughtful maritime fare in a casual, social atmosphere helmed by General Manager Grace Gates.

About peasants FEAST:
Hospitality industry duo, chef Michael Cherney and wife, Sarah, brought more than three decades of restaurant experience to their peasants FEAST and peasants DELI & MARKET enterprises with time spent in Michelin-starred, Los Angeles (Ortolan) and Las Vegas (L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon) kitchens, and with familiar, highly-regarded California Central Coast eateries – including the late Sides Hardware and Shoes. At their two Solvang locations, peasants FEAST (opened April 2020) and peasants DELI & MARKET (opened January 2022), the pair offers scratch-made comfort foods directly tied to local farmers and purveyors of artisanal foods and beverages. As independent, family- and woman-owned and operated food businesses, peasants FEAST and peasants DELI honor every part of each plant and animal destined for their menus, through deliberate dishes meant to highlight the local agricultural community.

About the Santa Ynez Valley:
Barely two hours from Los Angeles and a scenic four-hour drive from San Francisco, the Santa Ynez Valley is home to six distinct towns each with its own culture, vibe, and menu of experiences. Blanketed with fruitful farms and vineyards, the California Central Coast wine region’s temperate weather allows for year-round activities of all sorts, spread throughout the historical communities of Ballard, Buellton, Los Alamos, Los Olivos, Santa Ynez, and Solvang. Destination dining and world-class wines await, accompanied by lodging at every level, all painted into atmospheric backdrops which colorfully mesh Old World and Old West. Visit more than 100 wineries, feast on chef-driven cuisine, and enjoy festive events and design details from Victorian-era to mid-century to modern Danish. For more information, including a listing of wedding venues, restaurants, wineries, tasting rooms, and events, go to VisitSYV.com.

America’s Best Wine Festival Returns to Sonoma with 40+ Garagiste Winemakers April 30th

by

PASO ROBLES, CALIF. (PRWEB) – America’s Best Wine Festival, The Garagiste Festival: Northern Exposure, returns to Sonoma on April 30th offering rare access to the region’s best, hard-to-find wines from over 40 micro-production, commercial wineries from Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Lodi, Sierra Foothills and Livermore and more. The festival will once again be held at the Sonoma Veterans Memorial Hall, walking distance from Sonoma’s historic downtown plaza. Tickets are on sale here.

Of this year’s 40+ wineries, 17 are brand new to the Garagiste Festival, including Accenti Wines, Amrita Cellars, Boete Winery, Box Wine Company, Brueskok Cellars, Cazadero Winery, Cormorant Cellars, Forgotten Union Wines, Guererro Fernandez Wines, Kobler Estate, Lussier Wine Co., Read Holland Wines, Rondure Wines, Stringer Cellars, Terre et Sang, The Grenachista Wine Co., and Wild Rising Wines.

“We are so excited to bring our Northern Exposure festival back to one of California’s most stunning wine regions, after a two year absence,” said Garagiste Festival Co-founder Doug Minnick. “If it is anything like our recent Paso and Solvang festival returns, it will be a joyful reunion of some of the region’s best, most exciting winemakers with one of the most passionate, dedicated and fun-loving audiences the wine industry has to offer.’

The Garagiste Festival premiered in 2011 and is the nation’s first and only festival to showcase the wines of micro-production commercial ‘garagiste*’ winemakers. It expanded to Sonoma in 2018 to highlight the wines of Sonoma County and surrounding AVAs, as well as other small production wineries from Northern California. Named ‘Best of Fests’ and the ‘Best Wine Festival in the USA,’ the festival showcases under-the-radar, innovative, commercial winemakers who handcraft 1500 cases or less of wine.

“Over 90% of Northern Exposure participants do not have a tasting room, and you will never find these wines in grocery stores or on wine country maps,” continued Minnick. “The festival offers wine lovers a singular chance to discover and meet the next great winemakers, taste their delicious and diverse wines and talk to them directly about their winemaking styles. And it is all offered under one roof in the festival’s signature ‘no snobs allowed’ atmosphere.”

The 4th annual Garagiste Festival: Northern Exposure will be held on Saturday, April 30, at the Sonoma Veterans Building and includes:

  • VIP Rare and Reserve Tasting (1-2pm), featuring library, club only or reserve wines, only being poured during this first hour
  • Grand Tasting (2pm-5pm) featuring over 150 wines and 25 different grape varieties, and includes complimentary cheese and charcuterie, along with delicious food samples from local artisan vendors and a souvenir Stolzle crystal wine glass.
  • Silent Wine Auction with proceeds supporting the Garagiste Scholarship at Cal Poly SLO, to help fund the future of California winemaking.

Among the 40+ winemakers scheduled to pour are:
*Accenti Wiens, *Amrita Cellars, *Boete Winery, *Box Wine Company, *Brueskok Cellars, Burning Bench, Calstar Cellars, *Cazadero Winery, *Cormorant Cellars, Crux Winery, Cutruzzola Vineyards, Dane Cellars, DeWitt Vineyard, Enriquez Wines, *Forgotten Union Wines, Gondak Cellars, *Guerrero Fernandez Wines, Kendric Vineyards, *Kobler Estate, *Lussier Wine Co, Merisi Wines, Montagne Russe, Murder Ridge, Passagio Wines, Perri Jaye Vineyards, Pine Mountain Vineyard, *Read Holland, Ricci Vineyards, Rock & Clay Wines, *Rondure Wines, Sosie Wines, St. Romedius Wines, *Stringer Cellars, T. Berkley Wines, *Terre et Sang, *The Grenachista Wine Co, Topel Winery, Weatherborne Wine Co, *Wild Rising Wines.
*New to the festival

COVID-19 Prevention Measures/Requirements
Please note that we are closely monitoring the current situation to ensure the health and safety of all those attending the Sonoma Garagiste Festival. Because our events are being held indoors, as the event approaches, attendees will receive regular updates regarding current protocols and procedures that may be required to attend The Garagiste Wine Festival, including any changes to policies and procedures from Sonoma County. Updates will be shared on our Sonoma 2022 Event Page, through our social media channels, and direct to ticket holders via email.

For more information and full Garagiste Festival: Northern Exposure schedule details, go to: http://www.garagistefestival.com/

Tickets are limited for Garagiste Festival Northern Exposure. Garagiste Festivals always sell out in advance. To buy tickets, go to: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/4th-annual-garagiste-wine-festival-northern-exposure-tickets-269198980397

For breaking Garagiste Festival news and special discounts, sign-up for our free newsletter, The Dirt, at https://www.garagistefestival.com/garagiste-blog or follow us on Twitter (@GaragisteFest) or Facebook.

Sponsors include
G3 Enterprises, Bank of Marin, ETS, Laffort USA, Digital Dogma, Farm Credit West, mWEBB Communications, Glenn Burdette, Sonoma Valley Sun, WIVI.

For sponsorship info, email info@garagistefestival.com.

About The Garagiste Wine Festival
The Garagiste Wine Festival (http://www.garagistefestival.com), named “Best of the Fests” for 2019 by Fest Forums and the ‘Best Wine Festival in the US in 2018 in USA Today’s 10Best Readers Choice Awards, is the first and only wine festival dedicated to the undiscovered and under-recognized American artisan ‘garagiste’ micro-wineries who are making some of the best, most exciting, handcrafted small-lot production wines in the world. Founded by fellow garagistes Stewart McLennan and Douglas Minnick, the Garagiste Festivals are committed to discovering the best and most innovative limited-production winemakers and promoting and showcasing them to a broad audience of discerning wine consumers. In addition to its flagship annual festival in Paso Robles, CA, the Garagiste Festival line-up includes Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure, featuring Santa Ynez Valley garagistes; the Garagiste Festival: Urban Exposure, in Los Angeles; the Garagiste Festival, Northern Exposure, in Sonoma; winemaker dinners, a newsletter, garagiste profiles and more.

In addition to being named the US’ Best Wine Festival, the Garagiste Festival was named one of the ‘Top Nine Incredible Epicurean Vacations’ in the world by ABC News, “one of the premier wine events of the year,” by the LA Times and “Best Festival” by Sunset Magazine’s ‘Best of the West.’ The festivals are produced by Garagiste Events, a non-profit dedicated to furthering the education of future winemakers and those training for employment within the wine industry. Proceeds from the festivals support the Garagiste Festival Scholarship fund of the California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo Wine and Viticulture Department.

*Garagiste (garage-east) is a term originally used in the Bordeaux region of France to denigrate renegade small-lot wine makers, sometimes working in their “garages” (anything considered not a chateau), who refused to follow the “rules,” and is now a full-fledged movement responsible for making some of the best wine in the world. The Garagiste Festivals were the first to shine a light on the American garagiste winemaker in 2011.

Garagiste Wine Festival Returns to Solvang: February 25th and 26th

by

SOLVANG, CALIF. (PRWEB) – The Garagiste Wine Festival returns to Solvang February 25th and 26th, 2022, offering rare access to the best small-production winemakers from the Santa Barbara County area. Tickets are currently on sale here.

‘Southern Exposure,’ which follows on the heels of a sold-out Garagiste Festival in Paso Robles last November, will again be held at Solvang’s historic Mission-style Veterans’ Memorial Hall. The event features a wide diversity of grape varieties vinified into over 150 different wines and unique blends, offering wine lovers one-of-a-kind opportunities to taste a range of the year’s most exciting, handcrafted small-lot production wines all under one roof.

“We are thrilled to return to Solvang after a three year absence. While the pandemic may have prevented us from gathering, it did not prevent these extraordinary winemakers from crafting their fantastic wines, and we cannot wait to showcase them next month in-person to our very appreciative and enthusiastic attendees,” said Garagiste Festival Co-founder Douglas Minnick.

The Garagiste Festival, which premiered in Paso Robles in 2011, is the nation’s first and only festival to showcase the wines of micro-production commercial ‘garagiste*’ winemakers, and was named “Best of the Fests” by Fest Forums and the ‘Best Wine Festival in the US by USA Today. It expanded to the Santa Ynez Valley in 2013 to highlight the wines of Santa Barbara County and surrounding AVAs, as well as small production wineries from across California. It has been a consistent sell-out ever since.

This year’s Garagiste Festival ‘Southern Exposure’ includes its Friday night signature “No Repeats, Rare & Reserve” event, and Saturday’s Grand Tasting, which includes a Silent Auction filled with first-rate wine packages that benefit The Garagiste Festival Scholarship Fund at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

“Solvang has always been a very welcoming place for our attendees, and the stunningly beautiful surrounding area is fertile ground for some of the Central Coast’s most exciting winemakers,” continued Minnick. “The atmosphere at Southern Exposure is always lively, fun, and relaxed — true to our no-snobs allowed tradition, and the perfect way to make new wine discoveries, all while taking the time to fully savor and appreciate these fabulous wines.”

Minnick noted that in an effort to promote a more open flow and greater social distancing within the venue, for this year, there will be no VIP Seminar as in the past, with that space used to include as many wineries as possible, while still giving everyone safe and ample space to share their wines.

THE GARAGISTE FESTIVAL SOUTHERN EXPOSURE 2022 LINE UP (all events held at Veteran’s Memorial Hall)

No Repeats Rare & Reserve Tasting, Friday February 25th — 6:30-9:00pm

This intimate event with winemakers showcases limited samples of Reserve, Club Only, Library and Pre-Release bottles, as well as some barrel samples A taco buffet is included from Ibarra Catering & Eatery.

The Main Event – The Grand Tasting – Saturday, February 26th – 2:00 – 5:00pm

The festival’s Grand Tasting showcases 30 local winemakers. Complimentary cheese and charcuterie, as well as food samples from local artisan vendors will be included; but, for bigger appetites, The Ibarra Catering Truck will be on hand to provide bigger bites for purchase.

Early Access tickets are also available, providing one and a half hours of unlimited access prior to the main event from 12:30-2:00pm.

The non-profit Garagiste Festival supports the Garagiste Festival Scholarships at the Wine and Viticulture Department at Cal Poly University San Luis Obispo.

The 30+ winemakers scheduled to pour at the Garagiste Festival Southern Exposure include:

Ann Albert Wines, Bolt To Wines, Camins 2 Dreams*, Cavaletti Vineyards, Crazy Woman Cellars*, Dana V. Wines, Demeter Family Cellars, Diablo Paso, DreamCote Wines, Dusty Nabor Wines, El Lugar Wines, Entourage Wines, Familia Hicks, Imagine Wines, Kendric Vineyards, Lions Peak Winery, Marin’s Vineyard, MCV Wines, Montemar Winery, Purple Dragon Cellars, Quench & Temper, RF Fine Wines, Seagrape Wine Co,, Seven Oxen Estate Wines, Silver Wines, Steinbeck Vineyards, Sweetzer Cellars, and Sycamore Ranch Winery.
*New to the festival.

Covid Update: The Garagiste Festival has adapted its protocols to foster a safe environment that will not detract from the festival’s signature attendee camaraderie and one-on-one interaction with the winemakers (winemakers, not tasting room personnel, always pour at The Garagiste Festival). This includes using more space and greater table distancing, as well as adherence to the current county mandates. For more information and updates on festival Covid protocols, click here.

For more information and full Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure schedule details, go to: http://www.garagistefestival.com/

Tickets are limited for Garagiste Festival Southern Exposure. Garagiste Festivals always sell out in advance. To buy tickets, go to: https://www.my805tix.com/e/garagiste-solvang

For breaking Garagiste Festival news and special discounts, sign-up for our free newsletter, The Dirt, at https://www.garagistefestival.com/garagiste-blog or follow us on Twitter (@GaragisteFest) or Facebook.

Sponsors include:

Visit SYV, Glenn Burdette, G3, ETS Laboratories, The Hamlet Inn, Farm Credit West, Laffort USA, Bank of Marin, Digital Dogma, The Hamlet Inn, mWEBB Communications, and WIVI.

For sponsorship info, email info@garagistefestival.com.

About The Garagiste Wine Festival
The Garagiste Wine Festival (http://www.garagistefestival.com), named “Best of the Fests” for 2019 by Fest Forums and the ‘Best Wine Festival in the US in 2018 in USA Today’s 10Best Readers Choice Awards, is the first and only wine festival dedicated to the undiscovered and under-recognized American artisan ‘garagiste’ micro-wineries who are making some of the best, most exciting, handcrafted small-lot production wines in the world. Founded by fellow garagistes Stewart McLennan and Douglas Minnick, the Garagiste Festivals are committed to discovering the best and most innovative limited-production winemakers and promoting and showcasing them to a broad audience of discerning wine consumers. In addition to its flagship annual festival in Paso Robles, CA, the Garagiste Festival line-up includes Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure, featuring Santa Ynez Valley garagistes; the Garagiste Festival: Urban Exposure, in Los Angeles; the Garagiste Festival, Northern Exposure, in Sonoma; winemaker dinners, a newsletter, garagiste profiles and more.

In addition to being named the US’ Best Wine Festival, the Garagiste Festival was named one of the ‘Top Nine Incredible Epicurean Vacations’ in the world by ABC News, “one of the premier wine events of the year,” by the LA Times and “Best Festival” by Sunset Magazine’s ‘Best of the West.’ The festivals are produced by Garagiste Events, a non-profit dedicated to furthering the education of future winemakers and those training for employment within the wine industry. Proceeds from the festivals support the Garagiste Festival Scholarship fund of the California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo Wine and Viticulture Department.

*Garagiste (garage-east) is a term originally used in the Bordeaux region of France to denigrate renegade small-lot wine makers, sometimes working in their “garages” (anything considered not a chateau), who refused to follow the “rules,” and is now a full-fledged movement responsible for making some of the best wine in the world. The Garagiste Festivals were the first to shine a light on the American garagiste winemaker in 2011.

Visit the Santa Ynez Valley launches 2022 Midweek Membership Club, Jan. 5 through March 31

by

(SANTA YNEZ VALLEY, Calif.) — When it comes to travel trends for 2022, midweek is the new weekend. And when it comes to traveling midweek, nobody does it better or makes it more appealing than the Santa Ynez Valley. Case in point: the Midweek Membership Club from Visit the Santa Ynez Valley, which has been expanded for 2022 to include more participating partners and a longer promotion window, to go along with the character, charm, and vibe that visitors have come to love most about the indisputable heart of California’s Central Coast wine country.

“A special experience any day of the week, the Santa Ynez Valley is particularly appealing midweek when the bustle has quieted and the valley provides an even more relaxed respite to visitors,” says Shelby Sim, President and CEO of Visit the Santa Ynez Valley. “With the continued popularity of work-from-home and remote working, there’s never been a better time to visit. With the expanded Midweek Membership Club travelers now have even more reasons to come back to what they know and love most.”

Guests who book an eligible consecutive two-night, Sun-Thur stay from Jan. 5 through March 31, 2022, will receive five digital passes, each of which can be redeemed at participating locations for a wine tasting for two, or $20 credit at restaurants, retailers, and activity providers. Midweek Membership Club travelers will also receive club member pricing on wine purchases during their visit at participating wineries.

“It doesn’t take long to do the math and realize the value that this program presents, particularly when midweek hotel rates are already typically discounted from their Friday and Saturday night counterparts,” says Sim. “Yes, there are still deals to be had in travel. Yes, midweek is the new weekend. And yes, the Midweek Membership Club from Visit the Santa Ynez Valley is the very best of both.”

Midweek Membership Club passes cannot be redeemed for cash or applied toward gratuity, and are valid Sunday through Thursday only. For more information including a complete list of participating lodging properties, restaurants, wineries, and more, or to plan and book your Midweek Membership Club visit to the Santa Ynez Valley, visit www.visitsyv.com/midweek/.

About the Santa Ynez Valley:

Barely two hours from Los Angeles and a scenic four-hour drive from San Francisco, the Santa Ynez Valley is home to six distinct towns each with its own culture, vibe, and menu of experiences. Blanketed with fruitful farms and vineyards, the California Central Coast wine region’s temperate weather allows for year-round activities of all sorts, spread throughout the historical communities of Ballard, Buellton, Los Alamos, Los Olivos, Santa Ynez, and Solvang. Destination dining and world-class wines await, accompanied by lodging at every level, all painted into atmospheric backdrops that colorfully mesh Old World and Old West. Visit more than 100 wineries, feast on chef-driven cuisine, and enjoy festive events and design details from Victorian-era to mid-century to modern Danish. For more information, including a listing of wedding venues, restaurants, wineries, tasting rooms, and events, go to VisitSYV.com.

# # #

2022 PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES

Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyards  

Ampelos Cellars

Art Spot on Wheels        

Birkholm’s Bakery & Cafe

Bob’s Well Bread at the Ballard Store

Brick Barn Wine Estate                 

Broken Clock Vinegar Works       

Community Clayworks   

Coquelicot Organic Estate

Crawford Family Wines 

Dana V. Wines   

First & Oak         

First Street Leather – Los Olivos

First Street Leather – Solvang      

Foxen Vineyard & Winery            

Grassini Family Vineyards            

Hitching Post 2 

Kalyra Winery    

Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Cafe

Lucas & Lewellen

Lumen Wines    

Pico Los Alamos

Plenty on Bell    

Renaissance Antiques

River Grill At the Alisal

Santa Barbara Wine Country Tours

Succulent Cafe 

The Baker’s Table

The Ultimate Escape Rooms       

Toccata Tasting Room

12th Annual Santa Ynez Valley Restaurant Weeks returns Jan. 17-31, 2022

by

(SANTA YNEZ VALLEY, Calif.) — Santa Ynez Valley Restaurant Weeks returns for its 12th consecutive year, Jan. 17-31, bringing with it a variety of special prix fixe price points that showcase the region’s culinary bounty — and the perfect Santa Ynez Valley wines to pair with it.

As with years past, participating Santa Ynez Valley Restaurant Weeks restaurants will feature curated, chef-driven three-course prix fixe menus at price points of $30, $40, or $50, plus tax & gratuity. Many area wineries and tasting rooms will also participate at various levels and price points, including offering two-for-one tastings, special tasting flights, and discounts on bottle purchases.

“After the events of the last two years we’re all looking for meaningful ways to reunite or reconnect with family, friends, and loved ones,” says Shelby Sim, president and CEO of Visit the Santa Ynez Valley. “Food and wine make the perfect centerpiece around which to celebrate, and Santa Ynez Valley Restaurant Weeks features the best of both in a wonderful setting that numerous media outlets have recently hailed as a must-visit in 2022.”

As Julia Child, who was no stranger to the Santa Ynez Valley, once said, “To be a good cook you have to have a love of the good, a love of hard work, and a love of creating.” These qualities and more will be on full display from participating Santa Ynez Valley Restaurant Weeks restaurants, chefs, wineries, and winemakers including:

RESTAURANTS

Buellton

Hitching Post II Restaurant, 406 E Hwy 246, Buellton, 805-688-0676

Santa Ynez Valley Marriott, 555 McMurray Rd., Buellton, 805-688-1000

The Tavern at Zaca Creek, 1297 Jonata Park Rd., Buellton, 805-688-2412

 

Los Alamos

Bell’s, 406 Bell St., Los Alamos

Full of Life Foods, 225 Bell St., Los Alamos, 805-344-4400

The Maker’s Son, 346 Bell St., Los Alamos, 805-344-1926

Norman at the Skyview Los Alamos, 9150 US-101, Los Alamos, 805-344-0080

Pico, 458 Bell St., Los Alamos, 805-344-1122

Plenty on Bell, 508 Bell St., Los Alamos, 805-344-3020

 

Los Olivos

Bar Le Côte, 2375 Alamo Pintado Ave., Los Olivos

Petros Winery & Restaurant, 3360 Foxen Canyon Rd., Los Olivos, 805-680-5417

Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Café, 2879 Grand Ave., Los Olivos, 805-688-7265

Nella Kitchen & Bar, 2860 Grand Ave., Los Olivos, 805-686-1359

 

Santa Ynez

Ellie’s Tap & Vine, 3640 Sagunto St., Santa Ynez, 916-390-3595

The Lucky Hen Larder, 1095 Meadowvale Rd., Santa Ynez, 805-691-9448

S.Y. Kitchen, 1110 Faraday St., Santa Ynez, 805-691-9794

Trattoria Grappolo, 3687 Sagunto St., Santa Ynez, 805-688-6899

 

Solvang

Cecco Ristorante, 475 1st St. #9, Solvang, 805-688-8880

First & Oak at the Mirabelle Inn, 409 1st St., Solvang, 805-688-1703

Leonardo’s Ristorante & Pizzeria, 632 Alamo Pintado Rd., Solvang, 805-686-0846

Mad & Vin at The Landsby, 1576 Mission Dr., Solvang, 805-688-3121

Ramen Kotori, 1618 Copenhagen Dr., Solvang, 805-691-9672

River Grill at The Alisal, 150 Alisal Road, Solvang, 805-688-7784

Sear Steakhouse, 478 4th Pl, Solvang, 805-245-9564

Succulent Café, 1557 Mission Dr., Solvang, 805-691-9444

 

WINERIES

Buellton

Brick Barn Wine Estate, 795 W Hwy 246, Buellton, 805-686-1208

Hitching Post Wines, 420 CA-246, Buellton, 805-688-0676

 

Los Olivos

Bien Nacido & Solomon Hills Estates, 2963 Grand Ave., Los Olivos, 805-318-6640

Refugio Ranch Vineyards, 2990 Grand Ave., Los Olivos, 805-697-5289

 

Santa Ynez

Gainey Vineyard, 3950 CA-246, Santa Ynez, 805-688-0558

Kalyra Winery, 343 N. Refugio Rd., #9302, Santa Ynez, 805-693-8864

Roblar, 3010 Roblar Ave., Santa Ynez, 805-686-2603

 

Solvang

Alma Rosa Winery, 1623 Mission Dr., Solvang, 805-691-9395

Buttonwood Farm Winery, 1500 Alamo Pintado Rd., Solvang, 805-688-3032

Crawford Family Wines, 1661 Mission Dr., Solvang, 805-698-3889

Dana V. Wines, 1588 Mission Dr., Suite B, Solvang, 805-688-3488

Luna Hart Wines, Ballard Canyon, Solvang, 610-880-6412

Piazza Family Wines, Ballard Canyon, Solvang
Royal Oaks Winery, 1687 Mission Dr., Solvang, 805-693-1740

 

Other

Ampelos Cellars, 312 N. 9th St., Lompoc, 805-736-9957

Foxen Vineyard & Winery, 7600 Foxen Canyon Rd., Santa Maria, 805-937-4251

 

For the latest updates on Santa Ynez Valley Restaurant Weeks, including participating restaurants and menus, visit www.DineSYV.com or follow Visit the Santa Ynez Valley on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

About the Santa Ynez Valley:

Barely two hours from Los Angeles and a scenic four-hour drive from San Francisco, the Santa Ynez Valley is home to six distinct towns each with their own culture, vibe, and menu of experiences. Blanketed with fruitful farms and vineyards, the California Central Coast wine region’s temperate weather allows for year-round activities of all sorts, spread throughout the historical communities of Ballard, Buellton, Los Alamos, Los Olivos, Santa Ynez, and Solvang. Destination dining and world-class wines await, accompanied by lodging at every level, all painted into atmospheric backdrops which colorfully mesh Old World and Old West. Visit more than 100 wineries, feast on chef-driven cuisine, and enjoy festive events and design details from Victorian-era to mid-century to modern Danish. For more information, including a listing of wedding venues, restaurants, wineries, tasting rooms, and events, go to VisitSYV.com.

Gleason Family Vineyards Santa Barbara County Wine Country Portfolio Acquires Solvang, CA’s Buttonwood Farm Winery & Vineyard

by

Santa Ynez, CA – The Gleason Family Vineyards Santa Ynez Valley portfolio of brands (Roblar Winery and Vineyards, Refugio Ranch Vineyards) has officially announced the December 2021 acquisition of Solvang, California’s Buttonwood Farm Winery & Vineyard (www.ButtonwoodWinery.com), a 106-acre property in the heart of Santa Barbara County wine country.

Buttonwood Farm Winery & Vineyard currently comprises a 42-acre estate vineyard, onsite winery facility, tasting room and gardens, a two-acre orchard, small hop yard, and 10 acres of rotated seasonal produce. The property, founded in 1968 on a principle of sustainability, was first utilized as an equestrian operation, followed by the planting of organic fruits and vegetables, and in 1983, the initial planting of the vineyard.

Originally created by Betty Williams, a founder of The Land Trust for Santa Barbara County and an engaged community planning member, Buttonwood’s sustainable vineyard was first planted with a focus on Bordeaux-style wines. The vineyard evolved over time, and small blocks of Grenache Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Grenache, Syrah, Sauvignon Musqué, and Malbec joined the original plantings of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sémillon, and Sauvignon Blanc. The entire vineyard is own-rooted.

Bret Davenport, president and managing partner of Buttonwood, along with his wife Barry Zorthian and partner, Seyburn Zorthian, have been instrumental in furthering Williams’ vision for the Buttonwood property. Williams and Davenport partnered in 1983 with the original planting of the vineyard, continuing in 1989 with the building and bonding of the winery. Seyburn Zorthian has been the designing artist of Buttonwood’s labels since the founding, working from her studio on the property since the early 1970s.

Bret Davenport commented, “It’s been fascinating to review our family’s fifty-plus years here on Buttonwood Farm. We’ve observed the evolution of our wine region, partnered with wonderful people to create special occasions with the land as the backdrop, and enjoyed the wine and food that we grew. My partners and I feel that we are handing over the Buttonwood legacy to the right people, who share our philosophy of preserving the intrinsic character of this special land. We look forward to seeing this new chapter in Buttonwood’s history unfold.”

Kevin Gleason, proprietor of the Gleason Family Vineyard portfolio along with his wife, Niki Gleason, added, “Buttonwood farm and vineyard property is iconic, and the family behind it has such deep roots in this wine region, and in the area’s agricultural community. As a family owned and operated group, this resonated highly with us, and we look forward to becoming new stewards for this land to continue to prosper and evolve.”

In 2004, Niki and Kevin Gleason purchased a Santa Ynez Valley cattle ranch which had been used for grazing for hundreds of years. The 415-acre site, now Refugio Ranch, sits along the northern face of the Santa Ynez Mountains with the Santa Ynez River serving as its northern property border. The Gleasons planted 26 acres of vines in 2006, and produced their first Refugio Ranch Vineyards wines in 2008.

In 2017, the Gleasons purchased Santa Ynez Valley’s Roblar Winery and Vineyards, Royal Oaks Wines, and what was then-Royal Oaks Ranch which, in 2018, became the planting site for the family’s one-acre organic farm, now Roblar Farm. The proprietary farm sparked the introduction of new food menus and summer of 2021, the Gleason Family Vineyards portfolio announced new executive chef and head of culinary operations, Peter Cham, as part of the brands’ concerted expansion of Santa Barbara wine country hospitality experiences.

“Buttonwood fits extraordinarily well into our existing portfolio, not only due to its ideal positioning within the Santa Ynez Valley wine region, but also due to the farm component of the property and the hospitality for which Buttonwood is well known,” said Matthew Bieszard, Gleason Family Vineyards General Manager. He continued, “We are very excited about the possibilities Buttonwood has as a vineyard, farm, brand, and winery, and we look forward to putting the Gleason Family Vineyards touch on each facet of the business.”

Karen Steinwachs, Buttonwood’s winemaker for the past 14 years and one of the region’s trailblazing women winemakers with a double-decade wine industry career, will remain part of the Buttonwood winemaking team. Buttonwood’s winery will continue to operate, with the Gleason Family Vineyards portfolio’s winery facility on the Roblar property serving as the winemaking hub for all brands, led by head winemaker Max Marshak.

Buttonwood Farm Winery and Vineyard, located at 1500 Alamo Pintado Road, Solvang, CA, is currently open daily for outdoor wine tasting experiences and bottle purchases, 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Advance tasting reservations are recommended.

Roblar Winery and Vineyards, located at 3010 Roblar Avenue (at the intersection of Roblar Avenue and Highway 154), Santa Ynez, CA, is open daily for wine tasting experiences and bottle purchases, 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Advance tasting reservations are requested. Chef Cham’s weekly “Bites Menus” are offered Friday through Sunday, and house-made, to-go style sandwiches and salads are available in Roblar’s “bodega” the remainder of the week.

###

Roblar Winery and Vineyards

3010 Roblar Avenue

Santa Ynez, CA 93460

Phone: 805.686.2603

www.RoblarWinery.com

Refugio Ranch Vineyards

2990 Grand Avenue

Los Olivos, CA 93441

Phone: 805.697.5289

www.RefugioRanch.com

Buttonwood Farm Winery & Vineyard

1500 Alamo Pintado Roadso
Solvang, CA 93463
Phone: 805.688.3032

www.ButtonwoodWinery.com

About the Gleason Family Vineyards Portfolio

The Gleason Family Vineyards (www.GleasonFamilyVineyards.com) hospitality portfolio is an independent, family owned and operated group of brands which includes Roblar Winery and Vineyards, Refugio Ranch Vineyards, and now, Buttonwood Farm Winery & Vineyard.

The Gleason family’s carefully-selected and meticulously farmed Santa Ynez Valley estate vineyards produce a variety of grapes from Sauvignon Blanc to Roussanne, Grenache to Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon to Syrah, all destined for expertly-crafted wines from the seasoned team of winemaker, Max Marshak, and assistant winemaker, Kat Neenan.

Roblar Winery and Vineyards (www.RoblarWinery.com), 40 acres of grand oak-studded grounds located at the crossroads of the Santa Barbara County towns of Santa Ynez and Los Olivos, offers immersive wine country itineraries for afternoons, overnights, and private events. The property boasts a 5,000-square-foot tasting room and multiple outdoor seating and event areas, and includes the luxe Roblar Farm ranch home, complete with an infinity pool overlooking vineyard views. Celebrate special occasions with an intimate chef’s dinner in the state of the art winery, on the one-acre, organic Roblar Farm, or at the estate’s black-and-white, indoor-outdoor event venue, the Tuxedo Barn. @RoblarWinery

The Los Olivos, CA tasting room for Refugio Ranch Vineyards (www.RefugioRanch.com), built c.1912, served as the warehouse for Pinal-Dome Refining Co. (later Union Oil), where tank cars from the Pacific Coast Railway were filled. The historical, early-1900s warehouse has been preserved, and now features two wine tasting bars, a VIP lounge, and an expansive outdoor deck, one of the largest tasting locations in Los Olivos. The 415-acre Refugio Ranch estate may be toured by appointment, awarding guests with wine tasting by the property’s Upper Pond, with views of the Santa Ynez Valley and San Rafael Mountains. @RefugioRanch