A Taste of Wine and Nature

Oenophiles and gourmands were out in force at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History when, after a two-year pandemic hiatus, it hosted the region’s premier wine and food event, attracting 1,000 supporters to the beautiful 17-acre Mission Creek campus and raising more than $200,000 for the museum’s programs and exhibits.

Around 200 VIP tickets, giving early access to special wines and exhibits, were sold out by last December, while the rest of the tickets were gone by March, clearly indicating the pent-up demand for the enormously popular 34th annual festival.

“It is so wonderful to be back,” enthused Briana Sapp, director of marketing and communications. “It really is the face of normalcy!”

The fun fête boasted 82 vendors, including 60 wineries and 22 eateries, including Bibi Ji, Convivo, Finch & Fork, Ca’ Dario, Little Dom’s Seafood, Trader Joe’s, and Via Maestra 42.

The bustling bash also included tony new sponsors, including German auto giant Porsche and Farmers & Merchants Bank. To avoid any problems with over imbibers, designated drivers were allowed free admission, while other guests parked at the Mission, just up the road, and were shuttled to the decidedly hot venue. I’ll drink to that…