Wine Country Jamboree: Santa Barbara Vintners to Host Annual Fête this Month

Winemaker Steve Clifton is pretty familiar with the Santa Barbara Vintners Festival. His attendance later this month will be his 34^th.

“You get a chance to talk to the principals – the winemakers, the owners – and you’ve got all these wonderful wineries coming out from all over Santa Barbara County,” he told me recently as we walked the vines. “So, it’s a great day!”

That is, in fact, the greatest calling card of this annual event – the chance for consumers like you and me to get up close and personal with, and to mingle and party with, the women and men who make some of our favorite wines. It’s direct access. It’s a lot of one-on-one. And it elevates how we understand and enjoy what we sip.

Clifton continues, “It allows you, as a winemaker, to answer questions that otherwise go unanswered: What’s the motivation? The passion? The process? And it just draws more people into the Santa Barbara scene.”

The Santa Barbara Vintners Festival will turn 40 when it welcomes hundreds of budding oenophiles on October 19^th. It’ll take place at Vega Vineyard & Farm in Buellton, a 200-acre estate that was part of a Spanish land grant in the 1850s and was formerly known as Mosby Vineyards. SoCal transplants Karen and Jimmy Loizides, who also own the famous Maverick Saloon in the historic township of Santa Ynez, opened Vega two years ago, as a reimagined farm-to-table venue that features a working farm (complete with petting zoo), a fulltime chef, and an extensive lineup of estate wines – Italian varieties, mainly, expertly crafted by Clifton. 

The winemaker got a kick rattling them off to me: “Dolcetto, pinot grigio, Sagrantino, sangiovese, barbera, nebbiolo, malvasia bianca and Montepulciano – which is a really fun word to say!”

Clifton will be pouring alongside 50+ other wine brands that are members of Santa Barbara Vintners. This is one of the very few times of the year, actually, when consumers can find them all together in one place. They include stalwarts like Fess Parker, Gainey, Rusack, Brander and Margerum, as well as boutique and newer players of note like Tomi, Slouch Hat, Dusty Nabor, Future Perfect, and Colluvial.

And the wine is just the beginning. Here’s a shortlist of some of the other reasons the Santa Barbara Vintners Festival is a must-do event.

The Food: It’s a wine pairing extravaganza, thanks to the more than 25 of the region’s premier chefs, restaurants, bakers and purveyors who’ll be there, too. The Gathering Table will be a big draw – this is the new Solvang culinary gem from Chef Budi Kazali, formerly of the Ballard Inn, whose knack and creativity always impress. You’ll also find me at Rare Society, one of Santa Barbara’s best steakhouses, Pico, a gourmet draw in lovely Los Alamos, and the Tavern at Zaca Creek, a popular Buellton brasserie.

The Bubbly: Bubbles can be the perfect palate cleanser between sips and bites. The Bubble Lounge is back this year, offering guests a dedicated space to sample some of the best sparkling wines coming out of Santa Barbara County these days. More than a dozen labels will let the bubbles flow, including Foxen, The Hilt Estate, Dreamcôte, Presqu’ile and Folded Hills.

The Music: Breaking out into spontaneous swaying is allowed, and Generic Clapton will be there to help. Back by popular demand, the band is known for its groovy vibe and its toe-tapping takes on classic rock and R&B, with dashes of soul and classic American sounds.

The Weekend: The Saturday festival is surrounded by myriad reasons to make this a weekend escape, not just an afternoon visit. Several wineries will be hosting unique tasting and special-access events starting on Thursday the 17^th and stretching all the way into Monday the 21^st. That makes this October weekend, at the peak of harvest season, a perfect chance to discover the six towns that make up the Santa Ynez Valley – Buellton, Solvang, Los Olivos, Los Alamos, Ballard, and Santa Ynez. There are plenty of places to stay, from the eclectic Skyview roadside motel in Los Alamos to the luxe Fess Parker Wine Country Inn in Los Olivos. My wife and I recently spent the weekend in the township of Santa Ynez, at the new Genevieve, an elegant, relaxed, secluded getaway that put us walking distance to the town’s boutiques, top-tier eateries – like SY Kitchen and Ellie’s Tap & Vine – and tasting rooms, including the newly-revamped CrossHatch and the newly-opened Artiste. Reserve soon, as some of the best places to stay will sell out.

Let’s talk tickets. General admission to the Saturday festival, which runs 1-4 pm, costs $125, though the $175 Early Entry ticket gets you in at noon. There’s a Private Cabana package priced at $2,500, which gets you a private cabana in the heart of all the action, along with eight Early Entry tickets, two parking passes, wine and charcuterie, and a half-case of Santa Barbara County wines to take home. Designated drivers, and kids between the ages of six and 20, can attend for $25.  

Get your tickets at sbvintnersweekend.com, and I’ll see you there!