Tag archives: wine

Fine Wine
By Richard Mineards   |   October 11, 2018

Restaurateurs Doug Margerum and Mitchell Sjerven have sold their interest in the historic Santa Barbara eatery The Wine Cask. Doug, also a noted winemaker, is also opening a new Margerum tasting room in the Hotel Californian next year, he tells me. “It will be a spectacular space with 22-foot-high ceilings, a kitchen, heated patio, and […]

Feast Like the Romans Did
By Hana-Lee Sedgwick   |   October 4, 2018

It’s not every day you see a crowd of hungry revelers enjoying local food and wine while dressed in togas. Yet, that’s exactly what you’ll find at the “Feast of Apicius” event on Saturday, October 20, at the Santa Barbara Natural History Museum.  Held from 2 to 5 pm in Fleischmann Auditorium, this delicious wine […]

Wine Down
By Lynda Millner   |   September 27, 2018

Friendship Center gave its 8th annual Wine Down and Big Heart Awards at its Montecito location. As executive director Heidi Holly said, “Thursday is the new Friday.” That’s because their event was on a Thursday and everyone was wining down. Friendship Center in Montecito and Goleta “share the care” for ageing and dependent adults through […]

Fluidity, Frolicking, and Flow
By Steven Libowitz   |   September 6, 2018

“There is a thin semantic line separating weird and beautiful. And that line is covered in jellyfish.” So said choreographer Doug Elkins at the Lobero Theater a couple of weeks ago, perhaps answering a question posed by one of the members of the Friday Club. Or more than likely not. Elkins is the high-energy, self-described […]

Wine and Dine
By Richard Mineards   |   July 26, 2018

Oenophiles and gourmands were out in force when the California Wine Festival, which encompasses three different events, celebrated its 15th anniversary, kicking off with its Old Spanish Nights tasting fiesta at the historic De La Guerra Adobe courtyard, which attracted a record 500 guests. Montecito-based Blaine Lando, one of the fest’s three owners, along with […]

Not Horsing Around: Wine Festival Expands
By Steven Libowitz   |   July 19, 2018

Last year’s departure of the Chase Palm Park carousel after being ensconced in the prime location directly across the street from the ocean and just two blocks from Stearns Wharf for decades was a rude shock to families and others who delighted in taking a turn on the classy merry-go-round. But for others, it’s nothing […]

Wine + Food Festival
By Lynda Millner   |   July 12, 2018

When the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History (SBMNH) began its Wine Festival, it was only about wine. Today it’s an even bigger event with the addition of restaurants’ food samples to go with wine. Ever-popular with another sellout crowd of 900 tickets this year three weeks before the event. Add in the vendors and […]

Beach Bash
By Richard Mineards   |   June 28, 2018

It was an evening of good libations when Visit Santa Barbara hosted its second annual sold-out official drink of our Eden by the Beach contest at the historic El Paseo restaurant. Out of 25 entrants, five establishments were chosen to compete in the finals, with the winner being the Four Seasons with its Biltmore Fuerte, […]

From Grape to Glass
By Antonio Gardella   |   June 21, 2018

Back in the late 1970s, Bob Lindquist of Qupé Winery was the leader of the local Les Amis du Vin group. He organized wine-tasting lunches with guest winemakers at the University Club of Santa Barbara or Mattei’s Tavern. Bob invited me to help him bottle his first vintage. We worked with an early bottling truck, […]

Summer Sipping in Santa Barbara
By Hana-Lee Sedgwick   |   June 7, 2018

While I’m all for vacations to far off places, summer in Santa Barbara is a special time – especially if you love food and wine. For all you oenophiles who need an excuse to stick around this summer, there’s a plethora of fun wine and food-related events in the coming months. From weekly wine tastings […]

Confessions of a Wine Salesman
By Antonio Gardella   |   June 7, 2018

I became intrigued and enamored with fine wine once upon a time, long ago in my early 20s when a friend brought a bottle of Montevina White Cabernet Sauvignon to our table. I liked it so much better with our lunch than my usual soda pop or milk. I envisioned wine to be a giant […]

Well, That’s Just Grape
By Richard Mineards   |   May 24, 2018

The oenophiles we’re out in force when Grassini vineyards opened its new 1,400-sq.-ft. tasting room at the historic El Paseo. The 104-acre vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley was planted in 2002 and mayor Cathy Murillo cut a ribbon to mark the new opening. Among the guests quaffing the vino and noshing on the bounteous […]

Montecito Mud
By James Buckley   |   April 19, 2018

When he awoke the morning of January 9, wine maker (2018 “Vintner of the Year”) and longtime Montecito resident Fred Brander found himself sharing space with nearly 900 tons of mud, rocks, and boulders that hadn’t been on his property the night before. His home is north of East Mountain Drive and none of the […]

Table Art
By James Buckley   |   April 19, 2018

The idea is unique, at least in Santa Barbara, and we’ve not heard of such an event having been done elsewhere: Put 12 designers together, have each choose a piece of art from the Santa Barbara Museum of Art’s permanent collection, and then create a dining design to enhance the artist’s choice. All in the […]

James Paul Brown Turns 80
By James Buckley   |   April 5, 2018

Lots of people only know the name James Paul Brown for his unique paintings that appear on bottles of Sunstone wines. But that isn’t even half the story, as a short conversation with the now octogenarian Mr. Brown reveals. During our short talk at Sunstone Winery headquarters in Santa Ynez, James Paul tells me he […]

Bank on it
By Richard Mineards   |   March 22, 2018

To mark its 43rd anniversary, Montecito Bank & Trust hosted a grants reception at its magestic State Street headquarters when president and CEO Janet Garufis handed out checks worth $20,000 to 10 local charities. Along with the checks, the nonprofits also received a short video professionally produced by cable giant Cox to promote their work. […]

History in the Making
By Richard Mineards   |   March 1, 2018

Santa Barbara Natural History Museum’s 31st annual Wine and Food Festival on June 30 is going to be the biggest and best yet, raising around $110,000, predicts president Luke Swetland. The popular tourist attraction hosted a pre-fest bash for 60 guests at the Grassini Wine tasting room in El Paseo to promote the event. “There […]

Fine Wine
By Richard Mineards   |   March 1, 2018

Pioneering winemaker Fred Brander was honored as Vintner of the Year at a socially gridlocked gala in aid of Direct Relief at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara. The biennial oenophile bash and wine auction, which attracted 600 guests and was emceed by The Bachelor host Chris Harrison, raised a hefty $1.2 million, with a third of the […]

SB Wine Auction
By Lynda Millner   |   March 1, 2018

The Ritz-Carlton, Bacara was the site of the 10th Santa Barbara Wine Auction given by the Santa Barbara Vinters Foundation (SBVF) to benefit Direct Relief. The charity has many supporters, with 530 of them showing up in black tie for this every two-year event. The foundation is the charitable umbrella under which the Santa Barbara […]

The Liquor and Wine Grotto Eludes Disaster!
By Jon Vreeland   |   February 8, 2018

Since the Thomas Fire began December 4 of last year – then burned more than a quarter-million acres of Southern California, including southern segments of the Santa Barbara County shoreline and Montecito – the sound of cash registers and consumers plodding Coast Village Road had been (at one point at least around Christmas, and to […]