The Parkers have been busy. The multi-generational enterprise behind a slew of visitor options across the Santa Ynez Valley is repositioning itself as a local leader in the arenas of wine and hospitality. “People these days who are investing to come visit our area – they do have higher expectations today than they used to,” […]
The newest wine tasting destination in Santa Barbara County is, actually, 50 years in the making. The Gatehouse at Bien Nacido Vineyard officially opens to the public this Memorial Day weekend. It’s a brand-new structure – two-stories, plenty of indoor and outdoor spaces, sustainably built from the ground up – located right at the entrance […]
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Santa Barbara’s wine industry is rolling out the red carpet. Mid-May is studded with a bevy of events aimed at maximizing the enjoyment of, and understanding of, locally-produced wines. Here’s a snapshot of some of the key events presented by both the Santa Barbara Culinary Experience’s “Taste of Santa Barbara,” making a triumphant return, as […]
To Santa Ynez for People Helping People’s annual Vino de Sueños at Fred Brander’s vineyard, supporting farm workers with lifesaving services – which raised $35,000. Founding vineyards of the popular event include Alma Rosa, Clos Pepe, Foxen, Feliz Noche, Presidio, Longoria, and Buttonwood. Vino de Sueños features artisanal food, wines, dynamic paintings and sculpture, and […]
There’s a new culinary experience at the San Ysidro Ranch – and it’s top secret. The Secret Cellar premiered in December, building on the luxe property’s famous world-class dining but offering something totally exclusive. It brings diners underground – past the Stonehouse patio, past the entrance to the Plow & Angel and down the stone […]
“The practices we use to do business today, from a sustainability standpoint, are the same ones my grandfather used 95 years ago,” vintner Steve Sangiacomo told me this week. “How we farm, how we treat our employees – it’s all about responsibility.” Sangiacomo Family Wines is a premium wine brand in Northern California – they […]
“The wine bottle – it’s the only time machine that works!” Just one of the many colorful one-liners delivered by wine whiz Wes Hagen, as a small group of wine buffs gathers around the table inside the rustic The Maker’s Son eatery in downtown Los Alamos last month. An authority on all things Santa Barbara […]
Montecito hedge fund titan Graham Duncan is the new owner of the late Pierre Lafond’s Wine Bistro in the Upper Village. Duncan, co-founder of East Rock Capital, a multi-family investment office, bought the former Montecito home of Lisa Hearst Hagerman, granddaughter of legendary publisher William Randolph Hearst, for $19.4 million in March 2021. The property, […]
Winemaker phenom Bryan Babcock is throwing open the doors to his Montecito estate. The exclusive invite includes a five-night stay for six people at what’s affectionally dubbed Villa Flora, a captivating property located just three minutes from Miramar Beach that features Mediterranean architecture and elegant gardens. Guests will also be treated to a Spanish-inspired dinner […]
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The Santa Barbara Vintners Festival made its post-pandemic return this month. It was a lovely Saturday in Solvang, with bright blue skies and temps in the low 80s, as dozens of regional winemakers took over the grounds of the historic Mission Santa Inés and popped hundreds of corks for a lively crowd. Guests were also […]
I’ll be spending this coming weekend in Solvang, acting as emcee for a few of the events on the calendar for the 85th Danish Days festival, including the Danish Days Parade at 2:30 pm on Saturday afternoon. The three-day fête, Friday through Sunday, celebrates Santa Barbara County’s famous Scandinavian town, founded in 1911 by Danish […]
On a recent afternoon, on the rolling grounds of Eastside Knoll Vineyard in Sonoma, falcons are on alert. With the 2022 harvest finally underway, and with the pinot noir grapes here quickly maturing toward optimum ripeness, the birds of prey have been employed as an eco-friendly alternative to netting to keep hungry starlings away. “It’s […]
Montecito animal activist Gretchen Lieff, who has been making wine for 17 years, has opened her first La Lieff tasting room in the Funk Zone. The 1,000-square-foot Gray Avenue locale, formerly a storage facility for the late Pierre Lafond, had a sneak preview for Tama Takahashi’s 10-year-old Inside Wine club with 37 guests to show […]
On a recent sunny afternoon, inside a cozy cabin enveloped by grapevines, a few dozen of us gathered to sip through 10 years of Kimsey Vineyard wines. “Not just any 10 years,” winemaker Matt Dees reminded us. “The first 10 years!” Indeed, sipping through the nascent decade of any wine project is a study in […]
