In the Kitchen with Art Sevtap
By Claudia Schou   |   July 1, 2021

As foodies return to dine-in service, one local eatery is commanding attention with its authentic and flavorful approach to Spanish-Mediterranean cuisine and robust wine selections.  Sevtap Winery is a new tasting room in the Presidio that lures food and wine lovers on its breezy umbrella-shaded patio or inside, a naturally lit and airy dining room. […]

Tasting Notes
By Claudia Schou   |   May 27, 2021

If you’re planning to spend more time outdoors, start thinking about the perfect beer and wine to pair with your al fresco culinary adventures. We caught up with a couple local beer and wine lovers to get their recommendations.  Greer Shull, Third Window Brewery Third Window Brewing’s pilsner, The Light, is a delicious pairing for […]

 

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Pop the Cork, Hold the Booze: Local Winemaker Launches Alcohol-Free Wine-Inspired Drinks
By Gabe Saglie   |   May 13, 2021

As we begin to push out of this pandemic, and as the light at the end of the tunnel grows brighter, many Americans are taking stock of how their drinking habits have changed over the last year. As one would guess, the angst and anxiety wrought by many months of lockdowns, restrictions, and Zoom calls […]

Tasting Notes: Daniel Fish, Rosewood Miramar Director of Wine
By Claudia Schou   |   May 6, 2021

Spring has ushered in some unique wine selections and tasting opportunities from local wine experts. We checked in with a few for some fresh ideas on what to pour.  Before we dive headfirst into summer, and while many of us are at home preparing spring meals with family and close friends, I wanted to take […]

Everything’s Coming Up Rosés These Pink Wines are Perfect for Spring
By Gabe Saglie   |   April 22, 2021

Timing has a lot to do with rosé. That pink color – an alluring hue that can range from salmon to blush – is the by-product of grape juice and grape skins coming in contact for a few hours, or for a day, maybe two or three, until just enough tint bleeds into the wine. […]

One Winemaker, Three Labels: Sanger Family of Wines Offers Impressive Variety
By Gabe Saglie   |   April 1, 2021

I love chatting alcohol with Brett Escalera – as in the alcohol content in wine. Many seasoned sippers, after all, make judgment calls on wine based on the percentage marked on the label, with their predilection for lower alcohol based on the assumption that a wine with less booze will be a better match for […]

Pinot Noir All Month Long: Famous Annual Wine Event Goes Virtual
By Gabe Saglie   |   March 11, 2021

Pinot noir lovers normally have the first weekend in March highlighted on their calendars. After all, it’s a weekend usually dedicated to the World of Pinot Noir (WOPN), the annual gathering of winemakers and wine consumers who fete Burgundy’s most famous red grape. Launched in 2001, the event has been held at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara […]

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  • Tasting Notes
    By Claudia Schou   |   March 11, 2021

    You can still experience the thrill of visiting a winery and taking part in its on-premise wine tasting with a handful of carefully curated wine programs offered locally. Since the onset of COVID-19, many wineries across the country have either suspended or limited in-person attendance at their tasting rooms. To compensate, some of our local […]

    For Starters
    By Hana-Lee Sedgwick   |   December 24, 2020

    Giving Santa Barbarans yet another reason to venture out for wine is Aperitivo, an Italian-inspired wine bar from owner-operators Brian Dodero and Andrea Girardello – two food and beverage veterans who met while working at the Four Seasons Biltmore.  Taking its name from the Italian tradition of gathering after work for a pre-dinner drink and […]

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    Margerum Hits Top 100
    By Richard Mineards   |   December 24, 2020

    Santa Barbara winemaker Doug Margerum has certainly got something to smile about during these gloomy times. Wine Enthusiast Magazine has recognized his Margerum M5 white Rhône blend, Margerum Esate Vineyard, Los Olivos district, as a top 100 wine of the year, ranking it at number 30. The publication’s global team of editors and tasters cumulatively […]

    Tasting Notes with San Ysidro Ranch Sommelier Tristan Pitre
    By Claudia Schou   |   December 24, 2020

    Santa Barbara sunsets inspire cozying up next to a fire, winter sweaters and indulging in rich, soul-satisfying food and wine. One of my favorite wines of the season is the 2015 Jonata “Todos.”  Jonata is best known for its world-class Cabernet Sauvignon and other single varietal wines crafted from its estate vineyard in Ballard Canyon […]

    Fizzle and Pop: These Bubbles Will Help You Send 2020 On Its Way
    By Gabe Saglie   |   December 24, 2020

    The new three-week stay-at-home order that befell California this month means Santa Barbara County’s wine tasting rooms are shuttered, again. Your own hunt for great local wines to grace the holiday table and end-of-year festivities, though, continues. So keep in mind that, while the deadline for many shipments to arrive by Christmas has passed, there’s […]

    No Fuss and No Chemicals, a Natural Wine Trend Here to Stay
    By Hana-Lee Sedgwick   |   December 24, 2020

    Natural wine refers to wine made from grapes farmed without pesticides and with minimal intervention in the cellar, meaning nothing is added or removed. Devotees think of it as the purest form of wine, and something as essential as choosing to eat organic foods. The arrival of two new natural wine-focused bars to downtown Santa […]

    Book basics: A Virtual Chat on ‘Vines & Visions’
    By Steven Libowitz   |   December 17, 2020

    Famed Santa Barbara photographer Macduff Everton and veteran journalist-writer Matt Kettmann, who are both graduates of UCSB, first collaborated on Around the Table: Recipes & Stories From The Lark in Santa Barbara, which was managed by Everton, who also took the photographs, while Kettmann contributed a chapter on wine history in town. Nearly four years […]

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