Next week marks the 8th annual Wine Down & Big Heart Awards at Friendship Center in Montecito; members of the community are invited to join for a relaxing and festive gathering in the courtyard with 12 local wineries/breweries pouring their beverages for tasting, along with hors d’oeuvres by Spices N Rice, and live music by […]
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, […]
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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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
