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 […]

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 […]

 

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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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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  • 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 […]