Some of us buy the self-deception that we do better under pressure, and thus come out guns blazing at the very last minute to complete a given task. Nowhere is it more apparent how hazardous this outlook is than in the act of gift giving. A gift tells the receiver much about the amount of time and level of attention paid by the giver, and a thoughtless gift can often be worse than no gift at all.
But fear not, brave holiday shopper! The Sun has your procrastinating back this holiday season with our annual Last-Minute Holiday Gift Guide, designed to offer a variety of gifts that tap into the Central Coast’s rich resources. From the area’s booming craft winemaking and brewing industry, to our world-class performing arts organizations, there is much to share.
Whether you act now or leave the task until Dec. 24, you can take some inspiration from this far from comprehensive compilation of locally sourced and produced gifts, and appear as the thoughtful gift-giver you’ve always hoped to be.
Harvest Box (doesn’t come wrapped)
The rolling hills and expansive valleys of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties boast fantastically fertile soil, which is apparent in the prolific agricultural output by local growers, including both large commercial growers and shippers as well as smaller family farms. Unless you are a regular at one of the many local farmers’ markets, procuring locally produced produce can be a challenge. Thankfully, farms that include a CSA (community supported agriculture) program offer a chance for locals to receive boxes brimming with fresh fruits and vegetables regularly, cutting out the middleman entirely.
Talley Farms is a third-generation owned, large-scale grower in Arroyo Grande that also offers a CSA called Talley Farms Fresh Harvest. The streamlined CSA offers a regular box of fresh local produce that can be delivered or picked up based on the subscriber’s needs. Utilizing an online system that allows customers to control the frequency that the boxes’ arrival, Talley Farms Fresh Harvest also enables subscribers to have boxes delivered to friends or family as a gift. A subscription can also be purchased as a gift, for those hoping to provide more than one harvest box.
“Our box is a nice, big, full box of very usable and fresh produce,” said Talley Farms Fresh Harvest manager Andrea Chavez. “Our customers are really pleased with the freshness, quality, and variety.”
Subscribers can have their boxes shipped to anywhere in California overnight, Chavez explained, or can pick their boxes up at any of 50 locations from Paso Robles to Orcutt. Whether gifting a single box or a full subscription, Talley Farms makes the process as easy as possible via email or over the phone.
Learn more
Talley Farms Fresh Harvest accepts new harvest box signups online at talleyfarmsfreshharvest.com and over the phone at 489-5401. Harvest box prices vary—ranging from $38 to $26, depending on whether it’s a one-time gift, a delivered box, or a weekly subscription for pick-up.
Gifting the vine
Tons upon tons of grapes are currently in various stages of growth, development, and aging thanks to the Central Coast’s famous wine industry that includes big name labels and equally satisfying boutique bottlers. Check off the wine lover on your list this year by gifting more than just a bottle, but a wine club membership, which includes a bevy of perks that connect members personally to local winemakers.
Kenneth Volk Vineyards, with wineries in Paso Robles and Santa Maria, includes four bottles of wine sent four times during the year. The cost of the membership is essentially the cost of those 16 bottles, annually. Members also enjoy a 20 percent discount on all Kenneth Volk wines as well as free tastings. Unlike other wine clubs, explained wine club manager Megan Maretti-Smith, Kenneth Volk Vineyards’ club allows members to customize their order from the four “Ken’s Picks” to any of the wines they love best.
“Specifically, with our wine club you get the opportunity to get what you love,” Maretti-Smith said. “Everybody loves wine, and it’s a great gift to give. Having extra wine during the holidays is nice, so you have wine to share and enjoy with your loved ones.”
If Kenneth Volk isn’t your gift-receiver’s winery of choice, check out the Santa Maria Valley Wine Trail for more options—at least 16 of them—at santamariawines.com.
Learn more
Kenneth Volk Vineyards offers information on its wine club and email newsletter at volkwines.com or over the phone at 938-7896.
The bottle that keeps on filling
The ongoing conquest of the Central Coast by craft breweries proves that when locals aren’t sipping wine they’re enjoying the effervescent excitement of artisan beers. Any craft brewery worth its hops offers a custom designed growler, which allows taproom visitors to fill up on the freshest possible beer to take home.
“There is about four pints in a growler, so it is a decent size to take to someone’s house for dinner or a party,” said Figueroa Mountain Brewing Company taproom manager David Esdaile. “I always try to buy one, take it to the party, and then leave them with the growler that they can bring back and fill up.”
Esdaile designed Figueroa’s growler, which boasts iconic white etching over a dark glass. The growler accompanied by a set of glassware makes for a gift that can be enjoyed literally upon opening. The gift then keeps on giving as it can be filled again and again when brought to any of Figueroa’s taprooms.
“It’s a great way to give someone a good craft ale,” Esdaile said. “The other thing that you can do, which not many people realize, is you can blend beers together in the growler.”
Learn more
Figueroa Mountain Brewing Company sells growlers and other apparel at figmtnbrew.com and taprooms in Buellton, Santa Barbara, and Santa Maria. More info: 694-2252. A growler with a fill-up can cost from $23 and up, depending on which brew you choose to fill it with.
A season of stage
The various theatre groups and companies up and down the coast prove that it’s more than just tourists who are drawn to the area’s performing arts venues. The PCPA Pacific Conservatory Theatre, the Great American Melodrama in Oceano, the Santa Maria Civic Theatre, and the Lompoc Civic Theatre all have legacies that span decades of live productions enjoyed and supported by visitors to the area and locals alike.
Whether you want to gift a longtime fan or one who has yet to enjoy one of these gems, tickets to a show will definitely please even the most Scrooge-like. But if you really want to bring the house down, go for a season subscription, as it’s a gift that can be enjoyed across the calendar year.
“Can you imagine getting all of the planning taken care of for you?” said PCPA publicist Craig Shafer. “I think the beauty of it is that people have different schedules, and this takes some of the pressure off; it lets people know that all they need to do is show up and have a wonderful experience at the theater.”
PCPA season subscriptions include a seat or seats at each main-stage play throughout the year. This includes family friendly shows like the current premier musical Christmas is Here Again as well as coming classics like The Man of La Mancha.
“You hear people who have received the gift, and they come and see it and they didn’t even know it existed,” Shafer said. “It’s a great way to introduce someone to this jewel on the Central Coast.”
Learn more
The PCPA Pacific Conservatory Theatre sells season subscriptions—for four plays or all six—and gift certificates at pcpa.org or at the box office, reachable at 922-8313.
Tchaikovsky under the tree
Fine art music has always depended on generous support due to the number of high level musicians needed to make into a reality something as complex and beautiful as a symphony. The gift of a season subscription to an art music organization is twofold, in that it provides the recipient with a seat to live symphonic music as well as supporting these important institutions that wouldn’t exist without the communities they enrich.
The Santa Maria Philharmonic Society offers full season subscriptions, as well as prorated subscriptions that cover the remaining season of concert. With two important collaborative concerts remaining in the society’s season, the gift of a subscription would please philharmonic fans and act as a wonderful introduction to anyone unaware of the organization. Monies made from the concerts also go toward supporting the Philharmonic’s education and outreach programs, ensuring access for the next generation of musicians.
“It’s probably not something you would think of normally giving as a gift, and it’s also something someone wouldn’t normally think of getting for themselves,” said board vice president Dr. Lynne Garrett. “It’s also a way you can share something that’s of interest to you with someone that you care about.”
Learn more
The Santa Maria Philharmonic Society includes information on its upcoming season and subscription options at santamariaphilharmonic.org or by calling 925-0412.
The personal touch
We all know at least one homebody, someone who is happiest in his or her den among familiar trappings. Luckily for these difficult-to-buy-for friends and family, a bevy of local businesses and art galleries are well stocked with handcrafted items or antiques that range from the cute to the kitschy.
Broadway Books in Santa Maria provides more than just fodder for bibliophiles with a fetish for gold leaf and first editions, but also includes handcrafted jewelry and greeting cards. In the case of books, a great tome is more than just an ornament for a mantle, but a repository of wisdom and whimsy to be returned to at will.
“Books are permanent,” said Broadway Books owner Lisa Karys-Schiff. “You can share them with more than just one person, they are beautiful, and just one line from a book can change your life.”
Broadway Books and other stores like it can provide the keen shopper with the perfect gift for just about anyone, but also sell gift certificates that allow the receiver to peruse the shelves at their own pace. Either way, it’s a gift well appreciated by anyone with a literary appetite.
“When you’ve got a little screen glowing at you, the impermanence of the thing really glosses over the whole depth of the experience,” Karys-Schiff said. “But having it there, so 12 years later you can go back to it and pick it up, it’s so important.”
Learn more
Broadway Books is located at 906 S. Broadway, Santa Maria. Information about gift certificates is available at 314-2368.
Arts Editor Joe Payne can be reached at jpayne@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Dec 11-18, 2014.