WENDY THIES SELL

In this “field of dreams,” if you set up a long table, they will come. Since 1999, the Santa Cruz-based organization Outstanding in the Field has traveled the world, holding sold out, outdoor “farm to table” wine dinners in farm fields, in gardens, in vineyards, on mountaintops, and even inside sea caves. The roving culinary […]

I credit Hospice du Rhône for introducing me to some of the most memorable wines I have ever had the thrill to taste: A luscious lineup of Rhône wines from France’s exceptional E. Guigal Winery, including an exquisite Condrieu Viognier. Alban Vineyards’ intensely intriguing Reva Syrah (we were so intrigued, my youngest daughter was given […]

Santa Maria has soul. That’s one of the reasons the Murphy family, one of Arkansas’s most prominent families, chose the Santa Maria Valley to build its spectacular winemaking enterprise, Presqu’ile. Another important reason is the French term the wine industry uses: terroir, meaning climate, soil, slope, elevation, wind, and so on, covering characteristics that give […]

Hidden behind Lompoc’s Home Depot is the cornflower blue and white Sobhani Industrial Park, home to a “diamond in the rough”—the Lompoc Wine Ghetto. By outward appearances, it’s a far cry from the romantic, vineyard-encompassed wine estates scattered throughout the scenic Santa Ynez Valley. But out-of-town, “in the know” wine enthusiasts have already discovered what […]

Saturday, March 17, promises to be the biggest day for Rooney’s Irish Pub since the establishment opened its doors in Old Town Orcutt nearly two years ago.  About 2,500 spirited partygoers patronized the pub last St. Patrick’s Day, when the holiday fell on a Thursday. “It’s a big party—lots of green funky hats, goofy shirts, […]

If you haven’t experienced Taste of Solvang in the two decades the event has attracted thousands of hungry (and thirsty) visitors, then you don’t know what you’re missing, so let me tell you. It’s more than aebleskivers (the traditional, sphere-shaped Danish pancakes), which are great, but Taste of Solvang has evolved into farm-fresh delicacies made […]

You’ve likely heard the old saying, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch,” but I’ve discovered what could be the next best thing: a free cooking class. The talented executive chef at Central City Market in Santa Maria is offering something that’s too good to pass up: complimentary cooking classes. The first class will […]

Visit the Qupé tasting room in Los Olivos and you’ll find a familial feast—a multitude of wines made by three different members of the Lindquist family: venerable vintner Bob Lindquist’s Qupe wines, his wife Louisa Sawyer Lindquist’s Verdad wines, and Bob’s son Ethan Lindquist’s wine label, appropriately named Ethan. Bob’s daughter Paige Lindquist runs the […]

Visit The Rock Seafood & Grill in Nipomo during the lunch or dinnertime rush and you may have to get in line—a line out the door. People like what owner Daniel Rivas is serving, and it’s not just seafood. God’s message is on the menu, too.   “Right when they walk in, they see ‘The […]

Since when is high maintenance considered sexy? When it’s pinot noir. Legendary California wine pioneer André Tchelistcheff, who mentored several Central Coast winemakers, is credited with saying, “God made cabernet sauvignon, whereas the Devil made pinot noir.” The diva of wine varieties, pinot noir demands extra attention during the grape-growing and winemaking process, but the […]

A few of life’s little luxuries are actually doing well in this sluggish economy. Alcohol sales are up, same with nail polish, and Americans are still screaming for ice cream.   “It’s definitely a comfort food,” said Greg Steinberger, owner of Doc Burnstein’s Ice Cream Lab in Arroyo Grande, and now Orcutt. “Ice cream has a […]