Get set for one of the busiest weekends in Santa Barbara County’s wine country, a picturesque wonderland of vineyards and tasting rooms that beckons from just beyond our back yards. Celebrate the season, party with friends, and sample the fresh new foods and wines of spring, all within a short distance from home.
This year marks the 28th year running that the Santa Barbara County Vintners’ Association (SBCVA) has staged its popular Vintners’ Festival. Once a modest afternoon affair conducted around a few folding tables, it now serves as the centerpiece for a four-day extravaganza of open houses, special tastings, winemaker dinners, and assorted fun and frivolity.
Held in Lompoc’s lush River Park, the Vintners’ Festival brings together 130-plus member wineries—as well as more than 24 food purveyors—for a grand sampling of vintages and vittles. Laced with original art, live music, and the heady scents of spring, the event promises a day of memorable flavors and savory pleasures.
“Our festival represents the entire Santa Barbara County wine industry,” Fran Clow, SBCVA executive administrator, wrote in an e-mail, “and every single one of our members pours.
“It’s not just a selection of wineries who decide to participate,” she continued, “so you’ll be able to taste from all kinds of wineries, from ‘boutique’ and little-known producers, to the famous wineries.”
Expect to tuck into tasty edibles from local chefs, caterers, and vendors of specialty foods dishing up everything from grilled tidbits to sweet treats. Despite the diversity of the fare, just about all of it makes a fine pairing with one or more of the hundreds of wines being poured.
Among festival participants offering a sizzling snack, members of the Lompoc Kiwanis Club take pride in serving handmade sausage from Bruce’s Prime Cuts, a custom butcher shop in downtown Lompoc.
“This is our third year at the festival,” said Monika Bennett, president of the Lompoc Kiwanis. “Bruce is a past president of the club and we’re fortunate that he happens to be the owner of a butcher shop.
“He has 14 different kinds,” she continued, “but we usually serve French apple, bratwurst, hot Italian, and Andouille. We cut them up into individual tastes and, depending on what people want, put two or three flavors into paper soufflé cups.”
Also whipping up culinary delights are Susie Q’s, Panera Bread, Far Western Tavern, Trattoria Uliveto, and both Hitching Posts. Look for innovative olive tapenades from Global Gardens, crisp mini-salads from Babé Farms, singular savories from Chef Rick’s, and a variety of irresistible sweets, from hand-dipped chocolates to decadent cakes to ice cream cups.
On hand to provide toe-tapping music will be singer/songwriter Sean Wiggins and her band Lone Goat. Wiggins brings a bold guitar and strong voice to her stylish mix of country, rock, and rhythm and blues.
On another stage, San Luis Obispo’s own House Red delivers vintage soul, blues, and rock-and-roll classics. The band, featuring vocalist Mary Welsh, has been playing up and down the Central Coast for the last six years and inspiring audiences everywhere to get up and dance.
Local artists exhibiting their work at the festival include painters Vicki Andersen, Carol Oliveria, and Angie Hamlin, and photographer Jane Kametani.
In addition to wine, music, food, and art, a silent auction of all kinds of wine-related goodies runs throughout the event. Place a written offer on lots such as large format bottles, vertical flights, gift baskets, and vacation getaways, and know that a portion of the winning bid will go directly to local charities.
The Vintners’ Festival offers a rare opportunity to sample the wares of dozens of different producers, all in one place. Although a nearly comprehensive representation of the county’s wineries, it is by no means the only thing going during the long festival weekend that runs April 16 through 19.
Winemaker dinners range from multi-course meals at elegant restaurants, to outdoor barbecues, to intimate barrel room gatherings. Dig into a hearty chuckwagon brunch, evaluate wine and cheese pairings, nibble on gourmet hot dogs, or celebrate Creole-style.
The proprietors of area wineries aim to wow friends and fans with an imaginative line-up of activities and attractions throughout the four-day affair, so in addition to fine dining, there will be dozens of library tastings, release parties, and open houses. Some facilities even mount art exhibitions, host vineyard tours, and welcome visitors for late-night sipping in the wine cellar.
Every year, just as the grape vines push new leaves and clusters of berries begin to form, local vintners throw a giant party. It’s up to oenophiles everywhere to help them celebrate spring in wine country, and luckily for us, it’s just a few miles from home.
K. Reka Badger loves tasting food that comes in paper soufflé cups. Contact her at rekabadger@hotmail.com.
This article appears in Apr 8-15, 2010.