Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the granddaddy of local wine events is bigger and better than ever. The Santa Barbara County Vintners’ Festival moves to a new location on Saturday, April 21: The Carranza, a scenic spot along Zaca Station Road, on the outskirts of Los Olivos.
“The Carranza—just the name alone makes it worth the effort,” Vintners’ Association Executive Director Jim Fiolek said.
It’s a lovely locale “on a couple-hundred-acre mesa, just above Zaca Creek, as it rumbles out of Foxen Canyon, just south and a wee-bit west of Firestone’s vineyards, across from the winery. Almost a 360 degree view of that gorgeous little valley, with the Santa Ynez Mountains to the south, the San Rafael Mountains to the north, that legerdemain of logic ‘The Transverse Range’ in full glory, not to mention every member of our 100-plus winery association pouring their wines.” (Fiolek knows how to paint a picture, doesn’t he?)
All 108 wineries in the association—including the area’s newest wineries and/or tasting rooms: Alta Maria, Casa Dumetz, Clos Pepe, Hilliard-Bruce, J. Ludlow, Presqu’ile, Refugio Ranch, and Sanguis—will pour their current wines at Saturday’s festival from 1 to 4 p.m.
Native9, Autonom, and Alta Maria Vineyards’ winemaker Paul Wilkins and business partner/grape grower James Ontiveros will showcase some of their wines at the Vintners’ Festival for the first time.
“We will be pouring the Alta Maria wines exclusively, and that will be all four of the wines we currently have at the tasting room, which is the Chardonnay, the Pinot Noir, the Sauvignon Blanc, and the Cabernet,” Wilkins said.
Alta Maria wines are produced in the Santa Maria Valley, and their tasting room opened in Los Olivos last August.
Wilkins believes the festival will be eye opening for those not familiar with the vast selection of wines made in the region.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for the general public to get a glimpse at the Santa Barbara County wine country as a whole and the diversity there,” he said. “I think so many people come to Santa Barbara County thinking Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, you know, and actually the amount of Bordeaux varieties and Italian varieties and Rhone varieties being done really, really well here—I think people don’t realize that.”
To hit home that point, the Vintners’ Association’s current slogan reflects the same sentiment: “Diversity Perfected.”
So with all that wine varietal diversity from more than 100 wineries, how does one maneuver the festival’s main event?
“It’s more than anyone can handle. Period. So start making a plan now,” Fiolek advised. “Go to our website, sbcountywines.com, and start looking at what the wineries produce and from what vineyards. Do you want to taste by variety? By AVA (American Viticultural Area)? By vintage? By wineries you’ve never heard of? Always a good one! Or you figure it out. I also advocate the serendipitous approach—and having fun. Education can be a whole lot of fun!”
Your ticket into the Saturday-afternoon event also includes food from two dozen of the area’s best restaurants and caterers, including Avant Tapas, Babé Farms, Bacara Resort, Brothers Restaurant, Far Western Tavern, Hitching Post II, Los Olivos Cafe, and Root 246.
While you take in the scenery, sipping wine and savoring gourmet creations, you’ll hear two live bands: Margie Nelson, and Burning James & the Funky Flames. There’s also a silent auction benefitting local charities.
The Vintners’ Association encourages designated driver tickets, which cost $25 for everything but wine.
You may also reserve a seat on buses going to the Vintners’ Festival from Santa Maria, Solvang, and Santa Barbara and back, for a cost of $25. Find details on the association’s website, mentioned above.
Tickets to the festival cost $85 at the gate on Saturday, or $75 in advance.
Over the course of the weekend, many Santa Barbara County wineries also present their own events, ranging from winemaker dinners to concerts to Zaca Mesa’s winemaker-led vineyard dog walk.
For example, on Saturday and Sunday, Richard Sanford’s Alma Rosa Winery presents its Annual Day in the Country. The 2012 Vintners Hall of Fame inductee invites you to his rustic Santa Rosa Road tasting room for wine, artisan cheese, and other treats, and the acoustic Latin grooves of Domingo Siete.
Also, the notable Au Bon Climat/Qupe/Verdad winery at Santa Maria’s Bien Nacido Vineyard is open to the public only twice a year, this Sunday being one. The April 22 open house, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., features library wines, current releases, bargain wines, and lunch. Tickets cost $20. The winery is at 4665 Santa Maria Mesa Road.
Here’s something else to consider: the Vintners’ Visa. Good for four days, Friday through Monday, the visa lets you visit up to 12 of the participating wineries. Your wine tasting is covered by the cost of the visa, which by itself is $35 (or $25 when bought in conjunction with a festival ticket).
There are so many reasons to head out to the festival: Santa Barbara County wines have never been better; the festival has a lovely, new central location; and the chance to treat yourself to the best our area has to offer is downright fabulous.
Sun wine and food writer Wendy Thies Sell wishes for more hours in the day to enjoy all the mouthwatering weekend options. Contact her at wthies@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Apr 19-26, 2012.