The next time wine tasters visit Presqu’ile Winery, they can collect artwork from a coin-operated mini print vending machine. It’s the latest effort from the winery to involve creativity with its food and wine offerings. Created by artist Ana Inciardi, the machine is the first of its kind at a winery in the U.S., according […]
wine
Posted inFood & Drink
CaliPaso expands along the Central Coast with a tasting room in Solvang
The latest additionCaliPaso Winery’s new tasting room is located at 482 1st St. in Solvang. It’s open Sunday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information about the winery, visit calipasowinery.com. The giant television screen inside CaliPaso Winery’s Solvang tasting room became […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Let’s remember the people who served impeccable food and beverages last year
Allow me, the Sun’s Eats writer, to make a toast. We’ve made it through a quarter of the century, and that alone is worth a bit of cheer. Gathering around a table to break bread is one of life’s great pleasures, and it’s even better with a fun drink in hand and a spoonful of […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Flying Goat Cellars presents exhibit by contemporary artist
Reena Howmiller’s art show, titled What Lies Beneath, is up at Flying Goat Cellars in Lompoc through January. She created colorful, abstract paintings and scarves made with Indian silk that are inspired by her other artwork. The scarves are “colorful, wearable art to swaddle one’s decolletage in an affordable luxury item,” Howmiller said in an […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Santa Barbara Master Chorale performs at Gainey Vineyard
Catch a family-friendly holiday performance on Dec. 14 in the vineyard with a glass of wine for the adults and cookie decorating for the kids. Headlining is the Santa Barbara Master Chorale, which will sing traditional Christmas carols featuring conductor David Lozano Torres and pianist Heather Levin-White. The program is scheduled for almost an hour […]
Posted inFood & Drink
A Templeton farm brightens the horizon for a Santa Barbara County winery
Blending wine is very common, but not the way Michelle Vautier does it. She owns CrossHatch Winery and uses a method called co-fermentation. Instead of blending wines after they’ve fermented, her grapes—usually two or three varieties—are picked from their separate vines on the same day and start fermenting together right away. “I’m the only winery […]
Posted inEats
The Solvang wine bar serving rotating dishes and local pours
At Clean Slate Wine Bar, the menu changes nearly every day. Unlike other restaurants with laminated pages, the menu at Clean Slate is a big chalkboard that chef Melissa Scrymgeour erases and updates with new dishes. “That’s why we’re called Clean Slate,” her husband, Jason, said about their Solvang restaurant and wine bar. “She puts […]
Posted inEats
A veteran uses his voice as a winemaker to spread awareness about mental health
Jason Mergenov first got the “California bug” at 22 years old when the military sent him for training to become a nuclear missile launch officer. He served in the military for 22 years, including time in Iraq. Using the G.I. Bill, Mergenov started studying winemaking at Allan Hancock College in 2012, which turned into his […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Art Spot hosts two more Paint in the Vineyard sessions this year
Enjoy an afternoon sipping on a glass of red or white while working some magic with a paintbrush in Santa Barbara County wine country. Art Spot on Wheels is set to host two more Paint in the Vineyard events this year. Hit the Koehler Winery vineyards on Oct. 11 from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Bien Nacido celebrates 20 years of its estate label, marking its evolution from grape supplier to wine maker
Nicholas Miller’s family has lived in California since right after statehood. For five generations they’ve farmed and grown grapes along the Central Coast. In 1973, Miller’s father and uncle planted 300 acres of pinot noir and chardonnay grapes in Santa Maria, founding Bien Nacido Vineyard, according to the website. Celebrate on the estateBien Nacido’s Cheers […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Businesses donate top-notch food, beverages, and dessert to to the Chapman Estate’s tenth annual Swingin’ by the Sea fundraiser
The Chapman Estate, a fixture on the bluffs of Shell Beach overlooking the Pacific since 1930, is home to a koi pond, a colorful begonia house, a windmill, and the Tudor-style abode. “This is what we’re working to preserve. It’s worth saving, and it’s worth opening the doors to let people see,” volunteer Lillian Jewell […]