Just in time for our wine-themed issue is one of my all-time favorite wine festivals. The 16th Annual World of Pinot Noir (Mar. 4–5) brings together an impressive lineup of producers from the most exceptional and unique regions in the world with pinot noir enthusiasts for a weekend of celebration and education at the beautiful Bacara Resort & Spa. This year’s event includes two days of food and wine extravaganzas hosted by an outstanding panel of sommeliers from across the U.S.
A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! by Leslie Dinaberg
The word Pinotphile may not roll off the tongue quite as sweetly as say, a 2012 Sta. Rita Hills Fess Parker Pinot Noir, but the World of Pinot Noir—which features Fess Parker among the more than 200 top interpreters of the grape—is quite a delicious event.
The sixteenth annual World of Pinot Noir is taking place for the third time locally, March 4-5 at Bacara Resort & Spa. This indescribably fun weekend brings pinot noir producers and pinot noir enthusiasts together for an impressive line-up of educational, culinary and tasting events highlighting a veritable buffet of pinot noirs from California, Oregon, Burgundy, Champagne, New Zealand and Tasmania.
Courtesy World of Pinot Noir.
Tasting Events
The World of Pinot Noir Friday Focus Tasting showcases 100 Pinot producers pouring a vineyard designate and library wine selection. The Saturday Grand Tasting features a different lineup of wineries and expands to 125 brands. Both tastings feature wine country appetizers from Bacara Executive Chef Vincent Lesage.
Pinot Focused Seminars
– A Sparkling Evolution explores the grower-producer Champagne and Sparkling wine movement
– The Diversity of Maison Joseph Drouhin’s Burgundy with Frederic Drouhin focuses on a tasting of wine from different “climats” and Burgundy’s recent designation as a World Heritage site by UNESCO
– Côte d’ Or March Madness is an educational Premier Cru wine tasting that pits the best villages from the Côte de Beaune against the Côte de Nuit
– Debunking the Myth: Cheese & Chocolate wine pairing seminars features fromagers and chocolatiers throwing down the gauntlet to winemakers
Courtesy World of Pinot Noir.
Featured Pinot Noir Dinners
– Southwestern featuring “ranchero” style cuisine prepared by Frank Ostini of Hitching Post II
– Pacific Northwest with guest Chef Jason French from Oregon’s Ned Ludd restaurant
– Country French dinner prepared by Bacara Executive Chef Vincent Lesage
– The Rock Stars of Pinot Noir event honoring Josh Jensen with Calera Wine Company
– Pioneers & Protégés dinner pairs wines and cuisine with winemaker mentors and mentees
Pinot in the Movies
The winning films from the inaugural International Wine Film Festival will be shown on the big screen in the resort’s state of the art theatre. Somm: Into the Bottlewill be screened on Saturday afternoon.
Trust me, this is a weekend pinot noir lovers won’t want to miss. And if you need any more incentive, a portion of the funds from the World of Pinot Noir silent auction benefit the Michael Bonaccorsi Foundation with Allan Hancock College and the Keith Patterson Memorial Endowment at Cal Poly University.
All events take place at the Bacara Resort & Spa, 8301 Hollister Ave. For additional information or to purchase tickets visit worldofpinotnoir.com.
When she’s not busy working as the editor of Santa Barbara SEASONS, Cocktail Corner author Leslie Dinaberg writes magazine articles, newspaper columns and grocery lists. When it comes to cocktails, Leslie considers herself a “goal-oriented drinker.”
A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! by Leslie Dinaberg
Wine and movies pair together exceptionally well—especially at the beautiful private screening room at the Bacara Resort & Spa, featuring blu-ray technology and a surround-sound audio system—so it’s fitting that this is the spot for the Santa Barbara movie premiere of SOMM: INTO THE BOTTLE, the sequel to the 2013 cult hit SOMM.
Writer/Director Jason Wise’s SOMM: INTO THE BOTTLE takes us deep into the seldom seen world that surrounds the wine we drink. How many people understand how wine is produced? How it is grown? What goes on in the cellar? From those questions to how many hands touch a bottle, to why wine costs what it costs, to how certain wines end up on a wine list, this movie offers a never before seen, insider’s look into the world of wine.
After the premiere, you can enjoy tastings by Bacara’s famed Executive Chef Vincent Lesage, as well as vintages from 11 esteemed Santa Barbara County wineries pouring an outstanding selection of wines. It all takes place on Saturday, January 16 at the Bacara, 8301 Hollister Ave.
“Bacara’s appreciation for fine wine is evident in our 12,000-bottle Cellar and onsite Foley Wine Tasting Room,” says Shashi Poudyal, general manager of Bacara Resort & Spa. “We share the filmmaker’s fascination with this intriguing world and are honored to screen a film about one of our favorite passions.”
The schedule is as follows:
2:30 to 4:30 p.m. SOMM Screening & Audience Q&A with writer/director Jason Wise and local master sommelier Brian McClintic, who appears in the film.
When she’s not busy working as the editor of Santa Barbara SEASONS, Cocktail Corner author Leslie Dinaberg writes magazine articles, newspaper columns and grocery lists. When it comes to cocktails, Leslie considers herself a “goal-oriented drinker.”
(L-R) Elizabeth Banks, Jane Fonda, Diane Lane and Executive Director of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival Roger Durling attend Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s 10th Annual Kirk Douglas Awards Honoring Jane Fonda (Photo by Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for SBIFF)
The event kicked off with a pre-reception and red carpet held in the courtyard, where guests mingled and sipped Altos del Plata wines. Following Banks and Lane, Fonda danced onto the red carpet looking stunning in a green Elie Saab jumpsuit.
Jane Fonda accepts award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s 10th Annual Kirk Douglas Awards. (Photo by Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for SBIFF)
After dinner, Hennessy’s Paradis Imperial cognac (Which retails between $1,000 and $3,000 a bottle!) was distributed for a toast. Following the toast, Banks took the stage to thank Fonda for her art, activism, and inspiration, calling her a “walking celebration of femininity and power.” Charming the crowd, Banks also said that she watched a reel including all of Fonda’s films, she was not embarrassed to say that 9 to 5, which she first saw at age seven, was her favorite. It made her dream of being a BOSS, said the actress, who recently directed Pitch Perfect 2.
Elizabeth Banks attends Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s 10th Annual Kirk Douglas Awards Honoring Jane Fonda. (Photo by Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for SBIFF)
Lane presented the Kirk Douglas Award award to Fonda, saying she was there out of a sincere love for her, Lane thanked her for being the woman who has informed everyone’s love with courage and honesty.
Diane Lane speaks onstage at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s 10th Annual Kirk Douglas Awards Honoring Jane Fonda. (Photo by Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for SBIFF)
The evening concluded with Fonda’s acceptance of the award. She thanked everyone in attendance as well as Kirk Douglas who had submitted a taped message that played earlier in the evening. Fonda also thanked the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and lauded the festival for its many year-round charitable programs.
(L-R) Diane Lane, Jane Fonda and Elizabeth Banks attend the Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s 10th Annual Kirk Douglas Awards Honoring Jane Fonda at Bacara Resort and Spa on October 3, 2015. (Photo by Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for SBIFF)
A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! by Leslie Dinaberg
I don’t know if it’s the early harvest, the crazy weather, or just that time of year, but my inbox is bursting with wine news these days. We’re barking about a taste of Verona at the Bacara, Doug Margerum’s new Barden wines, Groundboots charity wine label and Wandering Dog Wine Bar’s new vintages in today’s Cocktail Corner.
Here’s a look at what’s going on in the wine world:
A Taste of Verona Returns
Bacara Resort & Spa welcomes Fumanelli Winery for an operatic evening by the sea with Verona’s top winemaker, Armando Fumanelli, proprietor of Marchesi Fumanelli Winery. The winery dates back hundreds of years, and in that spirit, the Bacara is partnering with Opera Santa Barbara to enhance the Italian-themed event.
“The Fumanelli family has been cultivating grapes and producing prestigious wines for more than 600 years,” says Kathleen Cochran, managing director of Bacara Resort & Spa. “We are honored to offer guests the rare opportunity to dine with a winemaker of this magnitude.”
Photo courtesy Bacara Resort & Spa
Diners will enjoy four Fumanelli wines personally selected by Armando Fumanelli, paired with an elegant reception and three-course Italian-inspired tasting menu by Executive Chef Vincent Lesage. Each course will be preceded by traditional Italian opera performances. The event takes place on Tuesday, September 29, from 6 to 9 p.m. The price is $150 per person. Space is limited and reservations are recommended (It sold out last year). For tickets and additional information, please call 877/496-8977 or visit BacaraResort.com.
Margerum Wine Company’s New Barden Label Wines
Sometimes I think Doug Margerum must have figured out how to clone himself, he’s such a busy, talented winemaker! Fulfilling Margerum’s dream to create world-class wines using grapes from the renowned Sta. Rita Hills AVA, Margerum Wine Company recently released its new Barden label wines: Chardonnay, Fonte, Syrah and Pinot Noir. Barden is Doug’s middle name and literally translates into “one who lives near the boars den”—a nod also to the wild boars that roam the Sta. Rita Hills.
A little more on the wines:
Courtesy Margerum Wine
Fonte: Described as “a blend of Chardonnay Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris picked for a balance of flavor and acidity. Barrel fermented in our 55 degree winery, inoculated for malolactic fermentation and batton-aged for 3 months. Aged 6 months sur-lie in 1 year old demi-muid, a neutral puncheon and a bit in stainless steel. Barden Fonte is a collection of rambling memories assembled to reflect the image we imagined it would be. A Fonte is fountain or spring.”
Chardonnay: Doug says, “we pick Chardonnay for opulent flavors, barrel ferment in our 55-degree winery, encourage full malolactic fermentation and it is batton-aged for 4 months. Aged 10 months sur-lie in about half new French oak barriques from Quintessence and François Frères and half in neutral French oak barriques. Barden Chardonnay. Apart but together again. Ours is a path less taken, an assemblage of noble places, temptresses and impossible loves.”
On the Pinot Noir: “We hand sorted and a percentage (depending on the vintage) is whole cluster fermented, we do a 6-10 day cold soak, natural (wild) fermentation, only free-run wine used, no SO2 during maturation on full lees, bottled un-fined and unfiltered. This wine is matured for 10 months in mostly new French oak barriques from Françoise Frères and Ermitage. Barden Pinot Noir is formed so as to touch the heart, mind, body and soul. It’s wrapped in a cloak of mystery, lightly adorned, and respected. Ours is a swirling worldly vision, moody but aware. We dared and entered this world with trepidation. Pinot Noir is fiendishly complex…”
Syrah: “We ferment in a combination of 500 liter (heads off ) French oak puncheons and 400 liter open top insulated fermenters. The wine is aged in half new Françoise Frères and half new Ermitage French oak barrels,” says Doug. “Barden Syrah is shaped and sculptured. Its drapes reveal dark rooms full of the unknown; frightenly sinister, packed, and powerful. Syrah is our blood-right and our passion; we realize we are on the road to madness.”
All are available at select wine shops and restaurants, as well as at the Margerum Tasting Room in Santa Barbara and online. The wines retail for $36-$82. For more information on Margerum and Barden wines please visit margerumwines.com.
Groundboots Wine Charity Label Launches to Support Soi Dog
Winemaker Deborah Hall of Gypsy Canyon in St. Rita Hills recently launched Groundboots.org, a wine charity label which is crowdfunding to fundraise for and bring awareness tostopping the illegal dog meat trade through wine. She has designated 100% of profits to go to Soi Dog, an organization that has nearly eliminated it in Thailand, and are now moving into Vietnam, China, Korea, and other places, rescuing and re-homing the survivors.
The campaign is running through September.
And in case you’re wondering about the “taste good” part of the wine, not just the “feel good” part, this Pinot Noir was hand-harvested from their estate vineyards in Sta. Rita Hills. Cluster sorted at the vineyard, berry sorted at the winery. Aged 18 months in 50% new French oak.
According to Wine Enthusiast, the 2012 Ground Boots Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County gets 91 pts. “This wine by Gypsy Canyon’s Deborah Hall raises money for dogs in Thailand, but it’s certainly no gimmick. Deep aromas of black raspberry, cherry chiffon and dried violets mix with chipped slate, charred pine, morel mushrooms and turned loam. The palate shows sharp cranberry followed by graphite and herbal saps, with noticeable grip.”
Solvang’s Wandering Dog Wine Bar Expands Private Label Wine Program
More on the intersection between wine and dogs, Solvang’s Wandering Dog Wine Bar—incidentally a very fun, dog- and people-friendly spot—recently expanded its private label wine program from four labels to a current line-up of 14 wines, comprised of eight different, locally-grown varietals.
Each of the 14 wines are made by local winemakers/wineries, sourced from local vineyards, and each winemaker/winery is listed on the respective bottle; every winemaker is given full credit for the wines produced for Wandering Dog, in line with the wine bar’s mission to support and foster local vintners–from those just budding to established makers and brands.
Courtesy Wandering Dog
Wandering Dog’s current releases include a sparkling (’12 “Bentley’s Bubbles”; Norm Yost, winemaker; Santa Maria Valley); ’14 Grüner Veltliner (Graham Tatomer, winemaker; Santa Ynez Valley); ’13 Chardonnay (Kevin Law, winemaker; Santa Maria Valley); ’14 “Mazzey” Viognier (Morgan Clendenon, winemaker; Santa Maria Valley); ’12 “Paige” Pinot Noir (Justin Willet, winemaker; La Encantada Vineyard); ’13 “Leila” Pinot Noir (Norm Yost, winemaker; Rio Vista Vineyard); ’13 “No Leashes” Pinot Noir (Doug Margerum, winemaker; Sta. Rita Hills); ’13 Super Tuscan (76% Sangiovese, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon; Chris Ferrara, winemaker; Paso Robles); ’13 Cabernet Sauvignon (Joshua Klapper, winemaker; Paso Robles); ’12 Zinfandel (Janell Dusi, winemaker; Dante Dusi Vineyard, Paso Robles); and ’12 “Lucy” Petite Sirah (Mark Horvath, winemaker; Viejo Vineyard, Ballard Canyon).
Upcoming releases will include a Syrah by winemaker Michael Larner, from Larner Vineyard grapes (Ballard Canyon).
Over the course of its eight years, Wandering Dog Wine Bar has, in addition to international imports, showcased wines from countless winemakers whose own labels were too small to justify the expense of a tasting room. As time passed, many of these producers expanded into their own locations, clearing the way for Wandering Dog to feature the next wave of winemaking superstars.
“This cycle has been instrumental in [Wandering Dog’s] success, but has had the side effect of ending professional relationships with winemakers who are more than an account–they are our friends,” says Wandering Dog Wine Bar’s “Director di Vino”, Charles “CT” Williams.
Courtesy Wandering Dog Wine Bar
Wandering Dog Wine Bar first produced wines in this fashion with a 2005 vintage created by Norm Yost, of California Central Coast wine label, Flying Goat Cellars. Yost’s Pinot Noir, produced for Wandering Dog from Rio Vista Vineyard grapes, was affectionately named “Leila,” for CT’s childhood Newfoundland. Ever since, a good portion of Wandering Dog’s private label listing follows suit with names reflecting family canines of past and present. Now, in 2015, Wandering Dog has burgeoned beyond its “Signature Series” wines with its “No Leashes” program, focusing on popular wineries from past wine lists.
As is evident from the wine bar’s business name, and the tale behind its multiple, dog-honoring wine labels, Wandering Dog Wine bar is dedicated to all things “doggie”. Wandering Dog is decidedly dog-friendly and often hosts pet-related events and fundraisers, such as the upcoming October 3, 2015 “Pinot for Puppies”, a benefit for Shadow’s Fund’s “Bright Beginnings: Pit Bull Puppy Ambassador Program.”
Wandering Dog Wine Bar is located at 1539-C Mission Drive (next to Paula’s Pancake House), in Solvang.
Cheers! Click here for more cocktail corner columns.
When she’s not busy working as the editor of Santa Barbara SEASONS, Cocktail Corner author Leslie Dinaberg writes magazine articles, newspaper columns and grocery lists. When it comes to cocktails, Leslie considers herself a “goal-oriented drinker.”
(L-R): Linda Wallem-Etheridge, Jane Lynch, Jason Collins, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Don Roos, Dan Bucatinsky, and Joanna Kerns, photo by JP Montalvo.
Pacific Pride Foundation (PPF) hosted its Fourth Annual Royal Ball fundraiser last month at the Bacara Resort & Spa. The sold out event attracted 500 guests and a host of local Hollywood celebrities. Among the stars out that night: Jane Lynch of Glee fame was the Master of Ceremonies for the evening, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Seinfeld, Veep) presented Pacific Pride Foundation’s first ever Advocacy Award to Award Winning Director/Screenwriter Don Roos and Emmy award winning actor Dan Bucatinsky.
Danny Franzese, co-star of Mean Girls and the HBO series Looking; Marisa Tomei, actress and producer; Mary McCormack, actress, writer, and producer; Michael Morris, television director and producer; Linda Wallem, actress, writer producer; Jeff Perry, actor; Linda Lowy, casting director; Jason Collins, NBA Basketball star and Brunson Green, film producer and president of Harbinger Pictures, also attended the event.
(L-R) (back row): Pacific PrideFoundation Board of Directors: Marco Silva, Ralph Barbosa, Lamar Pugh, honoree Dan Bucatinsky, MicheleHock, honoree DonRoos, Solomon N’dungu, Alan Rose, Jessa Tucker Riley and Auralee Bunch. (front row): Go-go dancers from The Abbey in West Hollywood, photo by Joel Conroy.
Each year, Pacific Pride Foundation hosts the Royal Ball to bring together gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) people and straight allies to share a memorable evening of fun and celebration of our diverse community, all in support of Pacific Pride Foundation’s vital programs and services for the LGBTQ and HIV communities.
The mission of Pacific Pride Foundation is to advocate for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community; care for people living with HIV; and prevent the transmission of HIV. For more information, please visit www.pacificpridefoundation.org/.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, photo by Joel Conroy.
Costumed greeters welcomed guests to the Pacific Pride Foundation’s 4th Annual Royal Ball. Photo by Isaac Hernandez.
Fork & Cork 2014, photo by Eric Roland Photography
A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg
Santa Barbara winemakers are a generous bunch. They constantly get hit up to donate wine to charitable events, and do so with stunning regularity, often pouring the wine themselves, and always with affable smiles on their faces.
A few causes that are particularly near and dear to the wine/food community have their own fundraising events coming up soon, and lucky us, we get to sip and savor and support them in style!
100% of the event’s proceeds will benefit the Foodbank’s 300 local nonprofit partners who supply nutritious meals to Santa Barbara County residents. Last year alone, the Foodbank served 140,575 people—over 25% of the local population, including 50,000 children. For more information or to purchase tickets visit http://www.forkandcorkclassic.org.
Fork & Cork 2014, photo by Eric Roland Photography
Also back for the second year at the Bacara Resort & Spa is the Santa Barbara Food & Wine Weekend April 16—19 . I’ve written about this before but this is a great event for a good cause: The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts. Child herself created the foundation, and the mission is to honor and further her legacy, which centers on the importance of understanding where food comes from, what makes for good food, and the value of cooking. It is a grant making, nonprofit which primarily funds research and scholarships for professional culinary training as well as other activities in the fields of gastronomy and the culinary arts.
Among the highlights this year is a special Saturday Night Grand Dinner & Reception with Kurt Russell featuring GoGi Wines, Hudson Bellamy Wines (inspired by actress Kate Hudson), and Ampelos Cellars. Russell will tell the stories behind the wines, their inspiration and their unique qualities driven by how they are grown and blended in the renowned Sta. Rita Hills AVA and there’s also a VIP access-only wine reception with live music followed by a four-course “ranch to table” dinner with his wine pairings.
Also on tap for the event is an educational lunch with Los Angeles power couple and celebrity chefs, Suzanne Goin (Lucques, AOC & Tavern) and David Lentz, chef/owner of Santa Barbara’s The Hungry Cat; cooking classes with famed chefs and cookbook authors, including Jim Dodge, Anne Willan and Virginia Willis; a Neighborhood Tasting & Market that explores Santa Barbara’s top up-and-coming food regions, including Los Alamos, Arts District and the Funk Zone and while lot more.
When she’s not busy working as the editor of Santa Barbara SEASONS, Cocktail Corner author Leslie Dinaberg writes magazine articles, newspaper columns and grocery lists. When it comes to cocktails, Leslie considers herself a “goal-oriented drinker.”
The beautiful home of Westerly Wines, photo by Leslie Dinaberg
A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg
Purely by coincidence, I spent the last two weekends tasting a number of limited production wines—while the number of bottles may be small, their variety is large and their quality is excellent.
Westerly Wines
First up was a lovely tour, barrel sampling and wine tasting at the Santa Ynez estate home of Westerly Wines. What a treat! Winemaker Adam Henkel played host for the private event. He’s a Kentucky-born charmer who came to the vineyard a few years ago, after a decade in Napa Valley making wines for Harlan Estate and Swanson Vineyards.
Westerly Wines Winemaker Adam Henkel with one of the ceramic “eggs” used in the white winemaking process. Photo by Leslie Dinaberg.
First of all, the estate is beautiful. Based in the Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara AVA, it was once part of a 3,900-acre horse ranch, Westerly Stud Farms, and horses still graze the neighboring estates. Our first wine was a 2013 Westerly Sauvignon Blanc, a bright, fresh and balanced wine that was perfect for a warm, spring afternoon. Then Henkel took us into the barrel room, where we sampled the 2014 Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay and the 2013 Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir, both of which were quite promising. This winery is state-of-the art, with reds fermenting in concrete conical tanks, French Oak and traditional stainless steel, while the whites cold ferment in concrete “eggs,” as well as small French Oak barrels and stainless steel tanks. It’s amazing the number of different winemaking vessels available, and Westerly seems to have them all on hand.
Then it was onto the picturesque dining room, where owner Roger Bower greeted us warmly. At lunch we tasted an excellent Bordeaux varietal, the 2010 Westerly Fletcher’s Red, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. We also tasted the 2012 Cote Blonde, a blend of 87% Syrah and 13% Viognier co-fermented together to create my new favorite wine. It’s really nicely balanced and full bodied with a wonderful smell of dried apricots of flowers. Trust me, it’s delicious! It was a great introduction to these (new to me) wines. I definitely won’t be a stranger!
The winery is not open to the public, however wine club members are invited to special events and staff will be pouring at a number of upcoming wine festivals, including the 2nd Annual Santa Barbara Food & Wine Weekend at the Bacara Resort & Spa April 16-17. Click here for details.
The Garagiste Festival
Speaking of festivals, if you want to know what’s new and exciting in the world of wine, the Garagiste Festival is the place to be. Named for the GARAGISTES (gar-uh-zhē-stuh), which comes from a term originally used in the Bordeaux region of France to denigrate renegade small-lot wine makers, sometimes working in their garages, who refused to follow the “rules” of traditional winemaking, the festival focuses on producers of less than 1,500 cases, which means these are wines you are unlikely to find very easily. The Solvang festival had two days of Grand Tastings, with different wines poured a each one.
One of my favorites was the 2012 Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay from Seagrape Cellars, which is a side project for Buttonwood Farm Winemaker Karen Steinwachs (started with her late husband, Dave). Another festival fave (I was focused on whites) was Baehner Fournier Vineyards 2013 Sauvignon Blanc from Vogelzang Vineyard in Happy Canyon.
This is the special rose flight from Wine + Beer, photo courtesy JZPR.
Wine + Beer
Rosé was also on the menu this week. As part of its one-year anniversary celebration, Wine + Beer in the Santa Barbara Public Market is offering a special “Drink Pink” rosé tasting series that runs through April 7 features some excellent local winemakers:
Tatomer “Spaatburgunder” Rosé, made of 100% Pinot Noir
Liquid Farm “Vogelzang Vineyard,” Happy Canyon, made from 100% Mourvedre.
Tasting flights are only available through next week, but the wines—so perfect for spring —are all for sale by the bottle in this bustling tasting room. Cheers!
Click here for more cocktail corner columns. Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons on April 3, 2015.
Leslie Dinaberg
When she’s not busy working as the editor of Santa Barbara SEASONS, Cocktail Corner author Leslie Dinaberg writes magazine articles, newspaper columns and grocery lists. When it comes to cocktails, Leslie considers herself a “goal-oriented drinker.”
Indulge in the pleasures of Pinot Noir at the beautiful Bacara this spring, when the 15th Annual World of Pinot Noir unites producers from the most exceptional and unique regions in the world with Pinot Noir enthusiasts for a weekend of celebration and education. Last year’s event set a high bar for wonderful wines. Sip and savor on March 6–7 at Bacara Resort & Spa, 8301 Hollister Ave., Goleta, 805/489-1758, worldofpinotnoir.com.
