Cocktail Corner: 2016 Live Downtown Art & Wine Tour

Downtown Art & Wine Tour, courtesy Downtown Santa Barbara.

Downtown Art & Wine Tour, courtesy Downtown Santa Barbara.

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg

Downtown Art and Wine Tour

Art and wine are always an excellent pair, and this year’s 2016 Downtown LIVE Art & Wine Tour is adding a fun new twist to the mix: Live Art!

Each of the participating venues north of Carrillo Street—including 10 West Gallery, Bella Rosa Galleries, Churchill Jewelers, Distinctive Art Gallery, Engel & Vӧlkers, Imagine X Functional Neurology, Indigo Interiors, The Painted Cabernet, Santa Barbara Arts, Santa Barbara Public Market and Sullivan Goss – An American Gallery—hosts a LIVE cultural event paired with a Santa Barbara restaurant and regional winery.

“Our ingenious venues are exhibiting everything from painting, spinning, live photo development—even aerialists, all performed LIVE,” says Maggie Campbell, Downtown Santa Barbara Executive Director.

Downtown Art & Wine Tour, courtesy Downtown Santa Barbara.

Downtown Art & Wine Tour, courtesy Downtown Santa Barbara.

You can sip from your choice of ten wineries and one brewery along your cultural journey. Participants include: The Brander Vineyard, Buttonwood Farm Winery & Vineyard, Cebada Wine, Fess Parker Winery, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co, Grassini Family Vineyards, Margerum Wine Company, Presidio Vineyard & Winery, Sanford Winery & Vineyards, Standing Sun Wines, Summerland Winery, Wine + Beer and Windrun Wines.

Downtown Art & Wine Tour, courtesy Downtown Santa Barbara.

Downtown Art & Wine Tour, courtesy Downtown Santa Barbara.

Food offerings included in the ticket price are from: Blush, bouchon Santa Barbara, Brasil Arts Café, C’est Cheese, Ca’Dario, Chase Restaurant & Lounge, Enterprise Fish Co, Finch & Fork, Los Arroyos Mexican Restaurant, Nectar Eatery & Lounge, Nothing Bundt Cakes, opal restaurant and bar, Paradise Café, Pascucci, Patxi’s Pizza, Persona Wood Fired Pizzeria and Viva Santa Barbara.

Tickets, which are $65 for the tour and include the Final Party, may be purchased at www.DSBLiveArtWine.Nightout.com, or at the Downtown Santa Barbara office (27-B E. de la Guerra St., M-F, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., check or credit card only). A limited number of tickets are available, so advance purchase is a must if you don’t want to miss out on the fun.

For more information, please call 805/962-2098, ext. 804 or visit www.DowntownSB.org. The festivities take place in Downtown Santa Barbara on Thursday, May 26, from 5:30-10 p.m. Hope to see you there!

Cheers to art and wine together! Click here for more cocktail corner columns.

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.”

 Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on May 13, 2016.

Thacher Winery Winemaker Tasting

Thacher Winery (Mike Larson photo)

Thacher Winery (Mike Larson photo)

Enjoy the hand-crafted, dry-farmed, Rhone blends and Zinfandels from award-winning Thacher Winery from the westside of Paso Robles with Sherman and Michelle Thacher on January 16 at 6 p.m. at Blush, 630 State St.

“Not only are their wines terrific, but they are a wonderful, engaging couple that radiate the hospitality that makes their winery a must-visit in Paso,” say Inside Wine Santa Barbara organizers who have created this event.
“We will have the back patio of Blush to ourselves–tented, heated, with the outdoor fireplace lit. Blush will be providing tasty appetizers to pair with the Thacher wine selections.” Wine selections include:

·       2011 CONTROLLED CHAOS, Paso Robles (usual retail $42) 47% Mourvedre, 33% Zinfandel, 20% Grenache—each part is equally represented without anyone of them outdoing the other. This wine is delicious and approachable, a true crowd pleaser.

·       2010 GSM,  Central Coast (usual retail $42)  A pure, supple blend of 38% Grenache, 31% Syrah and 31% Mourvedre, the 2010 GSM dishes out loads of pleasure with a seamless, upfront and fruit-loaded personality. Exhibiting ripe black raspberry, toast, spice cabinet and plenty of licorice aromas and flavors, this plush, textured, medium to full-bodied, beauty should be enjoyed over the coming 4-5 years. WINNER! 2013 LA International Wine Competition “Best of Class”

·       2011 ZINFANDEL, Paso Robles (usual retail $36) Five different Westside Paso Robles’ vineyards make up this blend, one of them being our own Kentucky Ranch Vineyard. This wine is ruby in color with notes of cherry, coffee, cinnamon, and molasses on the nose. The front of the palette has hints of vanilla that give way to a flavor of ripe strawberries. Becomes spicier with air and finishes with silky tannins, strong persistence and a bright jolt of cracked pepper.

·       2011 ViN ROUGE, Paso Robles (usual retail $38) A favorite blend of 74% Syrah and 26% Grenache — very balanced and approachable. This is the perfect cocktail hour wine. Not over-powering or loaded with astringency. Medium bodied, fruity and a crowd pleaser. No fork needed.

For more information, please click here.
—Leslie Dinaberg
Originally published in Santa Barbara SEASONS on January 1, 2014.

Cocktail Corner: Toasting the Santa Barbara International Film Festival

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg

Even movie stars shine a little brighter when you give them a perfect cocktail. Since the stars will be out in full force this week, here’s where I would take some of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival VIPs out for drinks:

Harry's (courtesy photo)

Harry’s (courtesy photo)

Golden Globe winning director Ben Affleck, whose terrific film Argo seems to be the Oscar front runner at the moment, is a down-to-earth guy who would appreciate the local charm and flavor of Harry’s—not to mention the generous drinks. Perhaps after he receives the Modern Master Award on January 25 he’ll join us for a Dirty Martini at Harry’s. Made the old-fashioned way, with Bombay Gin, Dry Vermouth, a splash of olive juice, and a “family of olives,” like Affleck, this drink is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

The Biltmore's Smoked Maple Manhattan (courtesy photo)

The Biltmore’s Smoked Maple Manhattan (courtesy photo)

This Saturday night the whole town’s got a date with Daniel Day Lewis when he accepts the Montecito Award on January 26.

Be still my heart.

After years of lusting after Daniel Day Lewis (for his brain, of course, not to mention his smoldering Irish accent) I think its only fitting that before he takes the stage at the Arlington that night we should enjoy an ocean view sunset cocktail together at Four Seasons Resort the Biltmore in Montecito. I think Daniel would appreciate the poetry of a Smoked Maple Manhattan, made with hickory smoked Maker’s Mark bourbon, Bliss maple syrup infused vermouth, shaken straight up and garnished with a brandied cherry or two.

Quentin Tarantino will receive the American Riviera Awardon January 30. He’s a great raconteur in any setting, but I think he’d revel in both the view and the cocktails at The Boathouse at Hendry’s Beach, one of Santa Barbara’s loveliest spots for drinks. My personal favorite is the Blood Orange Margarita, made from El Charro 100% Agave Tequila, with fresh blood orange juice, fresh lime, Triple Sec and a splash of sweet and sour, served on the rocks. I also love the Honeycomb Mojito: Myers Platinum Rum with honeycomb simple syrup, a squeeze of lime, mint, and a splash of club soda.

The enchanting Amy Adams is in town next Thursday, January 31, to receive the Cinema Vanguard Award for her work in The Master. This woman’s versatility is amazing. I’ve loved her in everything from serious dramas (Doubt, The Fighter) to lighthearted films (Enchanted, The Trouble With the Curve). I’d take Amy to Kunin Wine Tasting Room on the Urban Wine Trail. I think she’d appreciate the elegance and local flavor of this great spot, as well as a glass of Seth Kunin’s 2007 Santa Barbara County Syrah. Crafted from three different local vineyards, it’s a smoky, spicy taste of Syrah—and Santa Barbara.

Kunin Tasting Room (courtesy photo)

Kunin Tasting Room (courtesy photo)

Finally Jennifer Lawrence, who was fabulous in both the Hunger Games and Silver Linings Playbook this year, will receive the Outstanding Performer of the Year award on Saturday, February 2. I think she’d enjoy cocktails on the patio at Blush. I have a feeling she’d like one of their fruity fun libations, like the Melted Popsicle (Stoli Raspberry Vodka, Cointreau, fresh oranges, cranberry and lemonade) or Pineapple Smash (Pineapple-infused Skyy Vodka, agave nectar, lime juice, pineapple and jalapeno). Who knows, we might even go ballroom dancing later … when Bradley Cooper shows up.

Seriously, if any of you are reading this—especially Daniel Day Lewis—drinks are on me. Cheers!

Click here for more cocktail corner columns.

Leslie Dinaberg, hard at work. Photo by Derek Johnson.

Leslie Dinaberg, hard at work. Photo by Derek Johnson.

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.”

Originally published in Santa Barbara SEASONS on January 25, 2013.