Cocktail Corner: Passport Weekend at the Urban Wine Trail

Posted on May 29, 2015 by lesliedinaberg

Urban Wine trail 2015 passport-poster-v3 A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg

Have you been wanting to check out what’s new on Santa Barbara’s Urban Wine Trail? If so, then the upcoming passport weekend (June 5-7) is your perfect opportunity.

The annual festivities feature a Passport to the Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail for the weekend, and a Red & White AVA Seminar. TheSanta Barbara Urban Wine Trail Passport will be happening all

Lafond Winery tasting room, photo by Mercedes Lowe

Lafond Winery tasting room is one of 26 wineries featured on the Urban Wine Trail’s special passport event June 5-7, photo by Mercedes Lowe

weekend long—Friday to Sunday—at all of the 26 tasting rooms. The Passport includes special wine tasting opportunities and complimentary tastings, including the chance to meet winemakers, reserve vintage exhibitions, light bites and live musical entertainment. Passport holders will also get a 10% discount on wine purchases at all member tasting rooms that weekend.

Guests begin their wine tasting adventures by picking up their Passport and signature logo glass at any one of the three check-in points, including Carr Winery, Santa Barbara Winery and Margerum Wine Company.

The tasting kicks into high gear on Saturday, June 6, from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Wine Cask restaurant with the Red & White AVA Seminar featuring eight of Santa Barbara’s top winemakers. I went last year and this is a MUST ATTEND event for wine lovers who want to learn more about our region.

Guests can sip through and learn about all of the AVA’s in Santa Barbara County. Each of the eight winemakers will share one of their finest wines that represent the AVA where it was grown. Mitchell Sjerven, owner of the renowned Bouchon restaurant, will moderate the seminar and guide guests through each of these unique and notable wines.

Last year’s Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail red and white AVA seminar, photo SB Urban Wine Trail Facebook.

Presenting winemakers are some of the most respected names in the business: Margerum Wine Company – Doug Margerum; Santa Barbara Winery – Bruce McGuire; Pali Wine Co. – Aaron Walker; Sanford – Steve Fennell; Carr Vineyards & Winery – Ryan Carr; Jaffurs – Craig Jaffurs; Kunin Wines – Seth Kunin; and Riverbench – Rawley Hermreck.

Passport tickets are $75 and AVA seminar tickets are also $75, or you can purchase a VIP All Access ticket for $125, which includes both events.

Photo courtesy Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail.

Urban Wine Trail member wineries include: Area 5.1 Winery, Au Bon Climat, Carr Vineyards & Winery, Cebada Vineyard and Winery (inside Isabella Gourmet Foods), Cottonwood Canyon, Deep Sea Tasting Room, Fox Wine Co., Grassini Family Vineyards, Happy Canyon Vineyard, Jaffurs Wine Cellars and Kalyra Winery.

Kunin Wines, Lafond Winery, Margerum Wine Company, Municipal Winemakers, Oreana Winery, Pali Wine Co., Riverbench Winery, Sanford, Sanguis, Santa Barbara Winery, Silver Wines, Summerland Winery, The Valley Project (a.k.a. AVA Santa Barbara) and Whitcraft Winery are also on the trail.

For more information visit, www.urbanwinetrailsb.com.

Cheers!

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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 May 29, 2015.

Cocktail Corner: Carr Winery’s New CrossHatch Label

Posted on May 18, 2015 by lesliedinaberg

Winemaker Ryan Carr’s new CrossHatch label, photo courtesy Carr Winery

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg

Creativity can often come from shaking things up a bit, which is exactly what winemaker Ryan Carr has done with his new label, CrossHatch, a project focusing on co-fermented blends from Santa Barbara County vineyards. After making only single varietal wines for 11 years, Ryan wanted to try something different. He and his wife Jessica came up with the idea of CrossHatch, inspired by cross hatching, an artistic technique that uses closely spaced intersecting lines to create shading, definition, and form in a drawing.

2012 CrossHatch Rhone Blend, Santa Ynez Valley, courtesy Carr Winery

Ryan adapted this technique to the winemaking process by harvesting multiple varietals on the same day then crushing and fermenting them together.

According to Carr Winery Marketing Manager Kayla Bonnin, “the idea of co-fermented wine is nothing new. Some of the best and oldest wines in the world are made this way, but with the microclimates of Santa Barbara it really adds another layer to the process. Co-fermentation brings out and creates flavors in the wine that would not have existed otherwise. This makes the CrossHatch wine truly one-of-a-kind.”

The labels are also quite unique, inspired by the antique winemaking equipment Ryan and his dad have collected over the years and created by local artist, Thomas Van Stein, who used the crosshatch technique to draw the crusher, corkscrew and basket press labels.

2012 CrossHatch Bordeaux Blend, Santa Ynez Valley, courtesy Carr Winery

There are three blends in the first CrossHatch portfolio (and lucky me, I got to try—and give a thumbs up to—all three:

2012 CrossHatch Bordeaux Blend, Santa Ynez Valley – $28 bottle 250 cases produced

Made of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, these two Bordeaux varietals add up to a beautiful garnet color with notes of cherries and jalapeños.

2012 CrossHatch Rhone Blend, Santa Ynez Valley – $25 bottle 225 cases produced

Made of 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah to create a big, bold and spicy wine. It paired perfectly with Santa Maria style tri-tip.

2014 CrossHatch White Blend, Santa Ynez Valley – $17 bottle 154 cases produced

Made of 70% Viognier and 30% Marsanne, it’s not wonder that the makers described this white blend as “sunshine in a bottle. ” It’s a perfect summer wine with a beautiful golden color and a crisp finish.

For more information, visit www.carrwinery.com.

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.”

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on May 15, 2015.

Cocktail Corner: Brunch at the Outpost

Posted on April 20, 2015 by lesliedinaberg

Outpost cocktails, courtesy photo

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg

While I’m not quite one of those people who believe that brunch without booze is just a sad, late breakfast, I do believe that just about everything is better with bacon, especially day drinking!

Outpost, at the Goodland Hotel in Goleta, is a great place to hang out any time of day, but their recently added brunch is particularly delish. Sit outside if you can; poolside is a perfect, relaxed place to start your day with one of mixologist Chris Burmeister‘s creative concoctions like the Oaxacan Bracer, made of Mezcal, cantaloupe juice and lime, or the Corpse

Outpost brunch, photo by Leslie Dinaberg

Reviver #2, with Gin, Orange Curacao, Cocchi Americano, lemon juice and absinthe rinse (to get you in touch with your inner Van Gogh, who was known to indulge from time to time). They also have bottomless Mimosas, along with Bloody Marys, Bellinis and more creative Chevy Chasers like the Knickerbocker (made of Rum, dry Curacao, raspberry and lemon), the Red Snapper (with Gin, smoked oyster, horseradish, caper and cranberry juice) and the Smokemosa (made with Scotch, orange juice and sparkling wine).

I’m guessing Chef Derek Simcik might have had a cocktail or two to warm up his creative juices when he developed the brunch menu. I don’t know how else to explain the impulse to create a housemade “pop tart,” chock full of straight from the farmers’ market filling! Trust me, they’re delicious! (and I’m not usually a fruity sweet person).

The patio at the Goodland, photo by Amy Barnard

Actually it’s all delicious. We loved the Buckwheat Griddle Cakes, made with candied pecans, white chocolate custard and whipped brown sugar butter; the Market Benedict, with asparagus, Serrano, poached eggs, crab béarnaise and hash browns; the Chilaquiles, made from corn tortillas, avocado puree, crème, chorizo salsa and a sunny side up egg, and of course the bacon, available with a traditional egg, toast and hash brown combo; on a torta with scrambled eggs, avocado, queso fresco, black bean puree and hash browns or as a little something on the side.

The Outpost at the Goodland is located at 5650 Calle Real in Goleta, 805/964-1288, Outpostsb.com. Brunch is served on weekends from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Cheers! Click here for more cocktail corner columns. Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on April 17, 2015.

Leslie Dinaberg

Cocktail Corner: Good Wines, Good Causes

Posted on April 10, 2015 by lesliedinaberg

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!

Coming up on May 3 is the 2nd annual Fork & Cork Classic, which brings food and wine aficionados together to benefit Santa Barbara County Foodbank. Held at the Montecito Country Club, this delicious fundraiser features tastings from an array of select wines and special dishes prepared by over 20 of Santa Barbara’s top restaurants and chefs, including Bella Vista at the Four Seasons, Blue Owl, Ca’Dario, Empty Bowls Noodle Bar, Finch & Fork, Industrial Eats, Jessica Foster Confections, Julienne, Montecito Country Club, Patxi’s, Santa Barbara Yacht Club, Succulent Cafe, The Secret Ingredient, The Pasta Shoppe and Whole Foods.

Participating wineries include Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyards, Ampelos Cellars, Beckmen Vineyards, Blair Fox Vineyards, Consilience, Marianella & Tre Anelli, CORE Family Winery and Deep Sea by Conway Family Wines.

Additional wineries include Falcone Family Vineyards, Fess Parker Winery & Vineyard, Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards, Nagy Wines, Pegasus Estate Winery, Scott Cellars, Silver Wines LLC, Turiya Wines, William James Cellars, Whitcraft Winery and Zaca Mesa Winery & Wineyards .

Also pouring are Ascendant Spirits, Caribbean Coffee Company, Cutler’s Artisan Spirits, Island Brewing Company, Pressed Juicery, The Real McCoy Rum and Tito’s Handmade Vodka.

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.

For more information and to purchase tickets visit BacaraCulinaryWeekend.com.

Kurt Russell, photo by Isaac Hernandez

Cheers! Click here for more cocktail corner columns. Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on April 10, 2015.

Cocktail Corner: Wine Notes

Posted on April 6, 2015 by lesliedinaberg

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

Stolpman Vineyards Rosé, Ballard Canyon, made from 100% Grenache

Margerum Wine Company “Riviera” Rosé (97% Grenache, 3% Counoise and Cinsaut)

Dragonette Cellars Rosé, Happy Canyon (70% Grenache, 25% Syrah and 5% Mourvedre),

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

Cocktail Corner: When Life Gives You Lemons

Posted on March 14, 2015 by lesliedinaberg

Hanky-Pinky, courtesy Limoneira

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg

When life you gives you lemons, they may as well be pretty in pink!

Lemons mostly come in shades of yellow, but Limoneira Company—a 120-year-old international agribusiness headquartered just down the road in Santa Paula—has a beautiful line of variegated pink lemons and an array of delicious pink lemon cocktails designed just for them by mixologists across the country.

Pucker up! These cocktails are a lot of fun and perfect for the beautiful spring days we’ve been having.

Pink Lemon Rumble

You’ll need: 1 bottle red wine; 150 ml strong tea; 100 ml pineapple juice; 80 ml rum; Juice of 1 pink lemon; 100 g sugar; 200 g pineapples and 50 ml sherry

Place the pineapple pieces in a punch bowl and pour the sherry over them. Chill for 2 hours. Place tea and sugar in a pot; add wine, juice of a pink lemon and rum. Heat but do not boil the mixture. Pour over the pineapple pieces and sherry.

Pinkee Plus

You’ll need: 1 fifth vodka; 3 oz pink lemon juice; 9 oz cherries and 2 liters lemon-lime soda

Pour Maraschino cherries and their juice into a two-gallon jug. Add vodka and let soak for a few minutes. Add the pink lemon juice and fill with sprite. Pour mixture into a serving container and strain out cherries. Serve over ice, with cherries dropped in.

Pink Persuasion

Pink Varigated Lemons, courtesy Limoneira

You’ll need: 1 oz tequila, 1 oz citrus vodka, 2 oz Limoncello lemon liqueur, ½ oz pink lemon juice and 3 oz lemon-lime soda

Fill shaker with ice and add ingredients. Shake a few times then pour into cocktail glass.

Pink Stinger

You’ll need: ½ liter sweet sherry; ½ liter brandy; 3 oz triple sec; 3 oz maraschino liqueur; 2 liters champagne; 1 liter soda water; 6 oz juice of pink lemons and 5 oz sugar syrup

Add to punch bowl with sufficient ice to chill. Serve with sliced fruit.

Hanky-Pinky

You’ll need: 2 oz gin; 2 oz of juice from pink lemon and ¾ oz grenadine syrup

Pour ingredients into a shaker half-filled with ice. Shake well and pour into a lowball glass. Garnish with pink lemon slice.

Lemon martini, courtesy Limoneira Pink Goose

You’ll need: 3 cups vodka, 5 cups homemade lemonade; 2 cups cranberry juice; 3 tbsp pink lemon juice; 4 cups ginger ale; 4 cups ice cubes; frozen cranberry for garnish and 1 pink lemon slice for garnish

Combine the lemonade, cranberry juice, pink lemon juice and vodka in a punch bowl and mix well. Just before serving, slowly pour in the ginger ale. Add the ice cubes. Garnish with the frozen cranberries and pink lemon slices; serve immediately.

Pink Thunder

You’ll need: 1 oz melon liqueur; 1 oz peach liqueur; ½ oz pineapple juice; 3 strawberries; 1 mango chunk; 1 ½ oz vodka; 1 splash of juice of a pink lemon and 1 splash of crème de cassis

Mix everything in a blender with 5-6 ice cubes for 10 seconds. Pour into glass. Garnish with piece of pink lemon.

Pink Archipelago

You’ll need: 2 oz white rum; 2-3 dashes grenadine syrup, 1 tsp powdered sugar and ½ oz pink lemon juice

Shake well over ice cubes in a shaker, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Rumba Rose

You’ll need: 1 ½ oz lemon rum; 2 oz sweet and sour mix; ½ oz juice of a pink lemon and ½ oz cranberry juice

Shake and strain into a chilled, sugar-rimmed glass. Garnish with a slice of pink lemon.

Pink Tingle

You’ll need: 1 oz Blue Curacao liqueur; 1 oz Jamaican dark rum; 1 oz grenadine syrup; 100 ml lemonade using pink lemons and ice cubes

Place ice in shaker, add all ingredients and shake well. Pour into shot glass to drink.

Packapink Punch

You’ll need: 1 liter Applejack; 2 cups orange juice; 5 oz grapefruit juice; 2 oz grenadine syrup; ½ oz orange bitters; ½ oz pink lemon juice; 1 qt lemon-lime soda; 1 qt ginger ale; 1 slice orange and 1 sliced apple

Combine the Applejack, orange juice, grapefruit juice, pink lemon juice, grenadine and orange bitters in a large punch bowl and stir well. Add lemon-lime soda and ginger ale; stir again. Add one large block of ice. Garnish with pink lemon slice.

Cheers! Click here for more cocktail corner columns.

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons on March 13, 2015.

Leslie Dinaberg

Cocktail Corner: Lots of Ways to Eat, Drink and Make Merry

Posted on March 6, 2015 by lesliedinaberg

Kurt Russell will take part in the annual Santa Barbara Food &amp;amp;amp; Wine Weekend at the Bacara Resort. Photo by Isaac Hernandez

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg

There’s no shortage of fun wine, beer and cocktail events in Santa Barbara County, but the next few weeks are particularly eventful.

Here’s a look at some of the toast-worthy happenings:

March 6-7 World of Pinot Noir

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 at the Bacara Resort & Spa, 8301 Hollister Ave., Goleta, 805/489-1758, worldofpinotnoir.com.

Courtesy World of Pinot Noir

March 18-22 Taste of Solvang

Celebrate the 23^rd year of “Taste of Solvang” Food & Wine Destination Weekend with a five-day experience that encourages attendees to embark on “a culinary journey through Solvang, where wine country meets ‘dine country.” Highlights include the two-day Taste of Solvang Wine & Beer Walk, which allows guests to taste their pick from more than a dozen participating wine tasting rooms, wine bars and beer bars during the two-day stroll through Solvang Village. In addition, there’s a special Winemaker Dinner in a greenhouse setting with local winemaker and vineyard owner, Michael Larner of Larner Vineyard & Winery, and a carefully-curated pairing menu by Bacon & Brine’s Chef Pink. New this year is Bubbles & Brunch, an exclusive brunch held at Solvang’s Wildling Museum, featuring three different sparkling wines from local label, Flying Goat Cellars’ “Goat Bubbles” – a Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs, and a sparkling Rosé. Flying Goat Cellars Winemaker, Norm Yost, is available to walk guests through each sparkling wine and the sparkling winemaking process. Various locations throughout Solvang. Tickets are available at solvangusa.com/tickets, and for further information, visit solvangusa.com/tos.

Garagiste Southern Exposure 2015 March 27-29 Southern Exposure Festival in Solvang

This popular festival returns to Veterans’ Hall in Solvang for what Festival co-founder Stewart McLennan promises will be “our best Southern Exposure ever—with many more exciting wine discoveries on tap from Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Barbara County.” The weekend of events will showcase the wines of over 60 artisan garagiste commercial winemakers who produce under 1,500 cases per year from the Santa Barbara region and the Central Coast. As an added benefit, the nonprofit Garagiste Festivals benefit the Cal Poly Wine and Viticulture program. For more information on The Garagiste Festivals, go to http://garagistefestival.com.

April 16—19 Santa Barbara Food & Wine Weekend

Now in its second year at the Bacara, the Santa Barbara Food & Wine Weekend showcases the distinct tastes, sights and sounds of Santa Barbara County while also bringing cutting-edge culinary talent from across the country to our region. This multi-faceted event, which includes cooking classes with famed chefs, local wine and food tastings, movie screenings, special presentations and much more, is a benefit for The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts. Among the highlights this year is a special dinner with actor/winemaker Kurt Russell on April 18. Bacara Resort & Spa, 8301 Hollister Ave., Goleta. BacaraCulinaryWeekend.com.

April 18 Earth Day Pop-Up Farm-to-Table Dinner

When the sun goes down on Saturday’s Earth Day celebration, a large community table pops in front of the main stage immediately after the last band. The only activity in the park with an admission fee, this four-course locavore feast—a benefit for Community Environmental Council—features seasonal delights from New West Catering and Cultivate Events, as well as local wine pairings and live music. This limited-seating special event will sell out, so get your tickets early. | Alameda Park, 1400 Santa Barbara St., 7 p.m. For tickets contact Kathi King at 805/963-0583 ext.108, or visit SBEarthDay.org festival-highlights/farm-to-table-dinner.

April 19 Magic on the Urban Wine Trail III

Join the Parks and Recreation Community Foundation (PARC) for its third annual fundraising bash, Magic on the Urban Wine Trail, where music, art and wine meet. Enjoy an afternoon of wine tasting featuring more than 12 wineries from the Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail, while you mingle with friends, enjoy local art and music and feel great about supporting Parks and Recreation programs for under-served youth. There is also a silent auction, raffle and bottles of favorite wines for purchase. Carrillo Recreation Center Ballroom, 100 E. Carrillo St., 3-6 p.m. 805/897-1946, parcsb.org.

Hope to see some of you there. Cheers!

Click here for more cocktail corner columns. Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on March 6, 2015.

Cocktail Corner: Martini Time at Holdren’s

Posted on March 3, 2015 by lesliedinaberg

“The Perfect 10 Martini” at Holdrens, photo by Leslie Dinaberg

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg

“Martinis are the only American invention as perfect as a sonnet.” —H. L. Mencken

I love Martinis, both with vodka and with traditional, old school gin. There’s something about the shape of the glass, the warmth and smoothness of the booze, the saltiness of the olives … it makes me feel like a member of the Rat Pack or something. Very sophisticated.

As Frank Sinatra famously said to Dean Martin, “Let me fix you a Martini that’s pure magic.” To which Martin responded, “It may not make life’s problems disappear, but it’ll certainly reduce their size.”

Ain’t that the truth!

I recently had a particularly magical Martini at Holdren’s (512 State St., 805/965-3363, holdrens.com/sb). They call it “The Perfect 10 Martini,” made with Tanqueray #10 Gin and a splash of dry Vermouth. Ask for the blue cheese olive garnish, it’s pure perfection. Especially during happy hour, which takes place every day from 4-6 p.m. Their $7 appetizer specials include spicy crab and artichoke dip, bruscetta and grilled Castroville artichokes. Just don’t forget the Martini.

As Ernest Hemingway wrote in A Farewell to Arms, ”I had never tasted anything so cool and clean.” “They made me feel civilized.”

Quite civilized indeed. Cheers!

Click here for more cocktail corner columns.

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on February 27, 2015.

Leslie Dinaberg

Cocktail Corner: Primavera in Winter at SBMA’s Atelier

Posted on February 13, 2015 by lesliedinaberg

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg

Ciaramella, courtesy SBMA

Santa Barbara Museum of Art‘s Atelier cocktail parties are always a feast for the senses, and Atelier: Primavera in Winter, which celebrates everything Italian—including the fabulous exhibition of Botticelli, Titian and Beyond: Masterpieces of Italian Painting from Glasgow Museums, which is on view through May 3—is shaping up to be a great event.

Cavaliere d’Arpino (Giuseppe Cesari), Archangel Michael and the Rebel Angels, ca. 1592&ndash;93. Oil on tin leaf(?)-coated copper.
Glasgow Museums; Bequeathed by Archibald McLellan, 1856 (153) &copy; CSG CIC Glasgow Museums Collection. Courtesy American Federation of Arts.

Taking place at the Museum on Friday, February 27, from 5:30–7:30 p.m., this evening celebrates what the organizers are calling, “the drama of the divine, the sensuality of the secular and the splendors of spring in a one-night pilgrimage through 500 years of Italian painting in the galleries.” The entertainment includes music and dance performances by Ciaramella and Helios Dance Theater, participatory fresco painting, an interactive installation—From Mad Love to Bad Love—inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy, and cocktails and hors d’oeuvres inspired by the Italian greats.

Start out your evening with a visit to Dante’s Purgatory, a literary work that inspired a 1480 commission by Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de’ Medici for a series of narrative paintings by Sandro Botticelli.The tiered terraces of purgatory look suspiciously like dessert at the From Mad Love to Bad Love station, so you can have your cake and eat it too in this interactive, artist-designed installation.

After your journey through purgatory, immerse yourself in large-scale works at the fresco painting interactive installation. Work with SBMA Teaching Artist Kendall Pata to create a communal fresco inspired by the exhibition and painted directly onto dry plaster panels. Then tune in to the instrumental tapestry of Ciaramella, a wind ensemble dedicated to the music of the 15th century. The six-piece group—whose name is from he Italian shawm (a double-reed instrument similar to the oboe) and a 15th-century story about a beautiful girl whose clothes are full of holes and “knocks men flat” when she opens her mouth—performs a blend of Renaissance polyphony and improvisation.

Helios Dance Theater, courtesy SBMA

Helios Dance Theater, led by critically-acclaimed choreographer and artistic director Laura Gorenstein Miller, returns to Santa Barbara Museum of Art with a performance that mixes sensual abandon with fierce physicality. Praised by the Los Angeles Times as presenting a “sensual partnering of maneuvers constructed of both intimate gestures and acrobatic lifts,” Helios performs at the intersection of period music and contemporary dance to deliver a visual exploration of the sacred and the sensory.

Guests will also enjoy a selection of baroque music curated for the occasion by composer, violist, baroque violinist, and 17th-century music specialist Andrew Mcintosh.

As you make your way through the ages, sip on Brander wine and savor Italian-inspired piccolini and small bites inspired by the flavors of Rome, Venice, and Florence, and prepared by Fire and Ice Events. A blend of Cutler Vodka, limoncello, and fresh citrus makes the evening’s signature cocktail: the Sacred and Profane. Inspired by the symbol of purity in love, lemons, the Sacred and Profane provides a refreshing, revealing, and possibly redemptive experience—as can be said for the beautiful and powerfully moving paintings around which the evening revolves.

This is a 21 and over party, and tickets $25 SBMA members/$30 non‐members) include hors d’oeuvres, wine, and signature cocktails, along with the entertainment. Purchase tickets at sbma.net/atelier. For more information, call 805/884.6423 or email atelier@sbma.net. Santa Barbara Museum of Art is located at 1130 State St.

Hope to see some of you there. Cheers! Click here for more cocktail corner columns.

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on February 13, 2015.

Leslie Dinaberg

Cocktail Corner: A Toast to Love and Valentines

Posted on February 6, 2015 by lesliedinaberg

S.Y. Kitchen’s Valentine’s Kiss cocktail, photo by mixologist Alberto Battaglini.

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg

Nothing says romance quite like a great bottle of wine or a sexy cocktail. Here are some ways to toast your beloved this Valentine’s Day.

The Santa Barbara Wine Collective has a special Valentine’s Day library flight of Babcock Cabernet Sauvignon

The Babcock Library Cabernet Flight, courtesy photo

paired with local chocolate truffles created by Santa Barbara confectioner Jessica Foster. The flight includes Babcock’s 2004 Nucleus Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007 Nucleus Cabernet Sauvignon, 2012 Block 15 Cabernet Sauvignon and a special release of Babcock’s “Naughty Little Nectar” Late Harvest Pinot Gris. All wines will be paired with Jessica Foster Truffles and winemaker Bryan Babcock will be on hand from 4-7 p.m. to offer an in depth look at each wine. The Santa Barbara Wine Collective, 131 Anacapa St., www.santabarbarawinecollective.com, 805/456-2700.

Jessica Foster Confections, courtesy photo.

Chef Derek Simcik at Outpost has created a special “Get Your Freak On” aphrodisiac-filled Valentine’s Day Prix Fixe menu that includes: oysters with pork cheek, green curry and coconut (aphrodisiac: oysters & spicy chilies in the curry); rabbit with soba noodles, red wine, pomegranate, pine nuts (aphrodisiac: red wine, pomegranate and pine nuts); and a special Cocoa Boba Tea made with cocoa and cayenne (aphrodisiac: cocoa, cayenne pepper). In addition, bartender Chris Burmeister will have a number of specialty “love potions” – available all weekend at both Outpost and Good Bar, including: Roses are Red (Vodka, passion tea infused aperol, rose water, prosecco); Violets are Blue (Gin, dolin blanc vermouth, blueberry syrup, crème de violet, lemon juice), Between the Sheets (White rum, Cognac VSOP, Cointreau, simple syrup, lemon juice) and With a Bottle of Booze (Tequila, carpano bianco, Pimm’s No 1, Peychaud’s Bitters). Outpost and Good Bar at the Goodland Hotel, 5650 Calle Real, Goleta, www.outpostsb.com, 805/964-1288.

The very romantic dining room at the Wine Cask features a special three-course menu with chocolate truffles from Jessica Foster Confections (she’s obviously in demand this holiday season). The Wine Cask, 813 Anacapa St., www.winecask.com, 805/966-9463.

El Beso De Luz, courtesy Casa Noble

Not every man can serenade his sweetheart the way Carlos Santana can, and the man can also mix a mean cocktail. Santana named this drink El Beso de Luz (The Kiss of Light) as a tribute to his wife Cindy, because the first sip of the cocktail reminded him of the feeling one gets when they first

The Raspberry Kiss cocktail from Eureka! , courtesy photo.

fall in love. Combine 2 oz Casa Noble Crystal Tequila with ½ oz Licor 43 and 1 oz Lime juice. Then squeeze an orange wedge over the cocktail and drop it into the glass. www.casanoble.com.

Eureka! is offering both His & Hers Special Valentine’s Day Cocktails. His is a collaboration with Mission Brewery on a version of their Dark Seas Russian Imperial Stout that was aged for eight months in Four Roses Bourbon Barrels. Hers is the Raspberry Chocolate Kiss cocktail featuring Prichard’s Double Chocolate Bourbon, raspberry gomme syrup, and red grapefruit juice. Both are available from Feb. 9 on. Eureka! , 601 Paseo Nuevo, www.eurekarestaurantgroup.com, 805/618-3388.

Les Marchands has a Valentine’s Day menu designed to inspire passion. Begin with Oysters on the Half Shell with Champagne Mignonette and then sample one of Chef Weston Richard’s acclaimed Ramen dishes—a Pork Belly Ramen for carnivores or, for vegetarians, a Roasted Butternut Squash Ramen. For dessert, a Dark Chocolate Mousse with Earl Grey Custard, Strawberries, Pistachio and Chocolate Tuile (sounds amazing!). Available from 4-10 p.m. with no reservations required and à la carte pricing, this is a great option for people who don’t like to plan far ahead. In addition, a flight Rosé hand-selected by Brian McClintic MS is available. Les Marchands Wine Bar & Merchant, 131 Anacapa St., www.lesmarchandswine.com, 805/284-0380.

The romantic S.Y. Kitchen Firepit at Night , Photo by Rocco Ceselin.

Just over the hill, S.Y. Kitchen has a San Valentino dinner designed for romance. Beginning with a first course for two of a Branzino Carpaccio with Osetra Caviar and Dill Crème Fraiche, guests will share Sous Chef Francesco’s House-Made Ravioli with Porcini and Black Truffles. The main course is a choice of a tender Filet Mignon with Foie Gras, Pineapple and Port Reduction or a Maine Lobster Catalana, to be selected by each guest. Chef Francesco will prepare a Chocolate Trilogy for the table completing a perfect Valentine’s Day evening in the Valley. Plus, Mixologist Alberto Battaglini has crafted his special Valentine’s Kiss cocktail —a stunning presentation of Rose Infused Gin with Lime, Lemon, Rose Liquor and Lavender. S.Y. Kitchen, 1110 Faraday St., Santa Ynez, www.sykitchen.com, 805/691-9794.

Cheers!

Click here for more cocktail corner columns.

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons on February 6, 2015.

LeslieDinaberg.com

Leslie Dinaberg Editor & Writer

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