A Day Away: Catalina Island

Posted on June 19, 2015 by lesliedinaberg

Living in a world-class vacation destination like Santa Barbara has a bounty of blissful benefits, but sometimes it’s still nice to get out of town for a bit. Here are a few favorite spots that are less than a day away from home.

Catalina Island

Relaxation and indulgence go hand-in-hand on Catalina Island, where you can enjoy being pampered at Island Spa Catalina. Courtesy of Santa Catalina Island Company.

This beautiful getaway—just 22 miles off the coast of Southern California via Catalina Express (800/481-3470, catalinaexpress.com), with ports in San Pedro, Long Beach and Dana Point—offers a little piece of paradise with striking clear-blue waters and a laid-back friendly vibe that Santa Barbarans will appreciate and feel right at home with.

Avalon is a great walking town, with no cars allowed in much of the waterfront district and a charming path stretching from the Catalina Express boat moorings to Descanso Beach, a mile away. Descanso Beach Club (1 Descanso Ave., 310/510-7410, visitcatalinaisland.com) is a terrific spot for sunset cocktails. Poke into quaint shops like the eye-popping Afishionados Gallery Store (203 Crescent Ave., 310/510-2440, shop.afishionadosgallery.com), which has wonderful one-of-a-kind jewelry and art, and C.C. Gallagher (523 Crescent Ave., 310/510-1278, ccgallagher.com), a coffee house/wine tasting room that also carries high-end gifts, or pop into Lloyd’s of Avalon Confectionery (315 Crescent Ave., 310/510-7266, catalinacandy.com) for sweet treats.

Sip your blues away with cocktails at Maggie’s Blue Rose on Catalina Island, photo by Leslie Dinaberg

Explore the island further with a visit to Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden (1402 Avalon Canyon Rd., 310/510-2897, catalinaconservancy.org) or by renting a golf cart at Catalina Auto and Bike Rentals (635 Crescent Ave., 310/510-1600, catalinaislandgolfcart.com).

Avalon’s newest restaurant, Maggie’s Blue Rose (417 Crescent Ave., 310/510-3300, maggiesbluerose.com), features innovative Mexican cuisine (try the mole braised duck taquitos, the watermelon and spiced grilled shrimp salad and the fabulous grilled street corn on the cob, which is “derailed” tableside) and an extensive margarita selection (think tamarindo, cucumber and jalapeno, and desert pear flavors).

We also enjoyed a fantastic ocean-view dinner at another newbie to the island, Bluewater Avalon Seafood Restaurant (306 Crescent Ave., 310/510-3474, bluewatergrill.com). Located in the historic Avalon waterfront building that once served as the arrival and departure point for the SS Avalon and SS Catalina steamers, the restaurant offers a contemporary take on the classic New England seafood house.

To truly feel pampered, check out the brand-new Island Spa Catalina (163 Crescent Ave., 310/510-7300, visitcatalinaisland.com), which offers 15,000 square feet of indoor bliss, as well as a variety of outdoor spaces, including luxurious lounges, a soaking pool and the stunning turquoise-tiled vista deck. The spa features nine treatment rooms, a nail studio (the blend bar mani/pedi is a special treat for the senses), and light bites at Encanto Café. It’s a wonderful place to spend the day with friends (girls’ weekend treat or pre-wedding pampering).

Many people come to Catalina for a day trip, and that’s certainly do-able, but if you stay at the delightfully charming Pavilion Hotel (513 Crescent Ave., 310/510-1788, visitcatalinaisland.com), you may never want to leave! Renovated in 2010, this cozy hotel is a mere 14 steps from the beach. If you don’t want the sand in your toes, Pavilion Hotel has a spacious garden courtyard area, complete with fire pits, where you can enjoy the ocean view along with complimentary wine and cheese pairings, as well as an excellent continental breakfast.

—Leslie Dinaberg

For more info on this destination, or to request a free visitor’s guide, visit catalinachamber.com.

Originally published in the Summer 2015 issue of Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine.

PizzaRev Revs up in Paseo Nuevo

Posted on June 19, 2015 by lesliedinaberg

PizzaRev Santa Barbara, courtesy photo

Just when you thought there couldn’t possibly be anything new under the sun in the world of pizza, Santa Barbara has an addition to the local menu with a truly inspired idea: at the new(ish) PizzaRev in Paseo Nuevo, each pizza, no matter how many ingredients are selected, costs $8.25.

That’s right, no more agonizing over pepperoni vs. pepperoncini, or sweet fennel sausage vs. sun-dried tomatoes. Have them all, the only extras you’re charged for gluten-free dough or vegan cheese.

Not only that, we’ve been a few times and PizzaRev is quick and tasty. Perfect for a before or after movie bite, PizzaRev features a distinctive “Craft Your Own” pizza assembly process and Roman-style thin and crispy pizza.

PizzaRev Santa Barbara, courtesy photo

Start by selecting your crust selection (original or gluten-free), then choose from four signature sauces, including a savory organic red sauce, a creamy white alfredo, plain olive oil and a spicy-sweet BBQ. Then, each personally-sized pizza is topped with favorite selections from an array of all-natural cheeses and 30+ fresh artisanal ingredients, ranging from traditional favorites to more unusual selections—they even have vegan sausage! Plus, they only take three minutes to flame fire each pizza. Pretty impressive.

Salads are also available, and don’t forget to try the Dessert Pizza, a decadent treat made with Oreo crust!

Interesting factoid: PizzaRev founders and longtime entertainment industry executives Irv Zuckerman and Rodney Eckerman were co-CEOs of Clear Channel Entertainment, and booked the likes of U2, RollingStones and The Who in their heyday. Rodney’s son, Nicholas, pitched the idea of “build your own” pizza after recognizing the void in the fast casual industry. His culinary and customer service background with Ritz hotels helped fuel the PizzaRev product. It was Irv and Rodney’s business sense that brought the concept to life—they opened the first three locations in the LA area in less than seven months.

PizzaRev is located in Paseo Nuevo at 12 W. De La Guerra St. (right next to the movie theater). For more information, click here.

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on June 17, 2015.

The Art of Getting People Back to Nature | Yarnbomber Stephen Duneier

Posted on June 17, 2015 by lesliedinaberg

Stephen Duneier with one of a series of yarn-covered boulders he created at Lizard’s Mouth. Photo by Scott London, ScottLondon.com.

By Leslie Dinaberg

Artists often use their work to provoke discussion or emotion, but Yarnbomber Stephen Duneier’s colorful creations are site-specific installations designed to get people out to the middle of nowhere.

In this case, “the middle of nowhere” is Santa Barbara County’s plethora of hiking trails. Duneier’s seven projects to date include creating an Alien Campsite on Davy Brown Trail; a series of covered boulders at Lizard’s Mouth; a reflective starfish above the pools at Seven Falls; a spider web at Sasquatch Cave in the playgrounds of Lizard’s Mouth; an enormous boulder on Saddlerock Trail; an ongoing Guinness Book of World Records attempt to create the world’s largest crocheted granny square; and creating his first project—cloaking a 40-ft. tall eucalyptus tree on the Cold Spring Trail’s east fork with a gigantic knitted sweater—which took place in 2012, just 82 days after he picked up knitting needles for the first time ever.

All of Duneier’s projects are done in a way that doesn’t permanently disturb nature, with permission from the U.S. Forest Service. “The forest service has actually been really supportive, now that I have a track record with them, and they know that I’m not just some guy who wants to use the land for my own purposes,” he says.

The other consistent element in a Yarnbomber project is that the installations stay up for just nine days. “The first weekend is all about people just stumbling onto it, then there are five days during the week, when nobody goes hiking very much. The second weekend is all about word–of–mouth. It sort of builds…but I don’t really want crowds; I just want it to be on people’s radar. And having it for nine days, you can’t procrastinate. You’re either going to go see it and make the effort today or you’re just not going to see it,” says Duneier.

The projects, many of which are done in collaboration with artists from around the world, have opened up a world of new experiences for Duneier, whose day job is writing about and managing investments, as well as teaching Decision Analysis at UCSB’s College of Engineering.

“I’ve always been speaking on macroeconomics; talking at big conferences…but now I’ve started talking about making dreams come true; this has been a little offshoot of the yarn bombs,” he says. The audiences vary, but the idea is “how do you have these grand visions and actually make them happen?”

His next “grand vision,” launching sometime this summer, incorporates metalwork and gemstones. As to where and when it pops up, the website yarnbomber.com is the best place to stay tuned.

Says Duneier, “I’m kind of a yes guy…I really don’t know where it all will lead.”

Originally published in the Summer 2015 issue of Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine.

A Day Away: King of the Road

Posted on June 16, 2015 by lesliedinaberg

Glamping Time! Talk about traveling in style! Each luxurious Bowlus Road Chief travel trailer is built to order and made from materials like birch, aluminum and brass, with the body joined together by more than 5,000 hand-bucked rivets to form a single, incredibly tough “monocoque” shell. Courtesy of Bowlus Road Chief LLC.

Roger Miller sang about “trailers for sale or rent,” but if he were writing that old ditty today, “King of the Road” would surely include a chorus about the Bowlus Road Chief. Billed as “the world’s most advanced luxury travel trailer,” the Bowlus Road Chief was engineered by Hawley Bowlus in the 1930s (the same fellow who built the Spirit of St. Louis, flown by Charles Lindbergh), and the design inspired a host of aluminum competitors including Airstream, Streamline, Silver Streak, Avion and Spartan.

As for the king of them all—the Bowlus—only 80 of these glittering riveted-aluminum capsule-shaped trailers were produced before World War II shut down the camper business.

Courtesy Bowlus Road Chief LLC

These beautiful silver machines are being manufactured once again right down the road in Ventura County by recent east coast transplants Geneva Long and her father John. The reimagined Bowlus Road Chief has the same sleek lines as the vintage models but with modern amenities like solar panel hook ups, heated floors, central heating, beds that convert from twins to a king, indoor/outdoor showers, Wi-Fi charging stations and a cook’s kitchen. Plus, at 24 ft. long and 2,000 lbs, the Bowlus can legally follow just about any automobile. Each model is custom-built to order: the 2015 Bowlus Road Chief runs about $110,000.

—Leslie Dinaberg

For more info, call 855/926-9587 or visit bowlusroadchief.com.

Originally published in the Summer 2015 issue of Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine.

Cocktail Corner: SB Passport … to Libations!

Posted on June 6, 2015 by lesliedinaberg

Courtesy Santa Barbara Passport

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg

As far as I’m concerned, there’s almost nothing better than the buzzy fun of enjoying summertime cocktails with friends—but one thing that does beat that is getting a great DEAL on summertime cocktails with friends.

There’s a new player in town—The Santa Barbara Passport—that offers great deals on drinks this summer at 28 establishments for just 20 bucks. This cleverly illustrated, pocket-sized booklet offers loads of drink deals—you receive a stamp in your booklet upon redemption—and the specials will run all summer through Labor Day (September 7), providing ample time to collect stamps and explore.

It even includes a section on Beer 101 and Wine Labels for Dummies, as well as cocktail fundamentals for making—and ordering—classic libations like Negronis, Manhattans and Old Fashioneds.

Courtesy Santa Barbara Passport

“The Passport is the friend that helps you decide where to go for happy hour, on a date or a Sunday afternoon,” says Casey Berry, co-founder of the Passport Program, who describes it as “a curated guide to the beverage culture of Santa Barbara.”

Indeed, participating venues include some of my favorites:

Corks n’ Crowns: Gold or craft brew flight for 50% off

Pure Order Brewing Company: Pint for 50% off

“Santa Barbara offers not just a great nightlife, but the drinks culture is so diverse that you won’t be disappointed when sipping a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon in the Funk Zone or a cold White Rascal beer at American Ale,” says Jane Pimcomrie, city manager for the Santa Barbara branch of the Passport Program. “The Santa Barbara Passport features enough wineries for wine-lovers, breweries for after work socializing, and unique bars for cocktail and spirits junkies. Plus it will make the heat of summer that much more enjoyable.”

Can’t argue with that logic. For more information or to purchase a passport, go here.

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 June 5, 2015.

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!

Click here for more cocktail corner columns.

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons on May 29, 2015.

Dream Foundation’s Flower Empower Luncheon

Posted on May 23, 2015 by lesliedinaberg

Kenny Slaught (Dream Foundation, Board Chairman & Peony Sponsor), Elizabeth Slaught (Peony Sponsor), Lynette Hall (Flower Empower Event Committee), Kisa Heyer (Dream Foundation, Executive Director) and Tristan Layton (Dream Foundation, Director of Corporate Sponsorships & Marketing). Photo by Kacie Fowle (Portraits For Causes).

The Dream Foundation’s Flower Empower program, like all of its programs, delivers kindness and compassion to those in need—but this particular act of kindness comes in the form of fresh bouquets, made and delivered with love to show people that the community cares about them, and that they’re not alone.

This simple yet power message was on full display at last week’s luncheon, held at Kevin and Christine Costner’s oceanfront meadow in Summerland and attended by approximately 225 supporters, including lucky me!

Waxing Poetic designed and donated these special one-of-a-kind charms for Flower Empower supporters. Photo by Kacie Fowle (Portraits For Causes).

This unique spot, with a killer view, celebrated the dedicated band of volunteers (roughly 15 per week) who assemble and deliver 150 fresh bouquets a week to hospices, cancer centers, nursing homes and residences throughout Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Flower Empower volunteers have made tens of thousands of flower deliveries in from Goleta to Ventura since the program began in June 1994.

To refer a flower recipient, contact Dream Foundation with your name and phone number, the name and address of the person you’re referring, and why you believe they need flowers. Perhaps he or she has lost a loved one, is recovering from surgery, has received a devastating diagnosis, is having a first or last chemo treatment, is in the hospital or a rehabilitation facility. These people will receive flowers every other week.

Farm-to-Table lunch set up, photo by Kacie Fowle (Portraits For Causes).

The program is made possible by the generosity of our community growers and retailers. It currently receives donated flowers from eight Carpinteria flower growers and distributors and is being sponsored by local residents Tim & Diane Brown and George & Lisa Hagerman.

Event hosts and Flower Empower volunteers Shirin Rajaee and Alan Rose of KEYT served as emcees. Nora McNeely-Hurley was the Flower Empower Luncheon Honorary Chair, and several supporters were honored at the event, including Special Volunteers of the Year, Roger & Robin Himovitz; Volunteers of the Year, William & Lauren Bonds; Youth Volunteer of the Year, Casey Slaught; and In-kind Donors of the Year, Jean-Michel & Jill Marie Carre, owners of Chocolats du Cali Bressan.

For more information about the Dream Foundation, click here.

Diane & Tim Brown (2015 Flower Empower Program Sponsors) with Valerie Banks (Flower Empower Coordinator). Photo by Kacie Fowle (Portraits For Causes).

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on May 21, 2015.

Cocktail Corner: The California Directory of Fine Wineries

Posted on May 22, 2015 by lesliedinaberg

CA Directory of Fine Wineries

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg

The newest volume of The California Directory of Fine Wineries: Central Coast Edition (Wine House Press) takes a good thing and improves upon it, which isn’t always that easy to do.

Editor Tom Silberkleit has the tough job of navigating through hundreds of Central Coast wineries and tasting rooms and selecting the very best places to sip and savor throughout Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. Then writers K. Reka Badger and Cheryl Crabtree (both frequent Santa Barbara Seasons contributors), joined for this edition by Daniel Mangin, get to write profiles of the top 50 destinations, which each feature lush, full-color photographs by Robert Holmes, along with sidebars listing locations, specialties and nearby attractions.

It’s no surprise that this beautiful, visually-appealing book is featured in most of the top hotel rooms in the county. It would also make a great gift for the wine-loving people in your life.

Carhartt Vineyard tasting room, courtesy California Directory of Fine Wineries Facebook page

Among the Santa Barbara County wineries that made the cut are Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyards, Beckmen Vineyards, Blair Fox Cellars, Byron, Cambria Estate Winery, Carhartt Vineyard and Carr Vineyards & Winery.

Also featured are Costa de Oro Winery, D’Alfonso-Curran Wines, Demetria Estate Winery, Fess Parker Winery & Vineyard, Foley Estates Vineyard & Winery, Foley Food & Wine Society and Foxen.

Grassini Family Vineyards, Hitching Post Wines, Loring/Cargasacchi Tasting Room, Pali Wine Co., Sanford Winery & Vineyards, Silver Wines and Zaca Mesa Winery & Vineyards are also featured in The California Directory of Fine Wineries.

Byron tasting room, courtesy California Directory of Fine Wineries Facebook page

“There’s a lot more activity in the Funk Zone this time around,” says Crabtree, who wrote the majority of Santa Barbara County entries. The update includes the addition of a number of Santa Barbara urban wineries, including Pali, Silver Wines and Blair Fox in the Funk Zone, and Grassini, in the downtown El Paseo Wine Collection. There is also the addition of the Foley Food & Wine Society at the Bacara Resort & Spa, where you can taste from a large portfolio of Foley-owned wineries.

This visual feast of a wine book is available at Chaucer’s Bookstore, 3321 State St., as well as some of the local tasting rooms and wine-related venues.

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 22, 2015.

La Primavera Fiesta Kick Off

Posted on May 20, 2015 by lesliedinaberg

El Presidente Cas Stimson (center) celebrating at La Primavera, photo by Fritz Olenberger

Last weekend was the official kick off for the 2015 Fiesta season, La Primavera, where El Presidente Cas Stimson unveiled the official Fiesta theme, poster design, and pin.

The theme, Fiesta Romántica, states Stimson, “recalls the time in the early 19th century when people met at parties filled with music and dance… that lasted for days! During this charming era, young men wooed their ladies with music and song under the moonlight. Old Spanish Days continues this romance of people coming together in celebration with their best friends and spouses. As has been the case with many visitors and residents of Santa Barbara, my wife Kathy and I met during Fiesta 25 years ago.”

La Primavera was held at the historic El Paseo Restaurant. Here’s a look at the event, featuring photos by Fritz Olenberger.

The 2015 Old Spanish Days poster, photo by Fritz Olenberger

Celebrating at La Primavera, photo by Fritz Olenberger

Erin Graffy de Garcia, celebrating at La Primavera, photo by Fritz Olenberger

2015 Spirit of Fiesta Alexandra Freres celebrating at La Primavera, photo by Fritz Olenberger

—Leslie Dinaberg

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

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

LeslieDinaberg.com

Leslie Dinaberg Editor & Writer

Tag Archives: Seasons Publishing Group

A Day Away: Catalina Island

Catalina Island

PizzaRev Revs up in Paseo Nuevo

The Art of Getting People Back to Nature | Yarnbomber Stephen Duneier

By Leslie Dinaberg

A Day Away: King of the Road

Cocktail Corner: SB Passport … to Libations!

Cocktail Corner: Passport Weekend at the Urban Wine Trail

Dream Foundation’s Flower Empower Luncheon

Cocktail Corner: The California Directory of Fine Wineries

La Primavera Fiesta Kick Off

Cocktail Corner: Carr Winery’s New CrossHatch Label

Catalina Island

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