Bacara tasting room, courtesy of Bacara

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg

The Goodland of Goleta got even better recently with the addition of a new wine tasting room at Bacara Resort & Spa.

Dubbed The Foley Food and Wine Society Experience (Yes, it’s a mouthful, but they’ve also got a LOT of great wines to back it up!), my husband and I were treated to the full Foley experience this week, and I have to say, it was a wonderful way to spend a summer evening.

Thanks to the gracious hospitality and good humor of assistant manager Lila Brown, we were able to taste some delectable wines, as well as learn about several of Foley Family Wines’ properties at the same time.

First up was a Chalk Hill 2010 Sauvignon Blanc, which had a refreshing citrus taste that I really liked. Not only was the wine good, but when Lila gave us a photographic tour of Chalk Hill Estate Vineyards & Winery (on the eastern edge of the Russian River Valley, south of downtown Healdsburg in Sonoma County) including the onsite chef’s culinary garden, stables and Olympic-sized equestrian pavilion, a plan to visit immediately went on my bucket list. What a gorgeous place! Continue reading →