Tag Archives: Margerum Wine Company

Cocktail Corner: My Happy Dance-worthy List

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The gals at Grassini are pouring on Sunday at the annual Wine Collection of El Paseo Labor Day Weekend Block Party, courtesy photo.

The gals at Grassini are pouring on Sunday at the annual Wine Collection of El Paseo Labor Day Weekend Block Party, courtesy photo.

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg

We’ve got a long, Labor Day weekend ahead of us, which is certainly more than enough to make me smile. Here are a few more happy dance-worthy things on my list right now:

1. Taste of the Town

The 33rd annual Santa Barbara Taste of the Town, a wine and culinary event benefiting the Arthritis Foundation on Sunday, Sept. 7 is sure to be a wonderful afternoon of wine tasting and delicious nibbles presented from many of Santa Barbara’s finest restaurants and wineries. For more information and to purchase tickets call Arthritis Foundation at 805/563-4685 visit TasteofTheTownSantaBarbara.org.

2. Labor Day Sunday block party at El Paseo

This Sunday (Aug. 31) from noon to 3 p.m., you can enjoy the once a year Wine Collection of El Paseo Labor Day Weekend Block Party. A $30 fee gets you tastings from Margerum Wine Company, Grassini, Au Bon Climat, Happy Canyon Vineyard and Jamie Slone Wines, as well as a commemorative glass and taco lunch.  813 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara in El Paseo.

3. Oysters and Bubbly

Oysters and sparkling wine make beautiful music together, especially this time of year. We like to pair local oysters from Santa Barbara Fish Market with a sparkling Italian wine like Berlucchi Franciacorta Brut.

4. Barbecue Time

Long weekends are the perfect time to fire up the coals (or gas up the grills). Luckily, I’ve already compiled a wealth of winning wine options to pair with your favorite foods.

5. A Real Happy Dance

Check out Audrey Hepburn in this fun clip from Funny Face.

I hope this makes you want to get out there and (happy) dance like no one’s watching this holiday weekend. Have fun. Cheers!

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Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons on August 29 2014.

Leslie Dinaberg

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.”

Arthritis Foundation’s 33rd Annual Taste of the Town

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Photo courtesy Arthritis Foundation's Taste of the Town

Photo courtesy Arthritis Foundation’s Taste of the Town

We got a preview last week of what’s in store for the 33rd annual Santa Barbara Taste of the Town, and there’s a lot to be excited about for this signature culinary event benefiting the Arthritis Foundation.

Taking place on Sunday, Sept. 7 at the picturesque Riviera Park Gardens, 2030 Alameda Padre Serra,  from noon-3 p.m., the fundraiser is expected to attract more than  1,000 guests for an afternoon of wine tasting and delicious nibbles presented from many of Santa Barbara’s finest restaurants and wineries.

Mingle and support a good cause over live entertainment overlooking the beautiful city below.

Opal Restaurant & Bar co-owners Tina Takaya and Richard Yates are co-chairs for the event. Some of the participating restaurants include: Aldo’s Italian Restaurant, Blue Tavern, Ca’ Dario, Fresco Café & Bakery, Il Fustino, Los Agaves, Los Arroyos Mexican Restaurant, Louie’s California Bistro, Michael’s Catering, New West Catering/Industrial Eats, Olivos del Mar, Opal Restaurant & Bar, Renaud’s Patisserie & Bistro, Santa Barbara City College, The Chase Restaurant, The Faculty Club, The Palace Grill and Via Maestra 42, among others.

Wine, beer and beverages will be provide by: Adelaida, Alexander & Wayne/Arthur Earl, Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyards (winemaker Richard Sanford is a special honoree), Au Bon Climat, Babcock Vineyards, Brander Vineyard, Brewer-Clifton, Buttonwood Farm Winery & Vineyard, Carr Vineyards & Winery, Consilience Winery/Tre Anelli, Daniel Gehrs Wines, Falcone Family Vineyards, Fess Parker Winery, Fiddlehead Cellars, Figueroa Mountain Brewery, Foxen, Giessinger Winery, Grassini, Island Brewing Company, Jaffurs Wine Cellars, Ken Brown Wines, Kenneth Volk Vineyards, Lafond Winery and Vineyards, Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards/Toccata Wines, Margerum Wine Company, Melville Vineyards & Winery, Mosby Winery, Peet’s Coffee & Tea, Qupe, Sanford Winery, Santa Barbara Winery, Scott Cellars, Silver Wines, Sort This Out Cellars, Starlane & Dierberg Vineyards/Three Saints, Sunstone Vineyards, Tolosa, Whitcraft Winery, William James Cellars and Zaca Mesa, among others.

Photo courtesy Arthritis Foundation's Taste of the Town

Photo courtesy Arthritis Foundation’s Taste of the Town

Kendall Viera, a 13-year-old middle school student from Santa Ynez has been named this year’s Youth Honoree. She was diagnosed at the age of 6 with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA) and is currently in remission, thanks to medical advances. To see a video of Viera talking about why she supports the Arthritis Foundation click here.

Dr. Timothy Spiegel has been named the event’s Medical Honoree. Hel is a rheumatologist (arthritis specialist) in Santa Barbara that has been diagnosing and treating patients for almost 40 years. 

All proceeds from Taste of the Town support local programs and services of the Arthritis Foundation. The foundation is the only nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of 53 million people (including nearly 300,000 children) with arthritis through research and local programs of education, advocacy and juvenile arthritis support.

Taste of the Town tickets purchased in advance are $125 per person; tickets at the door will be $140, if available, and corporate group discounts are also available. Tickets are limited, so early reservations are encouraged. For tickets and information call 805/463-4685 or visit tasteofthetownsantabarbara.org.

Sponsors and their guests will also enjoy the exclusive Connoisseurs’ Circle, co-chaired by Jennifer Jaqua and Jacques Habra. Celebrating its fifth year, this unique VIP experience will feature a progressive tasting menu designed and prepared by a visiting chef of distinction at Belmond El Encanto on Friday, Sept. 5, along with a live auction. Taste of the Town sponsorship opportunities are still available by contacting Asher Garfinkel at 805/563-4685.

–Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara SEASONS on July 31, 2014.

Cocktail Corner: The Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail “Summer Celebration”

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Courtesy Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail

Courtesy Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg

It sure feels like summer with the weather we’ve had this week! The Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail will  keep the warm summer vibe going with three toast-worthy events over one wine-filled weekend, May 30 – June 1.

Dubbed the Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail “Summer Celebration,”  the festivities feature a Passport to the Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail for the weekend, a Red & White AVA Seminar and the Grand Tasting. The “Summer Celebration” Passport will be happening all weekend long (May 30 – June 1) at all of the 23 tasting rooms. The Passport gives you 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.

Courtesy Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail

Courtesy Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail

The event kicks into high gear on Saturday, May 31 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Wine Cask restaurant with the Red & White AVA Seminar featuring ten wines (five red and five white) from some of Santa Barbara’s top wineries, including AVA Santa Barbara, Carr, Deep Sea, Grassini, Jaffurs, Margerum Wine Company, Pali, Riverbench, and Sanford. Learn all about the American Viticulture Areas (AVA) of Santa Barbara County—Santa Maria Valley, Santa Ynez Valley, Sta. Rita Hills, Ballard Canyon and Happy Canyon—and how the different grape growing regions affect taste. Each of the winemakers will share one of their finest library and current release wines that represent the AVA it was grown in. Mitchell Sjerven, owner of the renowned Bouchon restaurant, will moderate the seminar and guide guests through each of these unique and notable wines.

Summer Celebration passport-posterThe festivities continue on Saturday evening with the Grand Tasting at the Carrillo Ballroom from 6–9 p.m. All 23 of the winemakers from the Urban Wine Trail will host guests for an evening of world-class wine, along with the opportunity to purchase very limited library wines not available to the public. A selection of the area’s best restaurants will also share delicious delights that pair nicely with each of the wine varietals.

It wouldn’t be a true Santa Barbara event without a nonprofit component and this weekend has two terrific nonprofit partnerships. A special collaboration with Youth Interactive Santa Barbara will showcase art produced by the students, inspired by each of the 23 wineries, and will be displayed at the Grand Tasting. There will also be a live auction to raise money for the Unity Shoppe of Santa Barbara.

Tickets can be purchased for just one of the events or the entire weekend, with prices as follows: $60 – Seminar only; $75 – Grand Tasting only; $50 – Passport only; $100 – Grand Tasting/Seminar bundle; $100 – Grand Tasting/Passport bundle and $150 – VIP All Access.

Urban Wine Trail member wineries include: Au Bon Climat, AVA Santa Barbara, Area 5.1 Winery, Carr Vineyards & Winery, Cottonwood Canyon, Deep Sea Tasting Room, Fox Wines, Grassini Family Vineyards, Happy Canyon Vineyard, Jaffurs Wine Cellars and Kalyra Winery.

Photo courtesy Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail.

Photo courtesy Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail.

 

Kunin Wines, Margerum Wine Company, Municipal Winemakers, Oreana Winery, Pali Wine Co., Riverbench Winery, Sanford, Sanguis, Santa Barbara Winery, Silver Wines, Summerland Winery and Whitcraft Winery are also on the trail.

Created by a group of like-minded Santa Barbara County wineries, the Urban Wine Trail is comprised of 23 wineries that have opened both tasting rooms and production facilities, all within walking distance in downtown Santa Barbara. The Urban Wine Trail’s purpose is to promote and support the wineries and tasting rooms in the downtown Santa Barbara.  Members include wineries that hold a Type 02 winegrowers license and whose annual production is at least 75% from Santa Barbara County.  For more information visit urbanwinetrailsb.com.

Cheers!

Click here for more cocktail corner columns. Originally published in Santa Barbara SEASONS on May 16, 2014.

Leslie Dinaberg

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.”

Cocktail Corner: epicure.sb’s Excellent Libations

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Wildcat Farm to Bar Mixologist Patrick Reynolds (John Blanchette photo)

Wildcat Farm to Bar Mixologist Patrick Reynolds (John Blanchette photo)

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg

Traditionally, epicure.sb devotes the entire month of October to celebrating the best of Santa Barbara’s cuisine with a bountiful menu of foodie fun.  This year’s epicurean excitement truly has something for everyone; including this lovely line-up of libation-related events and activities.

If you haven’t had a chance to check out Elkpen‘s beautiful, handmade chalk mural in the Funk Zone’s AVA Santa Barbara tasting room (featured in Santa Barbara SEASONS Magazine last spring), October’s a great time to visit. AVA (116 E. Yananoli St.) offers Harvest Bites (Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30), including fresh grape samples, winemaker’s comments and hearty small bites paired with Santa Barbara County wines.

As local farm-to-bar aficionados know, Wildcat mixologist Patrick Reynolds (formerly of the Hungry Cat) is a whiz with farmers’ market-fresh ingredients, creating clever craftsman cocktails with whatever looks the most appealing that day. Typically this happens on Tuesdays, as soon as the downtown market closes, but this 1st Thursday (Oct. 3) my little birds at the CVB tell me that his extra special cocktail list will be themed around sense memories of Santa Barbara. I can only imagine how the tantalizing tastes of The Goodland and Tangerine Falls will taste—until Thursday that is! Come early, these puppies are bound to be popular. Farm to Bar at Wildcat (15 W. Ortega St.) starts at 4 p.m. (goes till 9 p.m.), and these spirited specials are just $8 a pop.

Always a fun stop for foodies, at Isabella Gourmet Foods (5 E. Figueroa St.) The Great Gatsby Goes Gourmet on Oct. 7 and Oct. 21, as a master mixologist crafts specialty elixirs combining local spirits with artisan mixers from Isabella’s shelves. Get out those beaded flapper gowns because 1920s attire is encouraged, and you want to look your best in case Leonardo DiCaprio decides to show up!

On October 8, our friends at Cutler’s Artisan Spirits (137 Anacapa St., Ste. D) and Spare Parts will be Distilling the Spirits and Tastes of Santa Barbara, joining together for a one-of-a-kind evening that infuses the witty, guerrilla dining of SB’s oldest supper club with signature Cutler Cocktails made by the founder of Santa Barbara’s first legal distillery, Ian Cutler.

Experience harvest firsthand with Margerum Wine Company as you help with hand sorting and crushing grapes, yeasting and inoculating ferments, laboratory analysis, plunging and punch down ferments. As Winemaker for a Day (59 Industrial Way, Buellton) (available Oct. 11 and Oct. 25), you’ll end the festivities with barrel tasting and the opportunity to blend your own wine—and take home a bottle to show off to your friends.

Whew … believe it or not, this is a just a taste of all of the fun epicure.sb has to offer. For more details, click here.

Cheers!

Photo Credit: Wildcat Farm to Bar Mixologist Patrick Reynolds, photo by John Blanchette.

Click here for more cocktail corner columns.

Leslie Dinaberg

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.”

Cocktail Corner: Rosés are in Bloom

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Mark Pfeiffer, wine specialist/buyer for Whole Foods Market, shows off the Rosé Garden. Photo by Leslie Dinaberg

Mark Pfeiffer, wine specialist/buyer for Whole Foods Market, shows off the Rosé Garden. Photo by Leslie Dinaberg

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic!  By Leslie Dinaberg

I took some time to stop and smell the rosés this week when Whole Foods Market wine specialist/buyer Mark Pfeiffer took me on walk through his wine garden of delights. (I know … it’s  a tough job, but someone’s got to do it!) Rosés are in full bloom these days, turning what used to be a warm weather seasonal go-to into a year-round favorite blend.

It’s been happening over the last three  years, explains Pfeiffer. “We’re getting a lot more dry rosés and more people are experimenting with rosés. More sommeliers are really excited about the food pairings with high acid rosés and we’ve been fortunate to partner with some local producers who have been producing excellent quality roses for our One line of wine, which have been delightful as well.” Continue reading →