{"id":6552,"date":"2014-05-16T17:45:52","date_gmt":"2014-05-17T00:45:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=6552"},"modified":"2014-05-16T11:56:33","modified_gmt":"2014-05-16T18:56:33","slug":"cocktail-corner-the-santa-barbara-urban-wine-trail-summer-celebration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=6552","title":{"rendered":"Cocktail Corner: The Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail \u201cSummer Celebration\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Courtesy

Courtesy Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail<\/p><\/div>\n

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

It sure feels like summer with the weather we’ve had this week! The Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail<\/a> will \u00a0keep\u00a0the warm summer vibe going with three toast-worthy\u00a0events over one wine-filled weekend, May 30 \u2013 June 1.<\/p>\n

Dubbed the Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail \u201cSummer Celebration,\u201d \u00a0the festivities feature a\u00a0Passport to the Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail for the weekend, a Red & White AVA Seminar and the Grand Tasting. The \u201cSummer Celebration\u201d Passport will be happening all weekend long (May 30 \u2013 June 1) at all of the 23 tasting rooms. The Passport gives you\u00a0special wine tasting opportunities and complimentary tastings, including the chance to meet winemakers, reserve vintage exhibitions, light bites and live musical entertainment. Passport holders will\u00a0also get\u00a0a 10% discount on wine purchases at all member tasting rooms that weekend.<\/p>\n

Guests \u00a0begin their wine tasting adventures by picking up their Passport and signature logo glass at any one of the three\u00a0check-in points, including Carr Winery<\/a>, Santa Barbara Winery<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Margerum Wine Company<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Courtesy

Courtesy Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail<\/p><\/div>\n

The event kicks into high gear on Saturday, May 31\u00a0from 10 a.m. \u2013 1 p.m. at the Wine Cask restaurant<\/a>\u00a0with\u00a0the Red & White AVA Seminar featuring ten wines (five red and five white) from some of Santa Barbara\u2019s 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\u2014Santa Maria Valley, Santa Ynez Valley, Sta. Rita Hills, Ballard Canyon and Happy Canyon\u2014and how the different grape growing regions affect taste.\u00a0Each of the winemakers will share one of their finest library and current release wines that represent the AVA it was grown in. Mitchell Sjerven<\/a>, owner of the renowned Bouchon restaurant<\/a>, will moderate the seminar and guide guests through each of these unique and notable wines.<\/p>\n

\"SummerThe\u00a0festivities continue on Saturday\u00a0evening with the Grand Tasting at the Carrillo Ballroom from 6\u20139 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\u2019s best restaurants will also share delicious\u00a0delights that pair nicely with each of the wine varietals.<\/p>\n

It wouldn’t be a true Santa Barbara event without a nonprofit component and this weekend has two terrific nonprofit partnerships. A\u00a0special collaboration with Youth Interactive Santa Barbara<\/a> 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\u00a0live auction to\u00a0raise money for the Unity Shoppe<\/a> of Santa Barbara.<\/p>\n

Tickets can be purchased for just one of the events or the entire weekend, with prices as follows:\u00a0$60 \u2013 Seminar only;\u00a0$75 \u2013 Grand Tasting only;\u00a0$50 \u2013 Passport only;\u00a0$100 \u2013 Grand Tasting\/Seminar bundle;\u00a0$100 \u2013 Grand Tasting\/Passport bundle and\u00a0$150 \u2013 VIP All Access.<\/p>\n

Urban Wine Trail member wineries include:\u00a0Au Bon Climat<\/a>,\u00a0AVA Santa Barbara<\/a>,\u00a0Area 5.1 Winery<\/a>,\u00a0Carr Vineyards & Winery<\/a>,\u00a0Cottonwood Canyon<\/a>,\u00a0Deep Sea Tasting Room<\/a>,\u00a0Fox Wines<\/a>,\u00a0Grassini Family Vineyards<\/a>,\u00a0Happy Canyon Vineyard<\/a>,\u00a0Jaffurs Wine Cellars <\/a>and\u00a0Kalyra Winery.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Photo

Photo courtesy Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail.<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Kunin Wines<\/a>,\u00a0Margerum Wine Company<\/a>,\u00a0Municipal Winemakers<\/a>,\u00a0Oreana Winery<\/a>,\u00a0Pali Wine Co.<\/a>,\u00a0Riverbench Winery<\/a>,\u00a0Sanford<\/a>,\u00a0Sanguis<\/a>,\u00a0Santa Barbara Winery<\/a>,\u00a0Silver Wines<\/a>,\u00a0Summerland Winery<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Whitcraft Winery<\/a>\u00a0are also on the trail.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s purpose is to promote and support the wineries and tasting rooms in the downtown Santa Barbara.\u00a0 Members include wineries that hold a Type 02<\/i> winegrowers license and whose annual production is at least 75% from Santa Barbara County.\u00a0 For more information visit\u00a0urbanwinetrailsb.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Cheers!<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a> for more cocktail corner columns.\u00a0Originally published in\u00a0Santa Barbara SEASONS<\/a>\u00a0on May 16, 2014.<\/p>\n

\"Leslie<\/a>

Leslie Dinaberg<\/p><\/div>\n

When she\u2019s not busy working as the editor of Santa Barbara SEASONS<\/a>, Cocktail Corner author Leslie Dinaberg writes magazine articles, newspaper columns and grocery lists. When it comes to cocktails, Leslie considers herself a \u201cgoal-oriented drinker.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

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