These days, it seems like Montecito is blowing up with new places to eat and drink — there have been so many new openings lately that it’s almost hard to keep up. Contributing to that energetic buzz in this laid-back, affluent coastal community is the opening of the much-anticipated Rosewood Miramar Beach.
Santa Barbara wine country is an easy 35 minute drive from downtown Santa Barbara, but sometimes it’s nice to make it a night of it (or two). And, while I’ve stayed in some pretty wonderful boutique inns and hotels around the Santa Ynez Valley, I was totally charmed by my experience at The Ballard Inn. I admit it hadn’t been on my radar, but it was a pleasant surprise. From the inviting contemporary farmhouse design to the gourmet breakfasts, The Ballard Inn will surely charm your socks off, too.
This is a long overdue post, seeing as though I first stayed at Skyview Los Alamos shortly after it opened late spring of last year. Speaking of overdue, this is my first blog post this year. Wowsa. Life is just too darn busy! I thought 2019 was going to have a slower start, but turns out I was wrong; this year seems to be flying by even faster than the last. Nonetheless, I’m finally back with a blog post and am excited to introduce you to Skyview, located in one of my very favorite weekend destinations: Los Alamos.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! I love the holidays, but my only complaint is that it all tends to sneak up so quickly, then suddenly we’re ringing in a new year. Between all the parties, dinners and family get-togethers, it’s over in the blink of an eye. This year, I’m going to do my best to have a mindful holiday season, so I can fully appreciate every moment and part of that includes getting a head start my shopping so I’m not stressing last minute. To help inspire you to do the same, I put together a holiday gift guide for every type of wine lover on your list — from those who love to entertain to those who crave a bit of adventure.
With the holidays around the corner, I have no doubts you’ll be doing your fair share of entertaining and party-hopping this season, as will I. Around this time of year, I always look for recipes that are as suitable to bring to a fancy party as they are to a casual dinner on the patio. (Yes, it’s still patio weather here in Santa Barbara due to this Indian summer that doesn’t seem to want to end!) While recipe hunting online, I stumbled across a delicious mushroom toast recipe in celebration of J. Lohr Pinot on the Patio™. With mixed mushrooms, butternut squash and toasted hazelnuts, this fall-inspired dish is perfect for the season.
Ah, fall. I just adore this time of year. Even though we don’t get many excuses to wear boots or curl up next to a fire around here, we do have our own version of fall in Santa Barbara and it usually revolves around harvest in wine country. Harvest may be buzzing in the vineyards, but it’s also a time to gather around the table, share good wine and savor slow cooked, comforting meals. So, in the spirit of the season, I teamed up with some talented Santa Barbara locals to throw a fall harvest dinner at one of the most beautiful wineries around: Folded Hills. Delicious food and wine pairings, good company and a stunning setting were the makings of a perfect harvest dinner you’ll want to recreate this season.
I’ve been to a lot of wineries… many more than I could ever capture on this blog or on Instagram. Some have stunning views, some have impressive architecture and some are authentic in a no frills kind of way. One that falls within the description of the latter is Big Table Farm, a working farm and winery in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. The wine is great, for one, but the people and the place leave a lasting impression, too.
One of the best parts about living in Southern California is the weather. Surprise, surprise. We’re blessed with countless days of beautiful, mild weather, making it easy to take advantage of the outdoors, especially during summer. As you can tell from previous posts, I am a big fan of any and every excuse to dine al fresco in the warmer months. Eating outside is so much more celebratory, don’t you agree? For casual get togethers and picnics, I like to break out crowd pleasing wines that a lot of people will enjoy. Not only that, but they also have to be food friendly. Bonus points if they don’t break the bank, which is why Cultivar Wine is one of my go tos.
Earlier this summer, we took a trip up to Oregon wine country. While we were excited to do some wine tasting, naturally, we were also pumped to check out a brand new boutique hotel in the Willamette Valley: The Atticus Hotel. Located in downtown McMinnville, we were within walking distance to many of the area’s best restaurants and our central location made it easy to venture to nearby wineries. Needless to say, it was the perfect home base for our Oregon wine tasting trip. Location aside, The Atticus is also just a lovely place to stay. It blends contemporary design with thoughtful details, comfortable rooms and a local mentality that fits right in.
Many people associate Austria with Grüner Veltliner, which has increasingly become more popular in recent years, especially during summer. And I totally get it — Grüners can be thirst-quenching wines with tons of fresh acidity, citrus and peppery notes. There are, however, some fun red wines coming out of Austria, too. Take, for instance, Blaufränkisch (Blauw-frank-ish). Blaufränkisch grapes can make deliciously spicy, earthy and deeply colored medium-bodied wines, but I admit they’re not always easy to find. So I was super excited when I received two Blaufränkisch wines in my Les Marchands wine club shipments — one from Austria and one from California. You can bet I took the opportunity to taste and compare!