I love tasting wines from places that are slightly off the radar. Of course, they aren’t always a hit, but it’s still fun to try new stuff. Given that it is officially rosé season (although, must we limit rosé to just one season? Nah…), now is a great time to explore pink wines from around the world. Now, you’ve probably had rosé from Provence and the USA, but how about rosé from Corsica?
It’s true there’s no shortage of wine available to us Santa Barbarians. As many tasting rooms as there are around town, there are a decent number of wine bars in Santa Barbara, too. From those pouring regional wine (and beer) to Old World offerings, here’s my guide to a few of Santa Barbara’s best wine bars, starting from closest to the beach and moving up State Street:
I have to admit, I had built up the Turtle Inn, Belize, in my head well before we arrived to the property. My expectations were on the higher side not only because the pictures looked incredible, but also because it was the last night of our honeymoon and I was hoping it would be utterly romantic and relaxing. I’m happy to report that we were not disappointed!
One of my favorite things about writing a wine column in the SB Sentinel is having an excuse to meet with different people in the Santa Barbara wine industry, especially those who are doing what they love on their own terms. Recently, I met with winemaker Mike Roth, one half of the small Santa Barbara County wine label, Lo-Fi Wines, which he established in 2013 with longtime friend Craig Winchester. Lo-Fi Wines is a partnership between two friends who believe that wine should be enjoyed with food, on any given day, without having to spend a fortune. Kudos to that!
When Nick and I decided on Belize for our honeymoon, I was just as excited to try the local drinks as I was seeing if I could find good places to drink decent wine. Although Belize is more synonymous with rum than with fine wine, I had to find out — is there even wine in Belize? I also had to answer the question of what to drink in Belize…
Food and wine go hand-in-hand, but when you get to experience them together in one big celebratory weekend, you know it’s going to be an especially good time! This year marked my third time attending Pebble Beach Food & Wine, which celebrated its 9th birthday, and every year I leave with a full belly, new friends and a huge smile on my face.
There’s a lot of great wine out there, but one of my favorite things about wine writing is going behind the scenes to meet the people making the wine and/or hear the stories behind the wine. Recently, I got to do just that for the Spring issue of SB Seasons Magazine (out now), where I got share the wonderful story behind Grassini Family Vineyards‘ red wine known as ‘Equipo.’
After spending 3 days without a real shower during our sailing trip in Belize, Nick and I were eager to check into our hotel in Placencia. Besides, after all of the jungle adventuring, camping and snorkeling, we were due for more of a ‘honeymoon vibe’ to round out the trip. It was time for some quality rest and relaxation together at the beautiful, seaside Chabil Mar, Belize.
Belize has a lot to do on the mainland, but island hopping should definitely not be missed. There are more than 200 islands, or cayes, along the shoreline from north to south, many of which are uninhabited and secluded. The larger ones have airports, but the only way to visit some of the smaller cayes is by boat. When doing our research on Belize, Nick and I were excited to discover Raggamuffin Tours, which offers a three-day sailing trip departing from Caye Caulker (which we were already planning to visit) and ending in Placencia. Snorkeling, sailing, and camping all rolled into one epic adventure? Sold!
Pinot Noir drinkers rejoiced at the return of the World of Pinot Noir (WOPN), a two-day event held annually at Santa Barbara’s beautiful Bacara Resort. The 16th annual WOPN, now in its third year in SB, brought producers and sommeliers from all over the world together for a weekend of celebration and education through pinot-focused seminars, luncheons, grand tastings and exclusive winemaker dinners.