Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure

Coming to Solvang this Saturday,February 16th, 2013 is another extension of events from the Garagiste Festival. When it comes to food, so often foodies gravitate towards a local chef that uses fresh ingredients to "cook with love." There are of course rare occasions were there could be mass hysteria over a box of nuclear fall out food like twinkles or Coke Classic, however, most lean towards well prepared foods.

Translating this over to wine is where the Garagiste wine producer comes into play. These are typically dedicated, highly passionate people that produce wines with soul ...

Calling all Pinot Noir fans! Saturday February 9th is the 6th annual Pasadena Pinot Fest to be held at Altadena Country Club.

This event will host many spectacular wineries and winemakers from Sta Rita Hills, Santa Maria Valley, Russian River Valley, Willamette Valley amongst several other regions. 

From my experience, having the opportunity to focus on one grape varietal can be a fun and an educational experience. For me, it has allowed the opportunity to focus on what styles I gravitate towards, what regions I prefer, and even dialed in my ability to taste the difference in clones on some ...

The 2011 Syrah "Tour les Jours" has been touted by major wine press for many years as being a consistent top value rated wine. From my memory the scores have typically been 89-91 and at a price point of around $16.00 there is a clear reason for the accolades and press he has received.

This 2011 vintage got my attention quick. The first thought I had was "wow, this is the front line?" That is a big deal. The first thought I had was "wow." From my viewpoint not much more matters. If someone told you that there was ...

Top wines of 2012 - There are wines to save up and splurge,wines to stand upright in your cellar when company visits to show off that '45 Bordeaux. Then there are the wines for the people in the villages…..like me. 

This is the Wandering Wino second edition of wines that blow up your skirt. As I stated in last years post, I am not a cross dresser, but this is a simply American phrase used to say these are wines I really like and stood out to me. These are wines that are mostly available without the need for ...

Santa Barbara wine country is known for its high quality wine and when it comes to wine tasting, the question nearly always arises of "Where is a good place to eat?"

Begining January 20-26, Santa Barbara or more specificly Santa Ynez Valley initiates restaurant week. 

(Photo - above Root 246)

Restaurants throughout the Santa Ynez Valley will offer a special 3-course tasting menus for $20.13 not including tax, tip or beverages. Some restrictions may apply and reservations may be required. This is a great opportunity to try some amazing restaurants for a fantastic price.

Chef Rick and Chef Alfonso Curti ...

The single most widely planted grape varietal in the United States is Chardonnay and it's not much of a surprise that it is also the most consumed wine. As Chardonnay is such a prized and sought-after wine, there's no better way to appreciate it than with a focused event celebrating the grape at this year's third annual Chardonnay Symposium.

The three-day event will commence on Friday, June 29, at Sierra Madre Vineyard (from 6:00-9:30) with a "BYOC BBQ." Bring your own Chardonnay and listen to live music, taste wine, and enjoy all with the comforts ...

If you've had the pleasure of touring Santa Barbara's wine country, you likely visited some combination of Santa Maria Valley, Foxen Trail, Los Olivos, Sta Rita Hills, downtown "funk-zone," or Santa Ynez Valley. These fantastic wine trails are posted clearly on most wine maps. Not all of the great spots are included on the maps for mainstream wine travelers to visit, and not all spots are open to the public. Today's Santa Barbara wine business has grown over the years, including new discoveries and AVA's. One of the younger AVA's (2001) in California, and more ...

The movie "Sideways" seems to be a beaten dead horse amongst the wine industry, so much so, it could be called the "S-word."  They say perception is reality and many people's knowledge base sometimes falls on a simple  movie. As exasperated as the discussions might be, the impact has been a lasting one. A well known winemaker called it the "Sideways bump." The Santa Barbara region was heavily blessed with a lot of wine travelers seeking the much talked about Pinot Noir with cash in hand.  While Santa Barbara county may produce some of the best Pinot Noir in ...