Monthly Archive for March, 2009

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27th Annual SB County Vintners Festival

Published on March 4, 2009 in Joanie Hudson, Lafond Winery, Santa Barbara Winery and Vintners Festival. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Time to spring forward this weekend for Daylight Savings.  Longer days, warmer weather, barbeques, sunshine, and festivals.  For us wine lovers the countdown begins to the 27th Annual Santa Barbara County Vintners’ Festival.  This is one of the two main festivals of the year organized by our very own Vintners’ Association, the heart of what keeps our industry a family.  

The Association has over 100 winery members, and the event provides the opportunity to selectively taste the wines of every single one of them in one Lompoc venue.  Meet member vintners and friends, enjoy the music, nibble on food from some of the county’s favorite restaurants, and try your hand at the silent auction – all while toting around sips of the best wine that our region offers.  

This year the Festival will be held on Saturday, April 18 from 1-4pm.  It will be held again on the grounds of River Park in Lompoc, where Hwy 246 meets Sweeney Rd.  Be sure to bring a jacket as last year was unseasonably very cold (I “mysteriously” came down with Bronchitis last year because I only wore a thin long sleeve shirt!).  This was around the time that we received the late spring frost that damaged some of the vines in the 2008 vintage.  I still remember my wine highlights from last year, and it was very helpful in pointing me in the direction of new wineries as well as establishing my affinity for favorites.  

Wineries are providing and taking advantage of the opportunity to make a long weekend out of the Festival, with participating venues being on board for the Vintners’ Visa.  This 4-day pass allows you free tastings and special treatment at 12 participating wineries from Friday-Monday.  Lafond, Santa Barbara Winery, Foxen, Sanford, and Dierberg are just a few of the select participants.  Check the Vintners’ Association website for the remaining participants and special events such as winemaker dinners and special tastings over the weekend.  

Vintners’ Festival Tickets: $75 in advance; $85 at the gate

Vintners’ Visa Tickets: $35

Vintners’ Festival and Visa Combo Pack: $100 (but you get your tastings for free!)

Buses to and from Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, and Solvang are available: $25 round trip

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery

Santa Barbara Winery New Release

Published on March 3, 2009 in Nebbiolo, New Releases and Santa Barbara Winery. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , .

2005 Stolpman Vineyard Nebbiolo

Winemaker Bruce McGuire jumped at the chance to make his first Nebbiolo back in 1998 when a small amount became available from Ballard Canyon’s Stolpman Vineyard. Following the 2004’s second edition acclaim, Bruce again jumped at the availability of Stolpman fruit in 2005 to produce our third vintage of Nebbiolo.

 Nebbiolo is a true vintners’ challenge.Often described as the noblest grape of Italy, it is found in the northern Piedmont region and is most familiar when bottled as Barolo and Barbaresco. One of the most finicky grapes to grow, Nebbiolo will reward careful site selection with heady, beautiful wines.

Should the soil, exposure, or climate be less than ideal the vintner is handed truck loads of frustration in the form of under ripe grapes and thin, uninteresting wines. The naturally very high tannin and acid found in this grape meant a long time in the barrel (bottled in March of 2007) and then almost a year and a half of bottle aging before Bruce deemed the 2005 Nebbiolo ready for release.

The tannins will continue to resolve and flavors will further develop through 2012. Try this beauty with a steaming dish of white truffle pasta or experiment with a variety of artisan cheeses from the Piedmont region.
Suggested Retail 28.00/750ml
To Order:

Event Recap

Published on March 2, 2009 in Joanie Hudson and Special Events. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

The barrel room is an amazing venue for any event, particularly ones which focus on food and/or wine.  Yesterday’s olive oil tasting was evidence of this.  We hold a few of these types of events throughout the year for wine club members, friends of the winery, and their guests.  

Cookbook author Pamela Sheldon Johns was our speaker.  Pamela spends a lot of her time at her home in Tuscany where she hosts week or weekend long immersions into the culture.  One of the guests at the event was telling me that she knows Pamela quite well after spending time truffle hunting, cooking amazing meals, and learning about olive oils in Italy.  I have such tremendous respect for people like Pamela, who find their life’s passion, and then not only go after it themselves, but share their love and wealth of knowledge with others.  Fresh food and quality wine are at the top of my list for life’s greatest pleasures, and there is always more to learn, always a new experience to draw upon, and always a new cork to pop.  There are no experts, every individual has their own taste, but there are people to learn from and be inspired by.  

Pamela demonstrated cooking techniques for preparing panzanella (a bread salad), fresh heavenly prepared pesto, and a moist olive oil cake.  Pesto is one of those things that literally all you need is fresh ingredients and a food processor (I use my mini-Cuisinart) to make it from scratch.  It IS that easy.  

Click Here for Pamela Sheldon Johns’ Website

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery

Pamela Sheldon Johns

Published on March 1, 2009 in Joanie Hudson and Special Events. 1 Comment Tags: , , .

This morning we are busy setting up the barrel room for an event we have been looking forward to since the moment it was put down in the books.  Cookbook author Pamela Sheldon Johns will be talking about olive oil, leading us through a tasting, and providing us with a cooking demonstration.  We have about 40 people attending the event. 

We just received one of Pamela’s books that will be available for sale in the tasting room.  50 Great Appetizers (14.99) is full of pint sized tasters to serve for your family or dinner party guests. 

Here is an excerpt about Pamela from the sleeve of her cookbook:

Pamela Sheldon Johns is a well-known cooking instructor and the host of Italian culinary workshops throughout Italy.  She has written more than two dozen cookbooks, many specializing in Italian food, such as the popular Parmigiano! and Balsamico!, and most recently 50 Great Pasta Sauces.  She has spent mroe than 20 years exploring and writing about the back roads of Italian food culture and hosts her food and wine workshops from her family home and farm in Tuscany.

We look forward to having her at the winery today.

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery