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Old Spanish Days 3rd Annual Wine Tasting

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joanie
on July 14, 2008
in Joanie Hudson, Lafond Winery, Other News, Sangiovese and Santa Barbara Winery
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On Saturday, Elements Restaurant and Catering hosted the Old Spanish Days 3rd Annual Wine Tasting in the Sunken Gardens at the Courthouse.  Over 40 local wineries poured over 100 wines under white tents on the grass while live music played.  There was a special reserve tasting and cooking demonstration from 2-4 for those who wanted to shell out a little bit more for a ticket.  The main tasting followed from 4:00-7:00.  
Bacon wrapped scallops, jumbo chilled shrimp, an assortment of cheese and a variety of mini cupcakes and chocolate truffled paired with the wines.  Mirella Ramirez, Lafond’s tasting room manager, poured both Santa Barbara Winery and Lafond wines, which included 2007 Santa Barbara Winery Sauvignon Blanc, 2005 Santa Barbara Winery Sangiovese, and 2005 Lafond Pinot Noir Lafond Vineyard.  The beautiful grounds of lush landscape and grass carpeting is a beautiful place to hold a tasting event on a warm summer evening.  
It seemed deceivingly smaller than the event last year, but that was because of the different set up of tables.  Instead of one large tent, two tents were set up, one for the reserve tasting and the other for the main tasting.  Guests were able to walk across the street to Elements when the event ended to continue their evening.  Sitting outside you could watch the quick breakdown of tables, which by 7:30 the Sunken Gardens looked as if there had not been a huge event there only a half an hour before.  
Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery

 

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Rose Tasting at SpiritLand Bistro

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joanie
on July 14, 2008
in Joanie Hudson, Other News and Wine and Food Pairing
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Santa Barbara residents and wine lovers from out of town should not miss SpiritLand Bistro’s recent project: themed wine tasting dinners on the last Wednesday of each month.  These Wednesday Wine and Dine Socials include a four course organic dinner, where all the attendees bring a bottle (corkage free) to share of a designated varietal.  

Each evening they invite a winemaker who specializes in the night’s varietal to discuss the wine as well as the food pairings.  Themed tastings, as I have said many times, provide the perfect opportunity to expand your palate.  Tasting wines of the same varietal side by side allows you to see difference more clearly and understand the terminology of wine discussion.  Of course, this works up to a certain point before you reach palate fatigue and they all start to blend together, but at least then we are always enjoying ourselves.  

The SpiritLand tasting encourages mingling between guests who share a collective enthusiasm for wine and fine dining experiences.  The theme for July 30th is Rose from around the world, and the speaker will be Leigh Readey (from J&L Wines).  You can’t beat the price of this event, $45 including tip and tax.  Ryan (Santa Barbara Winery and Lafond Winery Assistant Winemaker) and I have already made our reservations to attend so come see us.  Here is the menu for the Rose tasting:

First course: Assorted gourmet cheeses (from local gourmet cheese shop, C’est Cheese)

Second course: Vegetable Pakoras* and Potato Samosas** with Chutney

Third course: Seafood Paella with Cajun Spice (Vegetarian option available)

Fourth course: Apricot Crisp

Next month (August 27), the theme will be Viognier/Roussanne/Marsanne and the speaker will be Craig Jaffurs from Santa Barbara’s Jaffurs Wine Cellars.

Spiritland Bistro, 230 E. Victoria St., spiritlandbistro.com

805-966-7759, advanced reservations required for this event

 

*Pakora is a deep fried item in Indian cuisine also found in other South Asian countries

**Samosa is a fried pastry shell with a savory filling

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery

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Charbroiling and Wine Pairing

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joanie
on July 10, 2008
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Now that we are in the midst of summertime grilling, it is important to be able to use your wine knowledge to select appropriate pairings for those charcoal scented meats tossed onto the flames.  What type of wine should you drink with bitter food?  The example I will use is Charbroiled lamb on a bed of wild arugula.  I have been getting bunches of wild arugula from the Farmer’s Market because it is such a great pair with anything you toss on the grill.  

The flavors in a dish like the one above are strong and need a wine match that will complement, and not enhance, the bitterness.  This type of charbroiled food will tend to accentuate the wine’s bitterness.  To avoid this type of pairing, pair this type of dish with a full bodied and fruit forward California wine (2006 Santa Barbara Winery Reserve Chardonnay, 2005 Santa Barbara Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, or any Napa Merlot).  

All of these wines are full of flavor and will stand up to their food pairing.  If the wine that you choose is too light to pair with a hearty and full flavored roast, it will not ruin your meal, but the wine’s flavors will barely even register on your palate.  

On a side note, while the Reserve Chardonnay would work with a Charbroiled lamb dish, I think it would be even better if you substituted a Charbroiled pork for the meat choice.
Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery 

 

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Santa Barbara Cellars Wine Storage

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joanie
on July 7, 2008
in Joanie Hudson and Other News
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Santa Barbara has a new wine storage facility in Goleta that specializes in the highest level of customer service.  Santa Barbara Cellars Wine Storage recently opened off of the Patterson Ave. exit at the base of the foothills.  The storage facility is open seven days a week and has extensive temperature and humidity control.  They also advertise a great feature for frequent wine buyers who have wine shipped. 
As we all know, wine must be signed for by an adult over 21, and this can sometimes be a hassle if you are not available to receive your wine during the day.  You can have your wine club shipments shipped and signed for at the storage facility throughout the week.  Check out their website for more details, and also see their FAQ’s for helpful tips on wine storage. 
Rental Office at 98 N. Patterson Ave. Santa Barbara
805-964-4097
info@sbcellars.com
www.sbcellars.com
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Upcoming Wine Club Member Events

Published
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joanie
on July 6, 2008
in Joanie Hudson, Lafond Winery, Santa Barbara Winery, Vineyard and Wine Club
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I just wanted to remind wine club members about all of the events we have coming up over the next couple of months, there are just a few spots left for each of them!  Reservations for events can be made by calling (805)963-3633.  I remember looking at this list at the beginning of the summer and thinking they were so far in the future, but now they are right around the corner.  With the Fourth of July behind us time is flying by at an astounding speed.  I will be talking about Harvest 2008 before we know it. 

July 19 our lovely and talented tasting room host and guitar virtuoso, Chris Fossek, will be playing Flamenco Guitar for us in the barrel room.  Chris will perform while we sip wine under candle light.  Chris played a sold out show for us last summer and frequently plays at the Pierre Lafond Bistro and up at the Lafond vineyard.  Appetizers will be served.  The cost for this event is 35.00/person.  Limit 40 people. 6-8pm.

August 9 is our Annual Wine Club BBQ. The much anticipated BBQ is set again for the second weekend of August.  Not only is the food fantastic, but you’ll enjoy Santa Barbara wines, Lafond wines, and barrel samples.  This is a great opportunity to get up to the vineyard and enjoy our wines.  This event sells out fast! 1-4pm. Only 35.00/person.

August 23 Chef Joel Chapman will be back to guide us through the cuisine of India.  Last month, Joel hosted a Greek Cooking Class where we watched him cook and listened to him tell stories about the history of the dishes and the cuisine while enjoying our wines.  Oh ya, we got to eat the food too after he prepared it!  Chef Joel was introduced to the Indian culture while living in New Zealand where there is a large Indian population 50.00/person. Limit 20 people. 6-8pm.

As a member of the wine club you get the opportunity to participate in all of our winery events.  It is truly something you should take advantage of.  We love having you here as our guests. Thank you for continuing to enjoy our wine.  We will keep making it if you keep drinking it!

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery

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Smoked Cheddar and Bacon Grilled Cheese Recipe

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joanie
on July 6, 2008
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Another recipe that appeared in the recent article in the Santa Barbara News Press on The Bistro’s Grilled Cheese night was the Smoked Cheddar and Bacon Grilled Cheese with Chipotle Relish.  I made it at home myself last week and wanted to make sure to share the recipe because it is delicious and easy to put together.  I had it paired with our 2007 1.7% Riesling, and it was the perfect match.  The most important piece of information I can share when making this sandwich is to make sure you take the time to get quality and fresh ingredients.  The recipe below is for one sandwich.

Smoked Cheddar and Bacon Grilled Cheese with Chipotle Relish

Butter or olive oil, to coat bread

2 slices sourdough bread

3 ounces smoked cheddar cheese

3-4 slices cooked applewood-smoked bacon

2 ounces Chipotle Relish, see recipe below

Butter or oil exterior of bread slices.  Place remaining ingredients between slices.  Grill in panini grill on medium-high heat for about 6-7 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bread is golden brown, or fry in frying pan on low heat for about 4-5 minutes per side.

Chipotle Relish

3 ounces ketchup

Half yellow onion, minced

3 chipotle peppers

3 ounces rice wine vinegar

3 tablespoons sugar

3 ounces water

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon black pepper

In small sauce pan, bring onions, ketchup, chipotle peppers, vinegar, sugar and water to low boil and cook until onions are soft and tender, about 15 minutes.  Add garlic and spices and remove from heat.  Pulse briefly in the food processor.  Cook’s note: You can adjust the level of spice based on amount of chipotle peppers used (I like it spicy!). 

Yield: About one cup of relish

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery

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Santa Barbara French Festival

Published
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joanie
on July 2, 2008
in Joanie Hudson and Other News
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Coinciding with the Elements Sunken Gardens tasting is the French Festival, which occurs of Bastille Day weekend (July 12-13).  This is the largest French celebration in western U.S.A. 2008 will be the 21st year that the festival will take place.  The all day event will start at 11am and go until 7pm. 

The official website for the celebration states:

While Parisians celebrate the French Revolution 8,000 miles away, Californians will revel in the sights, sounds, foods and joie de vivre of France at the largest French celebration in the Western United States.

This year’s Fête Française will feature dozens of chefs preparing fine French food…everything from crêpes to Cajun, from café au lait to decadent desserts and pastries. Enjoy French beer, wine, champagne and soft drinks.

This will be a fantastic weekend to be in Santa Barbara and take advantage of all of the unique cultural events right in the thick of summer.  A great day to tour the town.

C’est Magnifique!

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery

 

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