Archive for the 'Pierre Lafond Bistro' Category

A Trip to Santa Barbara

Published on May 17, 2009 in Joanie Hudson, Lafond Winery, Pierre Lafond Bistro and Santa Barbara Winery. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

Santa Barbara wine and fashion pioneers Pierre Lafond and Wendy Foster have spent the past few decades establishing and building an empire with businesses spread out between Montecito’s glitzy upper and lower villages, bustling State Street, and the serene vineyard packed Sta. Rita Hills.  An ocean side drive that spans about an hour in length can get you from one end of their trail to the other – shopping, wine and dining along the way.  

Trip length 2 days

Day 1

Pierre Lafond Market and Deli where a cluster of Pierre Lafond and Wendy Foster businesses are located on San Ysidro Road.  Enjoy wraps, sandwiches, deli entrees, and salads outside on the foliage-filled patio.  

Just next door from the Market, Wendy Foster has laid claim to three of the most talked about boutiques in Santa Barbara – Wendy Foster Dress Shop, Wendy Foster Sportswear, and home décor shop Upstairs.  The stores have been fixtures in Montecito since 1964.  Pick up an outfit for dinner at Wendy Foster and some colorful table accents for your home Upstairs.  

Make your way down to the lower village and walk up Coast Village Rd. to stop at Angel, a more contemporary and trend flaired boutique with labels like Vince, Juicy Couture, and whimsical Rebecca Taylor designs.   

From Coast Village Rd., head north into downtown Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone for a wine tasting at Santa Barbara Winery, the oldest post-Prohibition winery in Santa Barbara County.  Tasting hours are from 10am-5pm, and wine tasting includes six wines and your crystal logo glass ($5).  Sample award winning Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah, and lesser-known varietals such as Primitivo.   

Walk from wine tasting a few blocks up State Street to the Pierre Lafond Wine Bistro for dinner – bring a bottle from the winery and receive free corkage with your entrees.  Seasonal and fresh menu items from Flatbreads to Grilled Duck Breast are wine friendly and masterfully constructed.  Huge windows allow the space to be full of light until the sun goes down, and an outdoor patio is perfect for State Street people watching over your meal.  

Day 2

Return to the Pierre Lafond Bistro for breakfast and pick up a picnic lunch to bring up to the Lafond Vineyard for more wine tasting at the estate vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley.  Thick Cut French Toast from the Griddle, Omelets, Scrambles, and Santa Maria Grilled Tri Tip with Eggs are among the AM menu.  

Hit the road with your box lunches and drive 45 minutes along the coast to Lafond Vineyard to sample the wines from Santa Barbara Winery’s sister winery.  The vineyard was planted in 1972 and provides fruit for both labels under the guidance of winemaker Bruce McGuire.  Taste through a selection of vineyard and Sta. Rita Hills appellation designated (SRH series) Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah at the vineyard site and enjoy an outdoor picnic over looking the yellowed and vibrant hillsides of the valley. 

www.pierrelafond.com
www.wendyfoster.com
www.sbwinery.com
www.upstairsatpierrelafond.com
www.lafondwinery.com

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery

Wine Club Pick-Up Party

Published on March 26, 2009 in Joanie Hudson, Pierre Lafond Bistro and Wine Club. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

All Santa Barbara Winery Wine Club members are invited to stop by the winery on Saturday May 9th for our first ever Club Pick-Up Party.  The event will take place during our normal tasting room hours from 10am-5pm.  Guests are encouraged to enjoy a tasting of the current shipment as well as light appetizers from our Pierre Lafond Wine Bistro.  If you currently have your selection shipped to you, this will be an opportunity to save on the shipping cost and stock up for the summer. 

This is open to club members only (pick-up and ship), and reservations are necessary.  Take a bottle from your shipment over to the Pierre Lafond Wine Bistro on State St. and enjoy free corkage with your dinner.

We hope your club shipments add a bit of affordable luxury to your lives in these challenging economic times.

To sign up for the wine club, click here. 

To make reservations please call us at the winery at (805) 963-3633 or email us at wine@sbwinery.com.

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery

Upcoming Santa Barbara Tastings

Published on January 26, 2009 in Joanie Hudson and Pierre Lafond Bistro. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Calling all Santa Barbara oenophiles… Over the next two weeks there are three events that I can’t choose between so they all ended up pencilled in on my calendar.  A few blocks away from the winery, the Pierre Lafond Wine Bistro will hold two tastings next week – the Bottle Shock screening (Monday, February 2) followed by a blind tasting and the monthly Passport to the World of Wine (Wednesday, February 4).  

This month’s Passport theme is Cabernet Sauvignon.  If you are unfamiliar with this monthly themed tasting held at the restaurant, each one features a particular varietal from different areas of the world.  This theme captures what is to me one of the most intriguing aspects of a wine’s expression – how the same grape can take on particular characteristics depending on the weather and area that it was grown in.  Passport tastings are $25 and include a tasting of 5 wines and paired appetizers, by chef Nathan Heil, that always fill me up. Reservations are required 962-1455.

Following this theme of varying expression of the same grape, Spiritland Bistro puts on one of my favorite themed dinners.  This Wednesday January 28 will mark the first Wednesday Wine & Dine at Spiritland and will feature Shiraz from the Southern Hemisphere (Australia, South Africa, and South America).  Our tasting room neighbors, Seth Kunin of Kunin and Westerly Wines, and Martin Brown of Kalyra will be the speakers.  

The tasting portion of the dinner occurs during the stand up cheese course, followed by a sit down dinner that will include a wild mushroom fricassee over polenta to start, braised lamb shank as a main, and an apricot marzipan tart for dessert.  Email lesliewine@aol.com for reservations.  $45 all inclusive, just bring a bottle of Shiraz.  

Hope to see some familiar faces at each of these events.

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery

Pinot Passport Recap

Published on January 9, 2009 in Pierre Lafond Bistro and Wine News. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .

Joanie Hudson writes in the Pierre Lafond Wine Bistro Blog:

Last night’s Pinot Noir tasting provided an exciting look as to what the world of that varietal has to offer, literally. Taking samples from four distinct regions, and presenting them side by side is a lesson on wine that you can’t get from any amount of reading. The most crowded tasting yet took over the entire restaurant with the four tables spread around the perimeter of the room.

First stop was the Sta. Rita Hills, where we sampled two different vintages from the region from Santa Barbara Winery and Lafond. The only 2007 of the bunch was the Santa Barbara Winery Pinot Noir, which we sampled first as we snatched a deliciously spiced pulled lamb slider to bite into between tastes. A very concentrated vintage, this 07 Pinot really just jumps out at you with rich dark fruit and intensity. Vintage 2007 is from 10 vineyard sites up to 18 years old and from eight different Pinot Noir clones.

At the same table was another representative from the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, Santa Barbara Winery’s sister label, Lafond. For the 2006 Lafond SRH Pinot Noir Winemaker Bruce McGuire chose very specific sites in the vineyard for each of his Pinot Noir selections. In 2006, Bruce chose 6 clones from 16 vineyard lots at two vineyards (Lafond and its neighbor Arita Hills Vineyard. Nice to be able to taste the sister winery selections next to each other – same winemaker, different vintage, different philosophy to wine productions. I grabbed a second irresistible slider to go with my second taste.

All the way on the other side of the restaurant were the other three tables. I went with New Zealand’s 2006 Wild Earth Winery Central Otago Pinot next. First I tried one of the sesame tuna on cucumber discs nibbles, which was so tasty on its own, but a tiny bit too spicy for the wine – would have been delicious with an off dry Riesling. But I enjoyed tasting it with the wine only to demonstrate how certain pairings succeed or fail. This wine was a screw cap so there was some debating going on in conversations around me as to what this does for the wine. For me, screw cap or no screw cap, I’m going for what’s inside of the bottle. Pinot is the most widely planted red variety in New Zealand, where the main star is Sauvignon Blanc. There is about half as much Pinot planted as Sauvignon Blanc in this up and coming wine region that has an ideal climate for growing Pinot Noir. This wine was fruit driven, yet savory and earthy – very approachable in its youth. The 30% new oak aging came through a little bit on both the nose and palate. Watch out for those New Zealand Pinots, it is definitely an up and coming player in the wine world…

Next was the French Burgundy, which was the 2006 Bouchard Pere et Fils, Bougogne Rouge. This was quite the departure from the other new world Pinots with a subtlety and finesse that is inherent in quality French Burgundies. It was more subdued and elegant than the rest of the bunch. Bistro sommelier Zach Blair was fielding questions left and right from behind the table, very excited about the quality for the value of this wine. Another delicious appetizer was served alongside the wine at this table – baked Camambert on crostini with a pear walnut dressing. This nutty and rich treat was so tasty, with most of the flavor coming from the oozing cheese.

Last stop brought me back to the United States with Oregon’s Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. The 2006 Benton Lane Pinot Noir table wins the award for best wine pairing of the night. Served with this wine was the classic pairing of mushrooms, prepared in a small tartlette that could be eaten in just one or two bites. This was an example of how when wine and food come together there are certain pairings that really just bring out elements of each other, highlighting certain strengths and flavors in each. In this case it was the intense and intoxicating aromas and flavors of earthy mushrooms. Each bite and sip seemed to exponentially bring out this element, definitely a perfect ending to the tasting.

Return to the Bistro website for information on February’s Passport to the World of Wine tasting. This event will happen on the first Wednesday of each month.

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery