Santa Barbara Wine Festival 2015

From the check-in to the delicious walk around the back of Boulder Alley, the charming grounds of the historic Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History was the hottest ticket in town for enthusiastic museum supporters, along with sponsors and purveyors who provided sensational sips and delicious bites for the charity fundraiser. The tasting samples from area restaurants and sips from vintners were real crowd pleasers. People watching at this event is half the fun, as well as chatting with the vintners and chefs, and this year was no exception.

Buttonwood Wine

Sponsors for the 2015 SBMNH Wine Festival included The Berry Man, Inc., Classic Party Rentals, Mission Wealth Management, Riviera Insurance Services, Real Water, and OnQ Financial (Bag Sponsors), along with a bevy of area media sponsors.

Food Vendors for 2015 included Arch Rock Fish, Barbareno, Benchmark Eatery, Bob's Well Bread, Brophy Bros., Via Maestra 42, C'est Cheese, Cinnies, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Country Catering, Coveted Cakery, Finch and Fork, FreezerMonkeys, Funk Zone Patio, Georgia's Smoke House BBQ, Il Fustino, Jessica Foster Confections, Le Sorelle, Michael's Catering, Omni Catering, The Outpost at Goodland Hotel, Pacific Pickle Works, Paloma Restaurant, Renaud's Patisserie, Sama Sama Kitchen, Santa Barbara Tamales To Go, Tartisan, The Shop, The Stonehouse, Truffle Gatteau and Village Modern Foods.

Chef Michael of Michael's Catering serves Short Rib Meatballs

Gourmet food and dessert favorites included Braised Short Rib Meatballs (Michael's Catering); Oyster Shooters (Brophy Bros.); Savory Tarts (Tartisan); Homemade Tamales (Santa Barbara Tamales To Go); Signature Ravioli (Via Maestra 42); Organic Popsicles (FreezerMonkeys); Cheese Tastings from around the World (C'est Cheese); Divine Strawberry and Cream Dessert Cups (Reneau's Patisserie); and Ceviche (Arch Rock Fish) just to name a few.

Zaca Mesa Vintner

Wines poured at the event Included sips from Alexander and Wayne, Alma Rosa Winery, Andrew Murray Vineyards, Arthur Earl, Au Bon Climat, Avelina Wine Company, Babcock Winery and Vineyards, Beckmen Vineyards, Bedford Winery and Vineyards, Black Sheep Finds/Holus Bolus, Blair Fox, Brander Vineyard, Brewer-Clifton, Byron, Cambria, Cargasacchi, Carr Vineyards and Winery, Cebada, CORE, Crawford Family Wines, Daniel Gehrs Wines, Dierberg Estate Vineyard, Epiphany Cellars, Falcone Family Vineyards, Feliz Noche Cellars, Fess Parker Winery & Vineyard, Fiddlehead Cellars, Flying Goat Cellars, Foxen, Gainey Vineyard, Grassini Family Vineyards and Winery, Jaffurs Wine Cellars, Jamie Slone Wines, Kalyra, Ken Brown Wines, Kenneth Volk Vineyards, Kita Wines (Chumash Tribe), Koehler Winery, Kunin, Larner Wines and General Store, Margerum Wine Company, Melville, Mosby Winery & Vineyard, Municipal Winemakers, Oreana, Palmina, Qupé, Rancho Sisquoc Winery, Refugio Ranch, Sagebrush Annie's, Santa Barbara Winery, Silver Wines Star Lane Vineyards, Sunstone Vineyards and Winery, Tablas Creek Vineyard, Tercero Wines, Toucan Wines, Transcendence Wines, Vogelzang, Whitcraft Winery, The Winehound, and Zaca Mesa winery.

Mosby Wines

"Our event is a wine-focused festival. However, we have a large array of top-shelf food purveyors, many of whom are especially paired with wineries that complement one another," said Festival Chair, Meridith Moore." "It is exciting because many of the winemakers and chefs are present and available for the guests to meet and discuss the qualities of their varietals and menu items. This is just another example of why this has become one of the most beloved wine festivals on the Central Coast and the one seen as the one to attend," she said.

Sagebrush Annie's Vintners

The Santa Barbara Wine Festival is a ticketless event. Guests 21 and older purchased admission on the Museum's website and all guests had to present a valid identification to join the festivities. I was more than impressed with the Signature shuttle drivers who provided rides for guests from designated parking lots to and from the event. The Santa Barbara Wine Festival also offers a Designated Driver Program made up of volunteers who agree in advance to the guidelines of the program and received a complimentary ticket to the festival. Designated Driver, guests wore a badge to signify "No Alcohol" and were not given a tasting glass. Limited parking tickets on the museum grounds were on sale in advance for $20.

$30 Cork Pull

Attendees were also able to participate in the "Every Cork Wins" raffle, where all participants could win a prize. For $30 to pull a cork, participants were guaranteed to win a prize worth at least $30, and many were valued at $100 and above. All proceeds from this event benefited the many Museum's exhibits and education programs for children and families.

Cheers to another magical and profitable afternoon under the trees of the SBMNH. Visit www.sbnature.org for details on the 2016 date.



By Bonnie Carroll
http://www.lifebitesnews.com