John Palminteri
SANTA YNEZ VALLEY, Calif. (KEYT) – The 41st Santa Barbara County Vintners Festival will be a time for visitors to go in-depth on the wine industry and come away with an education they’ll remember for years.
While it is a fun event with like-minded wine lovers, there are always trends you can get ahead of and the industry welcomes interaction at all levels.
This year’s event will be at Vega Vineyards in Buellton on Saturday with an early VIP entry starting from 12:00pm – 4:00pm, and general admission from 1:00pm – 4:00pm.
Many of the region’s wineries and restaurants are hosting dinners and special events throughout the weekend.
At the event there will be 80+ wineries, a chance to meet winemakers, owners, and enjoy both food and music. More than 25 restaurants will be serving samples and chefs will be attending.
Sparkling wine will be served in The Bubble Lounge.
Santa Barbara Vintners CEO Alison Laslett said, “if you go, to this particular festival, you are likely to meet the wine maker or the owner.” Some of the owners may have been up for hours. “They will be picking the night before because it is harvest and then they prep and will come in and pour the wine for the consumer. That is what makes it such an unusual festival.”
If you look closely she said, “often you have the person who is pouring the wine has their name on the bottle.”
Ryan Carr is the Carr Winery owner with a working tasting room in Santa Barbara where the grapes are arriving and processed. “Today was all Italian varietals so I have been at it since about midnight.”
Freshly picked grapes were in special bins. “All the sugar has been converted into alcohol. You can smell that aroma out there you can smell the alcohol and those incredible flavors that have been developed during fermentation.”
Whether you go to a tasting room or a wine festival. the winemaker is generally around.to talk to you about their wines. It doesn’t really matter whether you are a novice or an expert on wines.
Carr says, “they get to ask a lot of questions and they get a great opportunity to try a whole bunch of wines from our area. So many different wineries are involved in this festival. It is a phenominal festival. “
The region produces wines that many consumers love from an area with rare microclimates and unique soil.
Carr said, “at an event like this you get to taste so many different things that are outrageously good. It is all coming from a small area . It is pretty special.”
There will also be a first ever Wine Camp with special sessions at the festival.
Laslett said, “one is a sabering demo. That is where you take a knife and cut the top off of a glass bottle. We will have the Santa Rita Hills wine makers speaking about their wines specifically, The Rhone Rangers will talk about their wines.” There will also be prizes for blind tasting events.
The wine industry is an economic driver in the county with a far reaching impact.
“It’s about a $1.7 billion dollars by the time you add in the restaurants and the hotel stays from the wine visitor who comes up,” said Laslett.
The yields may vary but this year , “the quality of the fruit hasn’t been any better so things are still good and we’re going to be making some great stuff going forward,” said Carr. His tasting room has processing going on in addition to regular hours of operation.
Friday evenings there’s live music outside and sometimes inside next to the barrels of wine.
The wine makers at the festival are also known for bringing in some special bottles or new brands just for this annual gathering in the valley
Last year’s event sold out. (There is a special price for a designated driver or non wine drinker.)
For tickets and more information go to: Santa Barbara Vintners Festival
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