Santa Barbara's Biggest Wine Party of the Spring: Vintners Festival Returns

by Gabe Saglie, Senior Editor, Travelzoo
photos by Bob Dickey
story published in the Santa Barbara News-Press on 4/12/18

Santa Barbara’s biggest wine party of spring is just days away. Santa Barbara Vintners, the group that represents more than 100 local wineries and vineyards, is hosting its 36^th annual wine fete on Saturday, April 21^st at sprawling River Park in Lompoc. Free-flowing world-class wine aside, here are five reasons to be among the 2000 thirsty revelers who’ll be there.

 

The Bubbles

The Bubble Lounge is new this year – a dedicated spot to all things fizzy! In a few short years, Santa Barbara has seen sparkling wine production soar, with some of the area’s top labels, like Riverbench, Lucas & Lewellen and Alma Rosa, cranking out bubbly yearly. The Bubble Lounge will be an effervescent oasis – a great way to cleanse the palate throughout the afternoon.

 

 

The Food

Wine lovers are food lovers, so the culinary spin to this festival is always a crowd pleaser. In fact, at some of the area’s most popular gastronomic hangouts, be ready to wait in line. More than 30 local restaurants, chefs and purveyors will be doling out edible treats, and look for some of the region’s top farmers to be serving up their in-season organic fare.

 

Frank Ostini, chef/winemaker

The Stages

This year’s festival will feature not one, but two stages. One will add to the event’s epicurean appeal, hosting several cooking demonstrations. The other stage will host The Bryan Titus Trio, a band known for its modern take on bluegrass. Toe-tapping to their high-spirited tunes is a great way to take breaks and pace yourself throughout the day.

 

The First Few This year’s event is a tip-of-the-hat to the 17 young winemakers who started it all. “No one has that ‘look at me’ mentality, it was about ‘look at us,’” remembers Qupe vintner Bob Lindquist in a recent interview with Santa Barbara Vintners. The first Vintners Festival took place in 1983 at Mission Santa Ines in Solvang, with the goal of raising enough money to print a wine trail map; with 500 tickets up for grabs, it was a sellout. And today, it’s one of the longest-running wine festivals in the country. Look for many of those original 17 winemakers –Lindquist, along with Jim Clendenen, Ken Brown and Richard Sanford, among others – at the April 21^st event.




Norm Yost, winemaker

The First Responders
More than 8500 firefighters from 10 states descended on our area in December when the largest wildfire in California history roared through Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. The debris flow in Montecito a few weeks later showcased first responder heroism all over again. In gratitude, the Festival includes a First Responder Invitational, which allows members of the community to buy a ticket for a firefighter or police officer to attend the festival. The goal: at least 100 first responders in attendance.

 

Please enjoy this festival to the max, but please enjoy it responsibly. Bus transportation from Santa Barbara, Solvang or Buellton begins at $30 and non- drinking tickets for designated drivers and kids (ages six to 20) are $25. General admission to Saturday’s Grand Tasting is $70 and the five-day Vintners’ Visa Weekend Pass, which gets you complimentary tastings at 12 wineries of your choice all weekend long, costs $50; do the combo for $100. Check out sbcountywines.com.

 

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