It’s Solstice Saturday afternoon in picturesque Santa Barbara and you might be at a meals and wine competition in contrast to another. After tasting varied wine and meals pairings you comply with an oak tree shaded path previous a butterfly pavilion full of over 1,000 butterflies. Great flavors and aromas set towards this whimsical backdrop conjures up you to start hobnobbing with Santa Barbara’s most enthusiastic wine lovers, bloggers, and foodies. “Be sure you cease by the Fiddlehead Cellars’ sales space! They’re pouring a vertical of Sta Rita HIlls pinot from 2013, 2014 and 2016!” Geneva Ives, a self-proclaimed “Meals Groupie” tells you excitedly. So that you set throughout a bridge over a babbling brook to seek out the sales space, with a fast cease for a freshly shucked oyster from Get Shucked. Earlier than lengthy, you might be sipping Fiddlehead’s 2016 Gewürztraminer in a prehistoric dinosaur stuffed forest surrounded by huge purple wooded tree trunks. It’s simply then you definitely understand you haven’t had this a lot enjoyable on the Pure Historical past museum because you have been a child.
The perpetually offered out annual meals and wine occasion helps the character and science packages on the Santa Barbara Museum of Pure Historical past.This yr’s thirty fourth annual competition invited 1,100 company to style wines, meals and spirits from greater than 75 purveyors stationed alongside the shaded banks of Mission Creek amongst the enchanted backdrop of the Museum’s 17 acres. Whereas wine festivals happen very often in Santa Barbara, few rival the culinary present placed on by the cooks who take part within the Museum’s meals and wine fest. Among the samplings included a jambalaya stuffed egg roll from Rondeno Culinary Designs, led by Chef Ryan Rondeno; Ahi “Pesce Crudo,” a contemporary sashimi grade ahi tuna tartare seasoned with sesame oil and avocado mustard dressing on a freshly made sesame cracker by Chef Peter McNee, of Convivo; and for desert; Kimpton Resort’s Nathan Lingle whipped up a summer time traditional: California olive oil cake, with bourbon caramel glaze, contemporary chantilly cream and micro mint and Rieger’s Farm yellow summer time peaches.
On the wine facet, Kathy Joseph of Fiddlehead Cellars introduced certainly one of most fascinating line-ups, giving company a possibility to style by a number of vintages of her iconic ‘728’ Sta Rita Hills pinot noir and lesser identified wine from Fiddlesticks Winery; Gewürztraminer, an fragrant Austrian white grape that grows finest in cooler climates. One other favourite was Fidencio Flores (proprietor/winemaker) of Esfuerzo Wines whose story of three generations of grape rising, starting along with his immigrant grandfather, Salvador Zepada, led him to the trail of changing into a winemaker. Flores at the moment farms his personal label utilizing grapes planted by his father Armondo Zepada. Santa Barbara wine fanatics are certain to acknowledge the acquainted taste of Esfuerzo Wines Wines’ Foxen Roads winery riesling, additionally sourced by Firestone, good for summer time with its tropical fruit taste and crisp, dry end. The Museum featured native favourite wineries Jaffurs and Andrew Murray Vineyard pouring their traditional viognier and native wine legend Greg Brewer, who hosted his very personal Brewer-Clifton sales space whereas ensuring to incorporate small up and coming wineries like Dusty Nabor’s eponymous label, showcasing a bolder type with a notable cabernet sauvignon from Los Olivos’s Villa Colibri Winery standing out amongst the ocean of Sta Rita Hills pinot noir.
As one of many Museum’s largest fundraisers, company can anticipate extra of the identical subsequent yr. Hopeful attendees ought to make sure to preserve an eye fixed out for early entry tickets which go on sale July 2023.