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alling all locals: If you’re looking for something truly Santa Barbarian to do the next time you have a free day; whether its entertaining some long lost college friend from out of town, or simply enjoying the downtown scene with a date, hitting “The Trail”…Urban Wine Trail, that is, is a definite top ten option. The Urban Wine Trail is a unique take on any wine tasting tour. There are not many places that offer such a huge variety of wineries, plus a lot more fun than your average wine tasting tour: where else can you sample such a variety of the very best wines SB has to offer, in a range of different settings, from the classic atmosphere of El Paseo to the casual and innovative flavors of the Funk zone, just a few steps from the beach. Although many of the wineries are next door to each other there are in fact a few distinct areas of ‘The Trail’, and if you’ve got only a day in town, or even a few hours, here is a snapshot of what’s available.
The tasting room at Carr Winery
Uptown Like a small cluster of tightly packed grapes, three tasting rooms sit almost on top of each other at the Anacapa Street entrance of old El Paseo. Grassini Family Vineyards is the newest tasting room at El Paseo. Grassini, whose winery is located in Happy Canyon, mainly focus on Bordeaux varieties. Take the 2010 Articondo, for example, a classic blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, such a fresh wine with bright red berry fruit, hints of light coffee and grippy (continued)
Wine tasting at its funky best By Louis Villard
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Photos By Eliot Crowley
food & home
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