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nerr innne Win
S.B. COUNTY BREWERY
Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. Two locations “Primarily, it’s the beer,” said Figueroa general manager David Esdaile. “If it wasn’t the beer, then we would be in the wrong category. We have eight beers, from a pilsner to a stout, though we do make seasonal beers. I find that our beers are very drinkable,” said Esdaile. “I grew up in England, where you just went down to the pub and had a beer. It wasn’t really all about whatever quality the beer had,” he said. The brew wasn’t criticized for its hoppiness or fruit flavors. “It was what you drank with your mates.” PICTURED: assistant general manager Kami. FINALIST
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
S.B. WINE TOUR COMPANY
S.B. COUNTY WINERY WHITE WINE
Santa Barbara Adventure Company
The Brander Vineyard
720 Bond Ave., 884-9283
Without question, said Brander’s Jeff Butler, the white wine that the readers mean is their sauvignon blanc. “Unequivocally,” confirmed Butler, who likes to think his official title at the vineyards is marketing guy and beekeeper. “It’s our 36th vintage, and in 1975, Fred Brander first planted the grapes.” In 1977, he said, Brander won an award for the wine at the L.A. County Fair, thereby officially putting Santa Ynez wines on the map. If history isn’t enough, there is the wine itself. “It’s great and a benchmark of value. Twothirds of our total wine sales are the sauvignon blanc.”
“Oh yes, we are very happy to win,” said Adventure Co. guide Rachel Harvey. “We think we do offer the best wine tours with very knowledgeable and very fun tour guides,” she said. The best part of the tour is the company’s flexible attitude. With all their knowledge and contacts, they are quite willing to customize the experience to the groups who go out in 14-passenger vans. “We listen to our guest’s feedback, and it changes the way we give tours.” FINALIST:
Sustainable Vine Wine Tours
2401 N. Refugio Rd., Los Olivos, 688-2455
S.B. COUNTY WINERY RED WINE
Jaffurs Wine Cellars 819 E. Montecito St., 962-7003 “We’re pretty stoked about winning,” said owner Craig Jaffurs. “It’d have to be our Santa Barbara Syrah,” he continued. “It’s powerful, full of fruit, and everybody loves it. It’s got good tannins; it’s a good mouthful of wine. It’s our 20th harvest, and we are grateful the readers voted for us. Yahoo!” FINALIST
Sunstone Winery
RESTAURANT WINE LIST
Wine Cask 813 Anacapa St., 966-9463 It runs 16 pages, and there are glasses of wine to be had and a jeroboam of Château Margaux 1995 for $1995. Surprisingly, there are no Château D’Yquems, but there is Cristal. A bottle of Beaulieu Vineyard 1968 “Burgundy,” a wine that we would’ve fetched at the grocery store in the mid-1970s if we were desperate, is now $195. If we had a lot of money to spend celebrating, though, we would order dinner and put ourselves in the hands of the sommelier here because, where else in this town has such a collection that has been accumulated over time by so many people who have intelligence credentials and
FINALIST
Santa Barbara Winery october 17, 2013
THE INDEPENDENt
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