Santa Barbara Life & Style Magazine - December 2013

LIFE&STYLE SANTA BARBARA

MAGAZINE

DECEMBER 2013

Fly Above The Rest PG 26

Luxury Gifts PG 48

Vol 1. December 2014

sblifeandstyle.com

SB LIFE AND STYLE

Volume 1 Issue 6 / December 2013 Editor / Publisher Jeffrey Florentine Art Director Rah Riley Marketing & Public Relations Ottocina Ryan & Laura Reynolds Staff Writers Karli Bryant Cole Parnell Santa Barbara Life & Style Magazine is published by Santa Barbara Life & Style, Inc. Jeffrey Florentine Founder & Editor PO BOX 5072 SANTA BARBARA, CA 93150 For distribution, advertising, or other inquires info@SantaBarbaraLifeandStyle.com Santa Barbara LIfe & Style - Issuu Edition

IN THIS ISSUE

6

6 MAKE SMITH If you’re looking for something handcrafted, beautifully designed, and functional, look no further than Make Smith.

16 GYPSY CANYON WINERY In the Santa Rita Hills, Gypsy Canyon Winery sits on California history where you can find some of SB’s best wine. 26 FLY ABOVE THE REST This month, we found an exciting way to travel in a completely different way.

36 AN ANSWER TO YOUR WINE PRAYERS There are so many unique places to experience each asset Santa Barbara has to offer, but we found one place that has all three. 46 SILENCE IS GOLDEN We all love to socialize at prties. But lets be honest: who truly enjoys the act of saying goodbye? 52 JESSICA FOSTER CONFECTIONS Take care of your sweet tooth with these holiday chocolates.

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52

Letter

from the

Editor Dear Friends -

Welcome to Issue Six of Santa Barbara Life & Style Magazine, Santa Barbara’s black book on the behind scenes of everything stylish.

Whether you like it or not, this time of year brings holiday parties, drinks with friends and quality time with the family.

We have pulled together some unique ways to celebrate this season that will be sure to end your 2013 with style. With posh gifts, luxurious transportation, and lavish places to entertain, this may be the best ending to your year yet!

For those not familiar with Santa Barbara Life & Style Magazine, we are an online company featuring Santa

Barbara’s rich and luxurious lifestyle.

Santa Barbara, in and of itself, is a brand synonymous with luxury and fine living. Through the pages of our online magazine, Santa Barbara Life & Style Magazine captures the rich lifestyle, influential people, homes & gardens, architecture, fashion, interior design, food & wine, events, and a glimpse behind the panache that is Santa Barbara.

Enjoy the issue. December brings colder temperatures to the area. Light the fireplace, sip some local wine and cuddle with a loved one. Happy Holidays from all of us here at Santa Barbara Life & Style Magazine!

Yours,

Jeffrey Florentine Editor-in-Chief Santa Barbara Life & Style

Ms

MAKE SMITH

WRITTEN & PHOTOGRAPHED BY COLE PARNELL

As the holiday season approaches, the pressure of finding the perfect gifts for friends and family rises. If you’re looking for something handcrafted, beautifully designed, and functional, look no further than Make Smith. Founded by Santa Barbara local Steven Soria, a third-generation leather craftsman, Make Smith boasts an array of quality products ranging from plant hangers to iPad cases.

As the holiday season Make Smith started man show gives you approaches, the pressure approximately one and that unique edge,he of finding the perfect half years ago in Santa believes in order to keep gifts for friends and family Barbara. I asked Soria your product relevant rises. If you’re looking for if he preferred having you have to grow. With something handcrafted, the business located growth comes security to beautifully designed, in a small community the process and legacy and functional, look like Santa Barbara. He he’d like to build. If you no further than Make believes that there are don’t change and admit Smith. Founded by Santa pros and cons to having mistakes, you can’t Barbara local Steven the business here. The grow and evolve. The Soria, a third-generation pros outweigh the cons challenge in the leather leather craftsman, Make through his eyes. Santa making industry is to set Smith boasts an array of Barbara has accepted your self apart from the quality products ranging Make Smith with open competition. You do that from plant hangers by going that extra to iPad cases.

If you’re looking for something mile that shows the Soria’s educational details and quality handcrafted, beautifully designed, background in the in your creations. and functional, look no further I can tell you that fine arts paired with the artisan training Make Smith goes he received from his arms, which he believes that extra mile and it’s father and grandfather is easier to do in a small recognizable in their moved him to breathe life city. It’s a lot easier to products. into his own business. get connected with the “Soria believes in community and make My personal favorite is the creating one-of-a-kind a name for yourself Limited Edition Leather merchandise and makes opposed to living in Plant Hanger. If you’re each product per order. a large city where is looking to get a unique While the process is timemuch harder to find your gift that someone will truly consuming, Soria says the audience. be impressed with, I highly end result is rewarding. recommend Make Smith.

‘The set-up and design Make Smith is a young time takes a while, so company and while You can browse, admire, when the product comes small at the moment, and purchase Make into the physical world, Soria hopes to grow the Smith products on his it’s very exciting.’” business. website: MAKESMITH.COM

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Gypsy Canyo Winer Written & Photographed by Laura Reynolds

y on ry

We will let you in on a secret.

Down a long dirt road and out-of-range from cell reception is a small winery that was almost never discovered. In the Santa Rita Hills, Gypsy Canyon Winery sits on California history.

Since there are only “ 300 cases made a year, it’s one list to get in on

D

eborah Hall came up from Los Angeles to escape the noise and hustle for which the city is well known.

She found out that the region was best known for it’s Pinot Noir and decided to plant some on their property that used to farm lima beans. A vineyard consultant was helping her look over the property and found she already had a vineyard in her back yard.

With some DNA testing, she found out these old vines were actually planted in the 1800’s. The original Mission grapes the padres planted as they established the California Missions were still thriving. For 300 years, these vines had little to no care before Deborah discovered them. These grapes make up her Ancient Angelique wine, a “ladies’ brandy” dessert wine that is aged 2-5 years before being bottled. The wine is excellent and is her most prized.

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Deborah uses an all organic and sustainable approach to wine. There is a reason why she only creates 300 cases.

Everything from the wine to the wax on the bottle is handmade. She said by doing the bottles by hand, they would make the integrity of the wine.

The labels are hand made, pressed and printed, using a 19th century manual letterpress.

The wax cap is made from bees located on property. The bottles run from $95 to $200 which is an amazing deal when you realize how much hard work goes into one bottle of pure decadence.

She let us in on a secret as well. She took trimmings of the Mission grapes and started a new block of grapes intended for a little experiment. She plans to team up with Ian Cutler (Cutler Distillery) to create a brandy. We can’t wait to see what they have in store!

If you want to taste her wine, she allows ‘appointment-only’ tastings with cheese pairings. Wine purchases are primarily sold through a mailing list. Since there are only 300 cases made a year, it’s one list to get in on and we highly recommend it! gypsycanyon.com 2753 Gypsy Canyon Rd Lompoc, CA 93436

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Photographed by Leah Valentine Written by Laura Reynolds

T

he team at SB Life & Style are constantly searching for things to give our lives a little more flair. This month, we found an exciting way to experience Santa Barbara in a completely different way.

Channel Islands Helicopter is a quick answer to any transportation fou-paus.

Whether you want to weekend in Beverly Hills or just make a day trip

to Los Angeles for some shopping, it's a fast and easy way to avoid traffic and ride in style.

far you want to go, ranging from $150 for a coast line tour to $750 for a trip to Catalina. If you want to customize your Josh Jones is the chief trip, it’s $67 for every 10 pilot at the company minutes in the air. They and is willing to tailor your will even pick you up own unique experience from your back yard at and get-aways. Whether the Santa Barbara airport you want to tour the for $400. coastline, take a trip to Catalina, or have a Your opportunities are romantic date complete endless and now your with champagne, your transportation needs can options are unbounded. be too.

Prices depend on how

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www.ciheli.com

Four Seasons The Biltmore

Santa Barbara

The Answer to Your Wine Prayers

WRITTEN BY LAURA REYNOLDS PHOTOGRAPHED BY LEAH VALENTINE

Santa Barbara’s Chateau Santa Barbara is known for it’s wine, cuisine, and casual luxury. There are so many unique places to experience each asset Santa Barbara has to offer, but we found one place that has all three.

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wine business. They teamed up to open a place where Santa Barbara locals can come together and share their passions for wine and food.

Les Marchands is a Les Marchands is a melting pot of great place to go after everyone from new wine lovers to work for a glass with Popping up in generations long of winery owners. friends or attend classes the Funk Zone, on wine and food right behind The Lark Restaurant, is Les Marchands Wine pairing. The bar setting is relaxing and careBar. The space resembles a French chateau free. He says, “Les Marchands is a melting pot of everyone from new wine lovers to and has a wine library that seems to never generations long of winery owners. Wine ending. The owners, Eric Railsback and shouldn’t be an intimidating and wanting to Brian McClintic, are both sommeliers that learn more should be a fun have an extensive history in the food and

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experience.� Their small plates are dervied from findings at local farmers markets and are delicate on the palate. They also feature local beer and liquor if you want a change in pace. Les Marchands has a variety of wine clubs to join that Brian and Eric customize each month for the perfect bottle of wine.

They choose local, international, up-andcoming, and rare brands that should never disappoint. Whether you want a wine to pair with dinner or a wine for celebration, they will take care of the searching for you.

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805 - 284 - 0380

lesmarchandswine.com 131 Anacapa St., Suite B, Santa Barbara CA Sunday-Thursday: 11am-10pm Friday & Saturday: 11am-Midnight

Silenc

is Gol

Time has changed the manual for manners...

Posh partygoers are now ghosting.

W

e all love to socialize at parties. But lets be honest: who truly enjoys the act of saying goodbye? After hours of mingling and flirting with friends, the night winds down and you begin to reflect on the over abundance of hors d’oeuvres and beverages you’ve undoubtedly inhaled.

Exhausted and tired, you’ve reached the point where all you can think about is diving into your big comfy bed and enveloping yourself between your plush duvet and your Egyptian cotton sheets.

annoying. On the contrary, proper etiquette would argue this to be an act of rudeness that renders disrespect. But time has changed the manual for manners and social norms.

Posh partygoers are now ghosting. Ghosting refers to leaving a social gathering or event and intentionally neglecting to bid your farewells to friends and fellow party attendees. This new trend is changing social etiquette by creating new versions of party politeness. Your friends will no longer bash you WRITTEN BY KARLI BRYANT for leaving the social gathering without saying However, this imagined goodbye. In fact they will oasis is quickly replaced probably be envious of you by flashes of agony, as if you ghost before them. the mere thought of You’ve escaped countless beginning your 20-minute awkward hugs and the round of goodbyes to forced setting of future your friends serves to plans that will, realistically, prolong your return to never play out. your bedroom sanctuary.

And hey, if you This polite obligation can have missed the chance be repetitive and a tad bit to talk to someone, let

ce

lden

technology be your savior.

Send a quick text and let the host know you had a blast. Don’t have their digits? Cruise on the Web and you are sure to connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, or some other social media platform.

No one has to know where you might have promised to make another social appearance this evening. Let them fantasize about the other extravagant parties where you may be headed to afterwards.

The truth is likely that you’re ready to head home, immerse yourself into a bath with a glass of wine before face planting into that aforementioned oasis that is your bed.

When you’re done socializing, or ready to hit the next social gathering, it is time to just ghost it.

Leave the party in style by mysteriously disappearing.

Because remember, silence is golden.

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Gifts for Him

xo, SBL &Style team

Gifts for Her

xo, SBLstyle team

Alessaro Cards

WRITTEN BY OTTOCINA RYAN. PHOTOGRAPHED BY JEFFREY FLORENTINE. Think of the countless people on your Christmas list for whom a simple card is too little, a gift is too much and an ornament is just right.

Alessaro Designs creates tin

ornaments that depict Santa Barbara landmarks, company logos, and custom designs.

Each ornament is designed in Santa Barbara by Leslie Person.

They are then handmade in Southern Mexico by an artisan who has made these ornaments his entire life.

Attach a heart ornament on top of a holiday present. Tie a palm tree ornament around the neck of the wine bottle you’re bringing to a glitzy party. They can be bought affixed to Alessaro ornaments can be made in any design or size that you want. Get a greeting card--perfect for sending them in the shape of your company to out of town friends and relatives. logo like Driscoll’s Berries and USC did. After your friends have thrown Just need a few? Alessaro ornaments away the card, they will still have an in the shape of owls, airstream trailers, ornament from you hanging on their tree year after year. roosters, California Missions and more are available at Letter Perfect Stationery and Paper Ink.

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Jessica Foster

Confections

For Jessica Foster, making truffles is an expressive epicurean art. With her diverse palate of Belgian chocolates, she blends exotic teas, herbs and spices, infusing her confections to create intriguing flavors like dark chocolate chile and milk chocolate star anise-thyme.

WRITTEN & PHOTOGRAPHED BY JEFFREY FLORENTINE

H

er inspiration surrounds her and by means of this decadent medium, she creates sumptuous chocolate pieces, sculpting each one lovingly by hand.

She began experimenting with chocolate in 2001, making a few truffles laced with local delicacies as gifts.

Today she continues to wander the Farmers’ Market in search of fresh herbs and

ripe fruit to create sumptuous flavors like dark chocolate orange, tangy meyer lemon and white chocolate lavender that reflect the vibrancy of Santa Barbara’s coastal bounty.

Many of her exotic blends, however, have been inspired by Jessica’s travels abroad.

She has a talent for capturing the essence of a place, putting the sensual aromas and soul-stirring flavors in

a swirl of chocolate cream. While jessicafosterconfections.com living and (805) 637-6985 studying in Alicante, Santa Barbara, CA Spain, she tasted piquant curries and chiles, and savored the aromas of orange blossoms and saffron.

Today, each of these essential flavors can be seen as inspiration for one of her deeply satisfying chocolate truffles.

CONNECT

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LIFE&STYLE SANTA BARBARA

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NOVEMBER 2013

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Vol 1. Nov 2013

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