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POLO CLUB
A Perfect PAIRING
The Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club welcomes FOLDED HILLS WINERY to the club this year. Owners Andy and Kim
Busch’s long legacy with the sport of polo and their exquisite winery make this a fitting pairing. “At Folded Hills, we love to share the wonderful ranch lifestyle with families, polo teams, and our new wine friends,” says Andy. Growing up in St. Louis, Missouri, Andy helped run his family’s ancestral home, Grant’s Farm, by caring for the land and the hundreds of animals that lived on it. It wasn’t until 1998 when he served as captain for the USA Polo team at the World Cup that he and his wife, Kim, fell in love with the Santa Barbara lifestyle. They decided to raise their family on the California coast and have since found their place at Folded Hills Ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley. They poured their love into their land, and in 2014, after walking their landscape and studying its soil and microclimate, they planted their first grapes: Grenache, Syrah, and a collection of Rhône whites. Folded Hills wine is a tribute to family. “This is a heritage project for us,” says Andy. “The wine has strong roots back to our St. Louis history. We love sharing these family stories that influence how many of our wines were named—the stories are on the back of each bottle.” Standout vintages that club guests get to enjoy this season include the highly anticipated 2017 Estate Lilly Rosé—an homage to Busch’s great-grandmother Lilly Anheuser Busch and six generations of women down to his granddaughter Lilly; Grant Grenache, which recalls President Ulysses S. Grant, previous owner of the ancestral home where Andy grew up; and August Red, a blend of Grenache and Syrah, named for Andy’s father and grandfather.
“Our goal was to make a great wine that’s easy to drink and pair with food—a wine made naturally in the French style so it would not overpower whatever dish you were serving,” says Kim. “Angela Osborne, our Kiwi winemaker, exemplifies that in her subtle style of viticulture. We were recently in New Zealand Top to bottom: KIM AND and hope that our ranch, ANDY BUSCH ; some of our wine, and our FOLDED HILLS ’ vintages. philosophy reflect that casual, joyful lifestyle. We don’t take ourselves too seriously—no wine snobs here, just absolute best practices with lots of heart and soul.” F O L D E DHI LLS.C OM
Polo Club
Libation Station
Look for BAR CAR to make appearances at the club for the Pacific Coast Open tournament in August as well as various Sunday polo events throughout the season. Enjoy the curated cocktail of the summer—Silver & Bronze—celebrating the silver of the tournament champions’ hardware and the bronze of our exclusive sponsor, Jefferson’s Bourbon. SILVER & BRONZE
2 oz. Jefferson’s Bourbon 1/2 oz. lime juice 5 oz. ginger beer Garnish of mint sprigs Add Jefferson's Bourbon and lime juice to a Moscow Mule copper mug. Fill the mug with ice and top with ginger beer. Add mint sprigs for garnish. Serves one.
By popular demand, the SANTA BARBARA POLO & WINE FESTIVAL returns to the club on September 8 from noon to 7 pm. The only event of its kind on the West Coast, this festival combines exhilarating polo matches, live music by national touring artists, sips from some of Santa Barbara County’s finest wineries, food, and a fabulous day on the fields. Last year’s festival featured Macy Gray, LP, Nick Waterhouse, Durand Jones & the Indications, and Vieux Farka Touré, and this year’s fest helps kick-off the 8-goal fall polo season at the club. Stay tuned for the highly anticipated musical lineup coming soon. S B PO L O A N D W I N E .C O M
PHOTOGRAPHS: KIM AND ANDY BUSCH, EDWARD CLYNE; FOLDED HILLS WINE, TRINE BELL; POLO & WINE FESTIVAL, ALEXANDER SIEGEL
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