WINE+DINE
Winery Guide
Kunin is known for staying true to the nature of the grapes he uses. Try the 2012 “pape star” Rhône blend ($28)—a heady blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre. MAIL ROAD WINES 835 E. Canon Perdido St., Santa Barbara, 805451-4440, mailroadwines.com. Pinot Noir sourced exclusively from the Mount Carmel Vineyard located 50 miles northwest of Santa Barbara at the geographic center of the St. Rita Hills and the end of none other than Mail Road. MARGERUM WINE COMPANY
813 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara, 805-845-8435, margerumwine company.com. Stop by Doug Margerum’s tasting room, which features his own reds and whites as well as others—Cent’Anni, Cimarone, Happy Canyon, and various French and Italian labels. MUNICIPAL WINEMAKERS
DEEP SEA WINE TASTING ROOM
HAPPY CANYON VINEYARDS
blends and otherworldly varietals found only at Area 5.1, located along the Urban Wine Trail.
217 Stearns Wharf, Ste. G, Santa Barbara, 805-618-1185, conway familywines.com. Located on Stearns Wharf, the Conway family’s nauticalinspired tasting room—a happening spot on the weekend—is home to 15 different wines.
30 El Paseo, Santa Barbara, 805232-3549, happycanyonvineyard .com. The Barrack family produces award-winning Bordeaux varietal wines at the Santa Ynez Valley ranch and vineyard that they call home.
AU BON CLIMAT 813 Anacapa St.,
DRAKE WINES 32 Anacapa St.,
Ste. 5B, Santa Barbara, 805-9637999, aubonclimat.com. For more than 30 years, Jim Clendenen has specialized in Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Noir. His downtown tasting room features ABC wines as well as Verdad, Vita Nova, Qupé, Makor, and Barham Mendelsohn.
Ste. B and C, Santa Barbara, 805845-4801, drakewines.com. Andi and Mark Cummins’s Funk Zone tasting room features Drake wines as well as Bien Nacido Vineyard Pinot Noirs from their Chatter label.
AREA 5.1 WINERY 137 Anacapa St., Ste. B, Santa Barbara, 805-7707251, a51wine.com. Unearth secret
JAFFURS WINE CELLARS
CARR VINEYARDS AND WINERY
414 N. Salsipuedes St., Santa Barbara, 805-965-7985, carrwinery .com. Situated in a hut that was built in the 1940s, Ryan Carr’s downtown cave is the source of whites and reds from grapes grown on more than 100 acres across Santa Barbara County. COTTONWOOD CANYON
224 Anacapa St., Ste. 1A, Santa Barbara, 805-963-1221, cotton woodcanyon.com. The estate-grown Chardonnay and Pinot Noir age well.
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FOX WINE CO. 120 Santa Barbara
St., Santa Barbara, 805-699-6329, foxwineco.com. With a passion for elegant Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah as well as a combined 30-plus years in the wine industry, Sarah and Blair Fox started making their own wines entirely by hand. GRASSINI FAMILY VINEYARDS AND WINERY 813 Anacapa St.,
Ste. 6, Santa Barbara, 805-8973366, grassinifamilyvineyards.com. In the historic El Paseo complex, Grassini’s sustainably produced Bordeaux-style Sauvignon Blancs and Cabernet Sauvignons are the draw.
819 E. Montecito St., Santa Barbara, 805-962-7003, jaffurswine .com. Craig Jaffurs is well-known for his Roussanne, Viognier, Petite Sirah, Grenache, and Syrah. JAMIE SLONE WINES 23 E. De la
Guerra St., Santa Barbara, 805560-6555, jamiesloanwines.com. Jamie and Kym Slone toured the wine regions of France, Germany, Italy, and Spain before settling in Santa Barbara and establishing their own wine label and tasting room. KALYRA WINERY 212 State St.,
Santa Barbara, 805-965-8606, kalyrawinery.com. Australian-born Mike Brown started Kalyra (“a wild and pleasant place” in the Australian Aboriginal language) in 1989. KUNIN WINES 28 Anacapa St.,
Santa Barbara, 805-963-9633, kuninwines.com. Winemaker Seth
MWC32 32 El Paseo, Santa Barbara, 805-845-8435, margerum winecompany.com. Margerum Wine Company’s newest tasting room features reserved and limited production wines as part of the Wine Collection of El Paseo in the illustrious Presidio Neighborhood. OREANA WINERY 205 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara, 805-962-5857, oreanawinery.com. Pinot Noir, Syrah, and small lots of sparkling wine are blended, bottled, and stored at this downtown winery and tasting room. PALI WINE CO. 116 E. Yanonali
St., Santa Barbara, 805-560-7254, paliwineco.com. Cofounders Tim Perr and Scott Knight craft small lots of Pinot Noir and other varietals—try the Santa Barbarainspired Huntington ($22.50), with hints of black cherry, spices, and peppercorn. RARUS 414 N. Salsipuedes St., Santa Barbara, 805-965-7985, raruswines .com. Henry and Marjorie Schimberg’s
PHOTOGRAPH: ROB DAFOE
SANTA BARBARA
22 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara, 805-931-6864, municipalwine makers.com. With modern sophistication and edgy style, Municipal Winemakers offers free wine delivery for guests who bike to the tasting room. Also ask about their reusable bottles and refill deals.
BEST OF 2015
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