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Behind the Vine
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Animal House
by Hana-Lee Sedgwick
Hana-Lee Sedgwick is a digital advertising executive by day and wine consultant and blogger by night. Born and raised in Santa Barbara, she fell in love with the world of wine while living in San Francisco after college. Hana-Lee loves to help people learn about and appreciate wine, putting her Sommelier certification to good use. When not trying new wines or traveling, she can be found practicing yoga, cooking, entertaining, and enjoying time with friends and family. For more information and wine tips, visit her blog, Wander & Wine, at wanderandwine.com.
SISTERLY LOVE
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eet sisters Kelly (grey) and Piper (black). They love to go for walks every night along the beach and hang out at some of the local wineries with their owners, Stacey and Derrick Bailey. In true sister form, Piper likes to antagonize her older sister, then later they can be found cuddling together on the couch at night. Says Stacey: “They are our kids, and we can’t imagine life without them!” Derrick and Stacey – your kids are adorable!
SIP, SAVOR, SHOOT, REPEAT! Eat This, Shoot That’s newest wine and food tour in downtown’s Wine Collection of El Paseo
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here’s certainly no shortage of things to do in this town, but when you can fit wine tasting, history lessons, photography tips, and food sampling all into a two-and-a-half hour period, you jump at the chance! It’s all possible with the newest food and beverage tour offered by Eat This, Shoot That! ETST). We first heard about Eat This, Shoot That! a few years ago, when fellow columnist Julie Bifano shared her experience of the then-new food and photography walking tour started by local photography teacher Tara Jones. Tara first came to Santa Barbara to study at Brooks Institute of Photography, but it was her love of taking pictures, food, and all things Santa Barbara that led her to start ETST. Her idea has since taken off, and now ETST offers three different specialty tours in the Presidio and Funk Zone neighborhoods. You don’t have to be a tourist to enjoy them! I was able to join Tara for a fun afternoon on the El Paseo Wine Tour, which takes you through downtown’s historic Presidio neighborhood to sample wines and winefriendly fare in and around the Wine Collection of El Paseo. Six tasting rooms make up the Wine Collection, clustered among beautiful Spanish-style courtyards and side streets, and each showcasing their unique styles of wine from Santa Barbara County’s different AVAs. It’s a perfect place to meander down historic pathways, sip on local libations, and learn a few tips and tricks for taking the perfect food photos. For example, if your food doesn’t look appetizing enough, try spritzing a little water on it. Who knew?
The tour started off with a stop at the Hoffman Brat Haus for a tasty brat sampler before visiting the first winery on the tour, Jamie Slone Wines. Here, we sampled a couple of his Bordeaux and Rhône varietals before heading next door to Au Bon Climat for Jim Clendenen’s cool climate and highly regarded Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines. After a few tastes of wine, refueling at C’est Cheese with local and imported cheeses was a much welcome stop on the tour. Yum! Around the block, we ventured inside the second-oldest surviving building in California, called El Cuartel. Tara explained that this was the family residence of the soldier assigned to guard the western gate into the Plaza de Armas. We snapped a few pics before cruising down to taste Doug Margerum’s popular wines at Margerum Wine Co. But wait, there’s more! Next, we stopped into family-owned Grassini to try a few of their bold Happy Canyon reds before making our final stop at the polo-inspired tasting room of Happy Canyon Vineyard for more Bordeaux varietals. By the end, you’ll be feeling pretty good! The tour is leisurely but enjoyable, and Tara does a great job of combining her friendly, down-to-earth nature with historical tidbits and professional photography tips and tricks. So, if you’re looking to brush up on your Santa Barbara history, need an excuse to finally visit the Wine Collection of El Paseo, or just want to take Instagramworthy food (and wine) photos, then check out Eat This, Shoot That! Tours range from $69-$79. Cheers!
To see your pet in ANIMAL HOUSE/Pet of the Week, email a photo, name of pet and owners, and something fun about your pet to megan@santabarbarasentinel.com
PlantingRoots
by Frederique Lavoipierre Director of Education at Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
FABULOUS SUMMER FLOWERS
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n our dry climate, California native plants have a reputation for looking shabby during the hottest months. That may be true in the wild, especially during this devastating drought. But in our gardens, we can have beautiful natives year-round with a bit of planning. If you yearn for a garden full of flowers in the summer, try some of our beautiful native perennials, which can thrive with just a bit of supplemental water. According to the City of Santa Barbara Public Works Department, make your water go even further by retrofitting spray sprinkler nozzles with water-efficient, rotating nozzles that can reduce your landscape water use by 20 percent. Retrofitting to drip irrigation can save even more! Evergreen shrubs such as Manzanitas and Ceanothus look good year-round, and provide a great background to summer flowers. For information, check out the City’s water conservation website at www.SantaBarbaraCA.gov/WaterWise. City of Santa Barbara – Public Works Department PO Box 1990, Santa Barbara • (805) 897-2672 www.SantaBarbaraCA.gov/WaterWise