Local
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Behind the Vine by Hana-Lee Sedgwick
Hana-Lee Sedgwick is a writer, wine consultant and lover of all things wine and food. As a Certified Specialist of Wine and Sommelier, she loves to explore the world of wine in and around her hometown of Santa Barbara. When not trying new wines or traveling, she can be found practicing yoga, cooking, entertaining and enjoying the outdoors. Visit her popular blog, Wander & Wine, for wine tips, tasting notes and adventures in wine and travel: wanderandwine.com
CELEBRATING ALL THINGS PINOT NOIR
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inot Noir drinkers rejoiced at the return of the World of Pinot Noir (WOPN), a two-day event held annually at Santa Barbara’s Bacara Resort. The 16th annual WOPN, now in its third year locally, brought producers and sommeliers from all over the world together for a weekend of celebration and education through pinot-focused seminars, luncheons, grand tastings, and exclusive winemaker dinners. Held every year the first weekend of March, the event kicked off bright and early Friday morning with a Bubbles & Burgundy tasting seminar, examining the evolution of sparkling wine before iconic Burgundy producer, Frédéric Drouhin, led tasters through his wines. Other educational events included a New Zealand wine seminar led by Sunset magazine’s wine director, Sara Schneider, and the exceptionally delicious Chocolate & Pinot seminar featuring wines from California and Oregon paired with inventive truffles from Jessica Foster Confections. Who knew that a salt & pepper truffle or white chocolate with poprocks could pair so well with wine? Very fun. Friday and Saturday afternoons brought more than 200 producers to the Bacara’s Grand Ballroom, where thirsty enthusiasts and experts tasted their way through Pinots from California, Oregon, France, Australia, and New Zealand, including such local wineries as JCR Vineyards, Wenzlau, BrewerClifton, and Foxen, among others.
Animal House
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SISTERLY LOVE
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ittle cuties KiKi and SoSo – named after the Chinese Buddhist warrior’s cry – are sisters of the Lhasa Apsos breed. They love to take in the beautiful Carpinteria views and enjoy doing so with their mindful owners. They love to cuddle (as seen here) and enjoy getting into mini sister squabbles as only siblings can do. Besides their sweet demeanor, their adorable underbites will melt your heart! To see your pet in ANIMAL HOUSE/Pet of the Week, email a photo, name of pet and owners, and some fun facts to megan@santabarbarasentinel.com
Jessica Foster’s decadent chocolates ready for the Pinot & Chocolate seminar
The Ojai Vineyard, one of the wineries represented at the Rock Stars of Pinot winemaker dinner
Hitching Post II’s Frank Ostini showcases his Pinot signed by the Sideways cast
First course at the Rock Stars of Pinot dinner honoring Calera Winery’s Josh Jensen
11 – 25 MARCH | 2016 |
Between sips, guests enjoyed appetizers from Chef Vincent Lesage and team, as well as specialty cheeses from C’est Cheese. Evenings included several special dinners, such as the South by Southwest regional dinner featuring ‘ranchero’ style cuisine by Hitching Post II’s Frank Ostini, who was also seen pouring his wine during the day. The Rock Stars of WOPN dinner honoring Josh Jensen featured a multi-course meal paired with wines from his Calera label, along with other Pinot producers with a connection
to Jensen’s vineyards. The sixcourse Vintage Burgundy Dinner, hosted by legendary Master Sommelier Fred Dame, featured library wines from the Guild of Sommeliers’ cellar. Needless to say, regardless of the dinner, guests were not disappointed by the food, the wine, or the company! For anyone looking to explore Pinot Noir from different regions throughout California or for those who have never tasted Pinot outside of California, this is a fantastic event. Whether a serious wine enthusiast or a novice, it’s hard not to enjoy discovering new wines and meeting new people at World of Pinot Noir. Cheers!
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