Saturday, March 16, 2013

Santa Barbara's best-kept wineries

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By Philip von Wrede


Santa Barbara's best-kept wineries

Santa Barbara has it all, great food, great shopping, great culture and great wineries. If you are looking to escape the commercialism of Napa, Santa Barbara is the way to go. I think Santa Barbara is the most unique wine region in California because of the beaches, eateries and resorts.

Santa Barbara is a pedestrian-friendly community with miles of exotic beaches, beautiful mountains, incredible architecture, and rolling valleys. community

The 3 top wineries are Kalyra Winery, Santa Barbara Winery and Oreana Winery.

Santa Barbara Winery is located in Santa Barbara at 202 Ancapa street. Started in 1962 by Pierre Lafond, the winery helped spark the wine industry of the Santa Ynez Valley and was the first since prohibition.

5 bucks wine tasting. For $5, you get to keep the glass and taste 6 different wines. Great atmosphere, amazing value and friendly staff! Incredible Riesling and others were notably exceptional. The beach is within walking distance to the winery, so after a great day of wine tasting, plan on stopping by this winery and stroll out onto the beach.

Overall this was a great experience, very enjoyable, and drinkable wine, even for those not used to it, or those for whom this may be your first tasting. We will certainly be back to visit Santa Barbara Winery.

Second is Kalyra winery, it is located at 212 State Street in Santa Barbara. It is their second location with their main winery in the Santa Ynez valley. Kalyra has a cool, fun, adventurous wine experience and is just two blocks from the beach. The winery has an Australian vibe which is because the winemaker is from Australia and has been making wine in Australia and California for over 20 years. The winery also has free movie nights periodically.

We tasted 3 whites, 3 reds, and 2 dessert wines for a wine tasting fee of $10. If you are into the sweeter variety, their specialty is dessert wines and this spot is incredible.

Overall, I must say that I had a fantastic wine experience here, and will gladly return in the near future. If you were into the movie, "Sideways" (2004), try to spot where Miles (Paul Giamatti) and Jack (Thomas Haden Church) meet Stephanie (Sandra Oh) at the bar. It was here at Kalyra!

Oreana Winery is last but not least. Oreana Winery is located at 205 Anacapa street. Redeveloped from an old gas station and building off of its bones, this winery was transformed into an incredible winery tasting room. Oreana was very generous with their tasting. This winery did not skimp on the tastings. A definite plus especially when it's great wine. This winery is a must try with creative wines such as "bacon wine".

When visiting Santa Barbara, these are 3 wineries that you need to visit.




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