Sip This: Crawford Family Pinot Noir

Crawford Family Wines Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills 2012: If you like your pinot noir on the bigger, brawnier side — rich on the palate, plush on the tongue — this is the wine for you.

Want to read the rest then do so at the Independent's site.

Bryan Babcock's Revolutionary Farming is Making Some Fine Pinot

It's mighty easy to go along doing things the way people before you did things. After all, you figure they knew something. Plus if you do something differently and it doesn't work, everyone's going to say, "Why didn't you do it the way we all did?"

Add it all up and innovation doesn't come easy. But that hasn't stopped Bryan Babcock. Not to take all the thunder out of the story, but as the owner of Babcock Winery & Vineyards in Santa Barbara's premium Sta. Rita Hills appellation, he was on a James Beard Foundation list of Top Ten Small Production Winemakers in the World.

Want to read the rest then do so at KCET's Food Blog.

Sip This: Firestone Walker Opal

Firestone Walker Brewing Co. Opal Farmhouse Ale: This beer is as multifaceted and attractive as the gem it’s named after. Officially a Wallonian (that’s the French-speaking part of Belgium) Saison (originally brewed in winter for the summer, hence seasonal), it’s got some slightly funky Belgian yeast at the heart of its brew, giving it a classic rustic under-flavor. Unlike some saisons, though, the result is more wine-like than barnyard.

Want to read the rest then do so at the Independent's site.

Paul Lato: Good Story, Great Pinot Noir

Paul Lato is one winemaker whose own story is almost as good as his amazing wines. His highly acclaimed pinot noirs -- always rich and site-specific -- perhaps come from an approach that thinks of wine as food and not drink. Born in Poland, having worked as a sommelier in Toronto, he was drawn to California's Central Coast in 2002.

Want to read the rest then do so at KCET's Food Blog.

Sip This: Westland Peated Whiskey

Westland Peated American Single Malt Whiskey: For those who relish the rich, smoky flavor peat brings to whiskey, the magic spot is Islay in Scotland, home to the likes of Laphroaig, Lagavulin, and Ardbeg.

Want to read the rest then do so at the Independent's site.

A New Santa Barbara Highlight: Dave Potter's Potek Winery

Potek's label might seem inscrutable at first glance, but this is a wine that deserves contemplation. It turns out the lettering is based on traditional Romanian rug stitch patterning. The winery is named in honor of the winemaker's great grandfather, Berl Potek. The story is that his name seemed inscrutable to immigration agents at Ellis Island in the early 20th century, and thus they changed it to Benjamin Potter.

Want to read the rest then do so at KCET's Food Blog.

Craft Distillers Push to Overturn Prohibition-Era Sales Laws

While Ian Cutler, the man behind Cutler's Artisan Spirits based in Santa Barbara's Funk Zone, started his business "to revive a long family history in the California spirits industry" -- his grandfather ran a moonshine operation in Oakdale -- he wishes history didn't hold such a strong grip on his current operation.

Want to read the rest then do so at KCET's Food Blog.

Sip This: Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé

Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé If you like your champagne celebratory, it’s hard to beat this bottle. Gorgeous packaging? Check: an elegant box reveals the unique, rounded bottle. Lovely looking wine? Indeed, from its salmon color to its very persistent bubbles (at first pour they tornado in the flute spectacularly). Fine tasting? But of course, made from 100 percent pinot noir grapes, mostly grand crus. Think bright berry/cherry fruit that dances on the tongue and a silky finish.

Want to read the rest then do so at the Independent's site.