Why Santa Barbara Might Need to Blush about Its Roses

To claim you don’t like rosé is about the same as saying you don’t like cheese or people. While Limburger or a crowded bus might be too stinky for you, have you tried a nutty-gouda delight like Ewephoria or met Pope Francis? While these particular examples might not float your cheese or human character boat, I promise there’s a rosé out there that will.

Especially if you’re drinking Santa Barbara County rosé. That point became transparently clear at a recent Santa Barbara Vintners Road Trip to Santa Barbara itself, the first after the group had such success bringing the brand to Los Angeles recently. On a relatively balmy day on Sama Sama’s back patio, 15 area producers poured a rosé or three and made clear, as usual, for variety this region can’t be beat.

Want to read the rest then do so at the Santa Barbara Vintners blog.

(P.S. that cocktail in the photo was from the rosé dinner later that evening at Sama Sama)

The Woman Behind Chumash Wines

Next time you're at the Chumash Casino in the Santa Ynez Valley, instead of cashing your sawbucks into chips hoping to strike big at blackjack, you can make a safer, better bet and end up a big winner. Use that money to buy some Kitá Wines. These award-wining wines (the Los Angeles International Wine Competition, to be precise) are made by the Chumash, too, from grapes on land they bought from Fess Parker in 2010. And Tara Gomez, their winemaker, is also from their tribe, meaning she's one of the only Native American female winemakers in the U.S.

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