 Santa
Barbara County Vintner's Festival 2005: what seemed like such
a blustery and cool day that some folks might not have joined
us, but they were lined up as far as the eye could see across
Firestone Meadow just prior to the noon starting gate. The
parking area was full of H2 Hummers (in a rainbow of colors),
White Silverado 2500HD pickups and a zillion BMWs. It was quite
clear that nothing was going stop the crowds from getting the
best possible taste of SIDEWAYS country
poured by the winemakers themselves right in the midst of where
the grapes grow ... well, almost. |
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| The meadow, located just off Foxen Canyon road, is ringed by
a gorgeous carpet of green hills this year due to all the rain.
A very short drive from Hwy 101, just off the Hwy 154 exit, and
onto Zaca Station road, a magnet for bicyclists all year long.
The setup was a bit different this year, with the winery tables
along the edges of the tents but facing inward, giving much better
protection from the elements to the attendees than to the winery
staffs. But it didn't rain and as the afternoon wore on the weather
improved. |
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We were pouring 2002 Pinot Noir Cuvee, 2002 Pinot Noir Burning
Creek Vineyard and 2003 Pinot Noir Estate which was just bottled
and not yet labeled. This last vintage is available in the
Futures Program for $28.00 from Jeff at the Olive House  with
a release date of May 15th. The Casa Cassara table had tasters
lined up eight deep with more interest in the Pinots than ever
with "Burning
Creek" echoing
from almost every mouth. |
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| These events are always an opportunity for us to touch base
not only with our loyal fans and new Sideways interests, but
also the many other growers and winemakers in the valley. And,
as always, Alicia had a five star display. |
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