Musings Along The Wine Trails
You might say that Sanford Winery & Vineyards is as old as the hills… the Santa Rita Hills, that is. It was back in 1971 when Pinot Pioneer Richard Sanford planted the first Pinot Noir grapes in the Sanford & Benedict vineyards, that put Santa Barbara Wine Country and Santa Rita Hills on the map.
Fast forward 30 years…today, the Sanford & Benedict vineyard supports 68 acres of the Mt. Eden Pinot Noir clone, 52 acres of Chardonnay and 15 acres of other estate grapes. [Read more…]
From the moment you enter the 105 acre property through the wrought iron gates, time seems to stand still. A grove of arched trees line the long driveway and lead to the stately entrance of the mission-style Bridlewood Estate Winery in Santa Ynez.
The grounds are immaculately groomed with unsurpassed panoramic views of the Santa Ynez Mountains, the San Raphael Mountains and the Purisma Hills. The site of the Bridlewood Estate Winery was previously a rehabilitation center for race horses and still houses a full exercise track that circles the lake and vineyards.
Guests are welcome to take a bottle of wine and a picnic lunch and relax under the shade trees by the lake or to take in the view on the upper terrace overlooking the lake. [Read more…]
I would like to truly thank all the SPONSORS of the 2014 Wine Bloggers Conference who made this event possible. Thanks to your support and generosity, more than 350 wine bloggers from all parts of the world were able to converge in the pristine Santa Barbara Wine Country for an unforgettable weekend in the vines.
As a Scholarship recipient, and a first time attendee of the Wine Bloggers Conference, I must say, that it was far better than I could have hoped for and a little overwhelming at the same time.
To be in the presence of noted fellow wine bloggers and industry experts and top local wine makers was beyond fabulous! 
Looking back, one of my favorite parts of the conference, however, was meeting the Santa Barbara County wine makers.
I must admit that I was literally awestruck mingling among the legendary wine makers only to find out that they’re very genuine, down-to-earth people who loved to share their passion of making wine. Best of all, there was no pretense or awkwardness as they each shared their humble beginnings and triumphs, only great pride. [Read more…]
These wine bloggers are a stealthy bunch of writers and wine drinkers! Between the Wine Discovery breakout sessions, to the speed wine tastings, through the 2014 Wine Bloggers Awards 3-course dinner, Santa Barbara County Wines flowed freely.
Wrapping up the 2014 Wine Bloggers Conference with the coveted Wine Writer’s Workshop where a select group of 45 wine bloggers will have writing samples critiqued. [Read more…]
So many wines, so little time! Yesterday was an amazing event-filled day at the 2014 Wine Bloggers Conference. The highlight of the day was the evening mystery excursion. WIne Bloggers were loaded on small buses and taken to various undisclosed locations in the Santa Barbara Wine Country.
I was beyond excited to end up at Melville Vineyards, off Highway 246 in Lompoc. Chad Melville personally greeted 40 bloggers and gave us a working knowledge of the terroir of the Santa Rita Hills AVA. I will write a separate blog highlighting this very special evening! [Read more…]