A popular craft beer festival will go virtual as COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on crowd size remain in place.
The Buellton Chamber of Commerce’s annual Buellton Brew Fest regularly unites fans of beer, cider, seltzer, wine and more in the city’s River View Park.
While the pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2020 event, this year’s event will take place virtually from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on May 1. The theme is Cinco de May — or “Drinko de Mayo” — from the comfort of your home or backyard.
The festival will mail ticketholders a variety 12-pack of alcohol that will include beer, cider, micheladas, margaritas and more. The event will once again be hosted by Surf ‘n’ Suds founder Andres Nuño, who has held monthly virtual @Home Fests since May 2020.
The companies include Firestone Walker Brewing (Buellton), Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. (Buellton), Angel City Brewery (Los Angeles), Belching Beaver Brewery (San Diego), Calidad Beer (Santa Barbara), Cayman Jack Margarita (Chicago), Cerveceria Del Pueblo (Pasadena), Hard Frescos (San Francisco), SLO Brew and SLO Cider (San Luis Obispo), and Solvang Brewing Co. and Tio Rodrigo (San Luis Obispo).
Guests at home will be able to hear music from local bands and DJ Hecktik while sipping the contents of their beer boxes.
Tickets are $70 for California residents and $80 for residents of either Nevada, Oregon, Washington or Arizona — the only four states to which the festival can ship. Each box will contain a souvenir glass and swag from alcohol companies and various sponsors.
Ticket holders will receive a link to log in and watch the live event. Tickets are limited. For more information, call or email the Buellton Chamber of Commerce at 805.688.7829 or info@buellton.org.
Zaca Mesa Announces New TREAD Wines Label
The Santa Barbara-based Cushman family, the owners of Zaca Mesa Winery & Vineyards for nearly 50 years, has launched TREAD Wines, a label based on pinot noir and chardonnay.
TREAD will source both grape varietals from some of Santa Barbara County’s best cool-climate growing sites, including Zotovich and La Encantada vineyards in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, and Sierra Madre and Bien Nacido vineyards in the Santa Maria Valley AVA.
“TREAD may be a new venture, but it’s not entirely new in the sense that it’s more of an evolution from what we’ve been doing at Zaca Mesa,” said Stewart Cushman, president of Zaca Mesa. “We first planted pinot noir and chardonnay vineyards on our property in the mid-1970s, and while we made great wines from these varieties, we wanted to turn our attention to Rhône varieties, which we discovered really thrived in our particular location in the Santa Ynez Valley.”
Winemaker Kristin Bryden agreed: “As a winemaker, having a connection to the vineyard is incredibly important. When you’re in the vineyard a lot, you not only form a connection to the grapes, but you also recognize how many boots have tread upon the ground, so you can’t help but respect all the hard work that goes into nurturing the vines and all the people it takes to make quality wine.”
Santa Barbara Vintners CEO Ranked Among Top Businesswomen
The Santa Barbara Vintners last month congratulated its CEO, Alison Laslett, who was recognized in the Pacific Business Times’ “Top 50 Women in Business” listing for 2020.
“The Santa Barbara Vintners are proud of what you have accomplished for our region as the association’s CEO,” the organization noted in a published endorsement of Laslett. “Your leadership and commitment to this community are inspiring. We’re also proud that Santa Barbara County has one of the highest percentage of women winemakers out of any winemaking region in California.”
Miller Family Wine Co. Hires New National Sales Manager
Crystal McIntyre has been appointed to national sales manager for the Miller Family Wine Co.
McIntyre, a wine industry veteran of more than 20 years, launched her career with Jackson Family Wines/Regal Wine Co., where she worked up from key account manager to regional on-premise manager to vice president of the Sales/Royal Wine Division, overseeing a team of 90 people.
In 2012, she joined Fetzer Vineyards/Concha Y Toro as a division vice president/managing director, and launched the 1000 Stories brand while also repositioning the Fetzer and Bonterra brands. Most recently, McIntyre worked at Wente Family Estates as vice president and national sales manager.
In her new role, McIntyre will lead wholesale efforts for both the Miller Family Wine Co. and Bien Nacido Estates portfolios across the nation.
“We are thrilled to have Crystal join our team as national sales manager,” said Nicholas Miller, vice president of sales and marketing. “Throughout her extensive career, Crystal has consistently proven to be a highly skilled industry expert, effectively managing multiple markets while delivering record sales profits and growth year after year. In addition, she has ample experience leading a national team and brings a deep knowledge of national chains and accounts, each of which we deem critical to our overall growth plans.”
Miller Family Wine Co. is a division of The Thornhill Companies — the umbrella brand of one of California’s top winegrowing families, the Miller family, which has farmed the Central Coast for five generations. The Thornhill Companies includes Bien Nacido Estates and Miller Family Wine Co., which manages six national branded wine labels and the French Camp Vineyard in Paso Robles.
— Laurie Jervis tweets at @lauriejervis and can be reached via winecountrywriter@gmail.com. The opinions expressed are her own.