The team behind Companion Hospitality, chefs Daisy and Greg Ryan, are semifinalists in the “Restaurant and Chef” category of the James Beard Foundation, the organization announced in late January.
Nominees for finalists will be announced April 2, and the winners will be celebrated on June 16 at the Lyric Opera in Chicago. The foundation is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year.
The Ryans are the faces behind Bell’s restaurant in Los Alamos and Bar Le Côte in Los Olivos. The couple also mentored the chefs and owners of Priedite Barbecue and NaNa Thai, and founded Feed the Valley, which unites chefs to tackle food insecurity across the Santa Ynez Valley.
The category of “Outstanding Restaurateur” focuses on a restaurateur who uses their establishment(s) as a vehicle for building community creativity in entrepreneurship, and integrity in restaurant operations, according to a news release from the foundation.
In their monthly newsletter to Companion Hospitality subscribers, Greg Ryan wrote: “Being part of the culinary industry means creating more than meals — it’s about fostering connection, care and community. At Companion Hospitality, we believe restaurants are spaces where people feel seen and valued. Equity and respect are at our core, ensuring that our team and guests thrive. Our work extends beyond our walls, from initiatives like ‘Feed the Valley’ to our commitment to sustainability.
“To be recognized as a James Beard Foundation semifinalist for ‘Outstanding Restaurateur’ in a small (but mighty) market reminds us that great hospitality isn’t about location, but intention. We do this work because we love it — because hospitality has the power to bring people together.”
Women Winemakers & Culinarians Celebration Returns March 6-9
The annual Santa Barbara County Women Winemakers & Culinarians Celebration will return to the Santa Ynez Valley with four separate fundraising events over four days, March 6-9.
Tickets to the events remain available “but are selling quickly,” said Karen Steinwachs, WW&CC co-founder and owner/winemaker of Seagrape Cellars.
This year’s grand tasting on Saturday, March 8, will be the organization’s eighth annual celebration dedicated to the women winemakers and chefs.
The 2025 beneficiaries of WW&CC are two regional nonprofit organizations: the NatureTrack Foundation and Mo’s To-Go, both initiatives that promote and support inclusivity.
Last year’s WW&CC event raised $20,000 for She Raised Her Hand, an organization offering community, purpose and strength for women veterans.
Kicking off the celebration will be Thursday’s Zaca Creek Tavern tribute dinner for pioneering winemaker Lane Tanner. Included will be an hour of mingling and a sit-down buffet dinner, followed by what will surely be very colorful stories about Tanner, who possesses a gregarious personality.
Friday evening’s event will be the return of “Sips and She-Nanigans — a Sassy Soiree,” which will again take place at Fess Parker Winery. This event will feature heavy hors d’ oeuvres, wines, a silent auction, stand-up comedy by several Los Angeles-based female comics, and a discussion panel highlighting the heroines who support the region’s winemakers and chefs.
The Grand Tasting will be Saturday and will again take place at 27 Vines.
Sunday’s “Bubbly Bash” moves to Vega Vineyard & Farm this year and will feature a menu led by chef Louise Smith that includes sparklers and “breakfast wines” crafted by participating women winemakers.
More information, as well as tickets and details about participating winemakers, can be found at sbwomenwinemakers.com/.
Miller Family Wines Receives Statewide Honor
The Thornhill Cos.’ Miller family accepted the Grower of the Year accolade during January’s annual Unified Wine & Grape Symposium in Sacramento.
The prestigious honor from the California Association of Winegrape Growers celebrates the Santa Barbara-based family’s leadership, innovation and commitment to advancing California’s wine grape industry.
Members of the Miller family, whose farming heritage on the Central Coast spans five generations, said they were thrilled to accept this recognition, which serves as a testament to their passion for and influence in the world of wine.
“We are deeply honored by this incredible recognition, which reflects our family’s dedication to preserving our farming heritage and our ongoing efforts to innovate and advocate for California wine growing,” said Nicholas Miller, vice president of sales and marketing at Miller Family Wine Co., a division of The Thornhill Cos.
“Being acknowledged by our peers is truly meaningful, and reinforces our passion and commitment to the work we do every day.”
His brother, Marshall Miller, is the chief operations officer of the company.
Natalie Collins, president of the CAWG, called the Miller family’s commitment to the state’s wine grape industry “truly remarkable.”
It was in 1969 when brothers Bob and Stephen Miller embarked on their journey to establish a vineyard that would stand among the world’s most prestigious. Their efforts culminated in the creation of the iconic Bien Nacido Vineyard and French Camp Vineyards, marking a celebration of their family’s century-long farming heritage in California.
Today, Bien Nacido is recognized as one of California’s finest vineyards and ranks among the top 25 vineyards in the world.