The annual weekend to celebrate all things pinot noir and chardonnay, the Sta. Rita Hills Winegrowers Alliance’s Wine & Fire, returns on Friday, Aug. 18, with an evening barn party, followed by a morning seminar and grand tasting Saturday.
At one of the state’s smallest AVAs, the Sta. Rita Hills includes more than 2,000 acres of pinot noir and 500 acres of chardonnay vineyards. Its cooler-than-average climate helps growers specialize in balanced and food-friendly wines.
The annual two-day event kicks off at 5 p.m. Aug. 18 with a Barn Party, which in recent years has been held at the old Sanford & Benedict barn above the vineyards of the same name. This year’s event relocates to the Dierberg/Star Lane Winery tasting room at 1280 Drum Canyon Rd.
The event will feature library and large-format bottles and wines from small producers. Antipasti and wood food pizzas by Bello Forno, a cheese buffet presented by Lompoc’s Central Coast Specialty Foods and tunes by the T-Bone Ramblers will be the highlights.
The evening event had sold out, Satterfield said.
Among the wineries participating are Babcock, Bratcher, Brewer-Clifton, Crawford Family Wines, Hilliard Bruce, Ken Brown, Loring Wine Company, Sanford Winery & Vineyards, Seagrape Wine Company and Spear. For a full list of winemakers pouring, visit the event website.
Saturday morning’s Focused Tasting & Lunch will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at El Jabali Vineyard on Santa Rosa Road.
In 2016, the Saturday morning seminar focused on the wineries off Highway 246 on the north side of the Sta. Rita Hills. This year, attention diverts to the south side, across the Santa Ynez River and along the twisting Santa Rosa Road.
The morning will open with a sparkling reception at 10 a.m., followed by a virtual tour via the mile markers of Santa Rosa Road. Matt Kettmann, writer and editor of Wine Enthusiast and the Santa Barbara Independent, will moderate guests as they taste through various tasting tables, featuring wines from several vineyards, among them Sanford & Benedict, Rancho La Vina, Rita’s Crown and Rio Vista.
Following the virtual tour, guests will venture to a table for lunch, and to sample various rosé wines produced by a selection of Sta. Rita Hills Winegrowers Alliance members, Satterfield said.
Saturday afternoon’s seminar at La Purisima Mission starts at 5 p.m. and will last until 8 p.m.
On hand will be more than 40 wineries, local chefs and farmers, among them Babe Farms, Campbell Farms, Central Coast Specialty Foods, Homegrown Cowboy, The Hitching Post II, Los Amigos BBQ, Tollhouse BBQ, Scratch Kitchen and the Ballard Inn.
For more information and online tickets, visit the event website.
— Laurie Jervis blogs about wine at www.centralcoastwinepress.com, tweets at @lauriejervis and can be reached via winecountrywriter@gmail.com. The opinions expressed are her own.