Santa Barbara Food, Wine & Events

Wine of the Week: 2009 Paring Pinot Noir

Kelly Lane — Sat, 05 May 2012 03:58:13 +0000

Welcome to Week 2 of our “Wine of the Week” segment!

This week’s pick: The 2009 Paring Pinot Noir. I’ve previously had this pinot at a couple local restaurants, but this is the first time I’ve ever made an effort to pay attention to its rich and complex flavors.

To start, the nose is a completely inoffensive and delicious cherry scent – which is a fairly standard aroma, but was a blessing after my share of brett-nasty wines this week! The bright cherry nose paves the way for the hard candy flavor that dominates the palate before finishing off with a nice woody aftertaste. The hard candy and acidic nature of this wine are predominate Santa Rita Hills traits, which are traits I’ve come to know and love!

Overall: great wine for the price. I’ll definitely bust this out for casual get-togethers to sip on and share with friends!

$26.99 at Winehound – or buy online here.

Wine of the Week: 2008 Rancho Arroyo Grande Syrah

Kelly Lane — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 04:27:00 +0000

The Deep Sea tasting room is a royal treat – situated in one of Stearn’s Wharf’s second story buildings, there are sweeping views of the mountains in one direction and the vast and endless sea in another. You could just go for the view alone, but pairing it with wine makes it that much more exceptional!

As a member, I always go for the Reserve Tasting (same price: free!) and wend my way through the tasteful seduction of chardonnays, viogniers, pinots and syrahs. Though the highlight of this most recent tasting was when I had the chance to go off-menu and sample the Rancho Arroyo Grande Syrah… After becoming a die-hard Pinot fan and easily dismissing any other wine that crosses my path, I’m happy to say that the Rancho Arroyo Grande renewed my love for Syrah! Here’s how they explain it (much better than I could) on their website:

“An attention-getting, buxom cool-weather Syrah that knocks on your door with ripe blackberry—almost syrupy—density. White pepper, lavender and cocoa undertones mellow that texture for a refined finish. ”

93 Pts – Tasting Panel Magazine, April 2011

Buy some here or visit the lovely tasting room!

SBMerge Redesign

Kelly Lane — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 01:23:22 +0000

SBMerge is live and back in action with a new, responsive design! We’re shifting focus away from Santa Barbara events and instead providing a comprehensive list of restaurants, wineries, activities and weekend getaways. Our mission is to help tourists and locals alike to find exactly what they’re looking for without the hassle of searching.

We’re developing a Criteria of Awesome that will be revealed soon, and every listing on the site will be rated against it. Better yet: if they don’t stand up to the test, they won’t be listed here! We’re excited about our new venture and hope you’ll be back again soon to find a new spot for dinner, take a stroll along one of our walking tours or book a weekend getaway!