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Posted January 2006
Destination: Wine Tasting in the Heart
of Santa Barbara
By Heather
Irwin
You don’t have to go all the way to WineCountry to get a taste
of some of the region’s most interesting wines. Downtown Santa
Barbara has a handful of tasting rooms and wine shops just blocks
from the beach.
Giessinger Winery
210 State St.
Santa Barbara
805.568.0820
Tasting Room Hours: Mon-Thu, 12pm to 5pm; Fri, 12pm to 6pm; Sat-Sun,
11am to 7pm.
Map
it here
Sourcing grapes from throughout California—as far away as Lodi, Monterrey and
even Amador County,--Giessinger has a variety of red, white and rose wines,
and also includes a selection of sweet dessert wines. The tasting room in Santa
Barbara also features a simple bistro featuring gourmet sandwiches like their
cilantro, walnut turkey; artichoke roast beef and ham a la pesto (each under
$6). www.giessingerwinery.com
Jaffurs Wine Cellars
819 E. Montecito St.
Santa Barbara
805.962.7003
Tasting Room Hours: Mon-Fri, 12pm to 4pm; Sat-Sun, by appointment.
Map
it here
A small, family-run winery, Jaffurs specializes in Rhone varietals like
Syrah, Grenache, Petite Syrah, Viognier and Roussanne. Only about 3,000 cases
are produced each year. Jaffurs receives frequent high marks from critics
for its Syrah, in particular, and is worth seeking out.
Santa Barbara Winery
202 Anacapa St.
Santa Barbara
805.963.3633
Tasting Room Hours: Mon-Sun, 10am to 5pm
Visit an actual working winery in the heart of Santa Barbara, just a few blocks
from the beach. Santa Barbara Winery, which encompasses several buildings just
off State St., produces all of the white wine for both the Santa Barbara and
Lafond Wineries. It is also where much of the wine from the two large wineries
is aged and stored.
Stearns Wharf Vintners
217 G Stearns Wharf
Santa Barbara
805.966.6624
Tasting Room Hours: Monday-Sun, 9am to 6pm (winter); 9am to 9pm (summer)
Map
it here
Located in the tourist-friendly Stearn’s Wharf, the vintners have a focus on
selling local wines, as well as their own label. There is a second-story picnic
deck for enjoying sandwiches and local cheeses above the store.
Wine Cask Store/Intermezzo/Wine Cask Restaurant
813 Anacapa St.
Santa Barbara
805.966.9463
Store Hours: Mon-Friday, 10am to 7pm; Sat-Sun, 11am to 7pm.
Map
it here
Wine enthusiasts have been known to plan an entire trip to Santa Barbara around
a trip to the Wine Cask, widely recognized as having the country’s most extensive
collections of Santa Barbara County wines, as well as many rare and old-vintage
wines from California, France and elsewhere.
Within the store, there is a tasting room for Margerum wines—the label of the
Wine Cask’s owner, Doug
Margerum. Wines from many other local wineries (many who do not have their
own tasting rooms) can be found by the glass at the nearby Intermezzo Wine
Bar. It’s a great way to sample flights or individual flavors of the region
at a single sitting. www.winecask.com
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