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Oenophile
Sip and swirl your way through The American Rivieria®! Spend the day on the Urban Wine Trail, or head to the valley to taste the best of Santa Barbara's wines. Then finish the day with local faire through this suggested epicurian itinerary.
- Don't drink and drive; do sip and stroll. Five wineries within easy walking distance of each other pour fine wine in Santa Barbara's Funk Zone. Sample Rhone-style wines at Kunin Wines Tasting Room, one of the newest additions. Info: 28 Anacapa St., 805.963.9696.
- Be charmed by Los Olivos, the wine country town immortalized in the hit film Sideways. Dine under vine-covered trellises at Los Olivos Cafe-and you must try the excellent olive tapenade. Info: 2879 Grand Ave., Los Olivos; 888.WINES4U.
- Say cheese. C'est Cheese tempts you with fresh-from-the-wheel cheese, crackers and handmade chocolates to accompany that bottle you bought. (Ask about their wine-and cheese tastings.) Info: 825 Santa Barbara St., 805.965.0318.
- Have a wine-country feast. At Bouchon Santa Barbara, everything is local, seasonal and farmers market fresh, with nearly 40 Central Coast wines by the glass. (If you forgot your high school French, bouchon means wine cork.) Info: 9 W. Victoria St., 805.730.1160.
- Not every world-class winery is nestled within a picturesque vineyard. Some are in warehouses. Small-batch, world-class wineries have set up shop at Lompoc Wine Ghetto, surprisingly located in an industrial park. Some producers, such as Fiddlehead Cellars, offer tastings by appointment. Info: 1597 E. Chestnut Ave., Lompoc; 800.251.1225; lompocwineghetto.com.
Author: Maryann Hammers
