Sue Ray Uncorked

Chase Palm Park Plaza at the Beach, E Cabrillo Blvd, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA

Beachside was the final event of the California Wine Festival.  It was held on Saturday, July 18th from 1pm – 4pm on Santa Barbara’s East Beach.  This was the biggest event of the Festival and featured over 65 Californian wineries and 20 restaurant and food providers.

The day started a little overcast, but very hot and humid, becoming progressively cloudier as the afternoon went on.  We had a spell of heavy rain and had to take shelter from a loud thunderstorm.  Thankfully, the downpour was short lived and the sun eventually came out.

Music was provided by “Upstream” a lively and colourful 5 piece band complete with steel drums.  They played a mix of reggae and some funky Caribbean beats.  They continued playing throughout the storm whilst everyone else sought cover and they had been joined by some dancers by the time I left.

My VIP tickets gave me early entry and access to the VIP Pavilion.  Here there was the opportunity to try some special reserve wines, cheeses and other gourmet foods.  There was also plenty of shade and comfortable seating.

There was an excellent selection of foods today, everything from tasty chicken noodles, lobster bisque, fish ceviches, artisan breads, olive oils and vinegars, olives, sundried tomatoes and a huge range of cheeses.

W ineries were grouped by regions and I found an interesting facts board in the Lodi region; some of which I have shared below:

• Lodi has more than 80 boutique wineries and specialises in small production handcrafted wines

• The Lodi AVA covers 100,000 acres

• Wines are farmed by more than 750 growers

• The Lodi AVA was approved by the US government in 1986

• 7 smaller AVAs were approved in 2005

• Lodi is the “Zin” capital of the world and produces more than 32% of California’s premium Zinfandel.

Ancient Peaks had some glass jars on their stand with samples of different soils from their vineyards ranging from ancient sea bed, rocky alluvium, shale, granite and volcanic.  I took a photo; bit geeky I know but interesting to see.

I also had a final opportunity to taste the fantastic Cabernet Sauvignons from Kevin and Wendy at Tara Bella.