Solvang’s Wandering Dog Wine Bar has officially announced their new 2014 “Friday Night Wines” Class Series, which will entail once-per-month events spanning February through May. In line with Wandering Dog’s mission to engagingly educate its wine club members and patrons, class topics will run the gamut from Barolo to Syrah to Pinot Noir, plus a special edition dedicated to Santa Barbara County AVAs. All classes are currently open for enrollment, and advance payment and reservations are required.
The first class in this new series, “5 Years of Barolo with Germano Ettore”, will be held on Friday, February 7, 6:00 PM-7:00 PM. Guests will learn about the Barolo area of Serralunga d’Alba and more specifically, about the history of the Ettore Germano estate vineyard, which dates back 150+ years. Five vintages of boutique Barolo will be sampled, as fourth-generation winemaker and owner, Sergio Germano, and his local representative, Kyle Erickson, speak about Barolo’s vintage differences and the wine’s complexities. The February class is limited to 20 participants at $36.00 per person. Please contact Wandering Dog Wine Bar (805.686.9126) for space reservations.
March’s class, “Santa Barbara County AVAs”, will be held on Friday, March 14, 5:00 PM-6:00 PM – the perfect prelude to the Taste of Solvang “Sweets & Swing” event. The March class will feature wine samples from all five of Santa Barbara County’s AVAs (American Viticulture Area), poured alongside explanations as to why each area produces such unique wines, due to the region’s climate, temperature, terrain and topography variations. Tickets are $30.00 per person and can be purchased here, through Monday, March 10: http://firststreettickets.com/events/wandering-dog-wine-bar-friday-night-wine-classes/. Space-permitting, remaining tickets will be sold directly through Wandering Dog Wine Bar March 11 through March 14.
The April class, “Vinification Techniques with Syrah”, is slated for Friday, April 4, 6:00 PM-7:00 PM. Santa Barbara County winemaker, Michael Larner of Larner Vineyard, will lead this class covering different winemaking techniques and how they affect Syrah. Larner will offer up samples from his own label as he explains the processes, as well as other Syrahs both local and imported. Tickets are $30.00 per person and can be purchased here, through Monday, March 31: http://firststreettickets.com/events/wandering-dog-wine-bar-friday-night-wine-classes/. Space-permitting, remaining tickets will be sold directly through Wandering Dog Wine Bar April 1 through April 4.
Rounding out the wine-centric roster, May’s class, “All About Pinot Noir”, will be held Friday, May 2, 6:00 PM-7:00 PM. Mark Horvath, owner/winemaker of Crawford Family Wines, will lead the class which includes accompanying samples of three Pinots from his new label, as well as a selection of other style of Pinot from wineries outside of the Santa Barbara area. Tickets are $30.00 per person and can be purchased here, through Monday, April 28: http://firststreettickets.com/events/wandering-dog-wine-bar-friday-night-wine-classes/. Space-permitting, remaining tickets will be sold directly through Wandering Dog Wine Bar April 29 through May 2.
Family-owned and filled with eclectic adventurism, Wandering Dog Wine Bar is known for carrying under-the-radar labels, and specializes in boutique wines, craft beers and gourmet cheeses. Wandering Dog Wine Bar offers a dozen wine flights every day, including everything from local favorites, sparkling and sweet wines, to reserve flights featuring wines that run $50+.
For the beer connoisseur, Wandering Dog Wine Bar offers tastings of premium beers, as well as bottles of local and other domestic craft brews. Wandering Dog Wine Bar also has gourmet cheese and charcuterie platters available in a variety of sizes, along with local olives and fine chocolates.
Wandering Dog Wine Bar’s “palate-picked” wine menu encompasses labels by artisan producers along the Central Coast, and wines from all over the world. The Bar’s knowledgeable staff encourages guests to break out of their wine shell and try new wines, some of which are sourced from unexpected – but burgeoning – wine regions, served with a healthy dose of friendly education in a relaxed and comfortable, dog-friendly atmosphere.
Every Thursday, Wandering Dog Wine Bar hosts a “Blind Tasting”, from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, when guests are challenged to match up regions, varietals, price points, and vintages of four featured wines.
Wandering Dog Wine Bar is located at 1539-C Mission Drive (next to Paula’s Pancake House), Solvang, CA, 93463. Wandering Dog Wine Bar is open Monday through Thursday, 1:00 PM to 8:00 PM; Friday, 1:00 PM to 10:00 PM; Saturday, 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM; and Sunday, 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Street parking is available. To reach Wandering Dog Wine Bar directly or to make a reservation for any of the Friday night classes, please call 805.686.9126 or email wines@wanderingdogwinebar.com.