Full Belly Files | See You at These Wine & Food Fests

I’d have to dig through boxes of my old desktop calendars — yes, I’ve saved about a decade’s worth of these messily handwritten records of my appointments, interviews, and events — to figure out the first wine festival I ever attended. But it would have been nearly 25 years ago, and I’d have much less luck counting the ones I’ve attended since, which must have eclipsed 100 by this point.

There have been major milestones, like my first World of Pinot Noir (I vaguely recall Mitchell Sjerven, who I wrote about this week, pouring me fancy Burgundy in a barn) and Hospice du Rhône (the epic Chateau Rayas dinner at Bistro Laurent that broke my bank); eye-opening affairs like the Garagiste Fest (where I was once the person being interviewed rather than the other way around) and last year’s inaugural Natural Coast, where my shadier thoughts on natty wines turned sunny; and events that have become personal favorites, like the historic fest at the Museum of Natural History, which I usually attend with my wife because that’s where we were married.

Though many wine fests are associated with the harvest season, my event schedule tends to be more packed from late winter to early summer, when winemakers aren’t so busy with picking grapes and fermenting them into wine. Perhaps not coincidentally, the pre-spring time is also when the most famous ancient wine festival, the three-day Greek celebration of Dionysus called Anthesteria, was held, sometime around the full moon that comes toward the end of February. Dates for a Roman version called Bacchanalia likely varied, though a commonly cited feast date of September 3 puts that one more mid-harvest.

Though the intention of wine festivals have shifted from religious to more commercial over the millennia — a certain bacchanalian vibe thankfully persists — they remain the best place for wine lovers of all types to expand their palates and connect directly to the wine country culture. There’s usually way more wines to try than is humanly possible, and the winemakers are often there as well, ready to talk shop and listen to feedback on their wares.

These affairs have become a regular feature of my work schedule, whether I’m officially involved as a speaker or just in attendance for my own education. And 2024 is shaping up to be a banner year in that regard, as a quick scan of the calendar — now on my iPhone rather than the physical desktop — reveals maybe more wine and food events than ever before.

So here’s a lineup of events that I will be attending over the next few months.

World of Pinot Noir: Combining a serious appreciation for pinot noir from around the world with a full slate of tastings, dinners, and seminars, WOPN is the gorilla of wine events for the whole Central Coast. After 13 years in Pismo Beach, WOPN moved to the Bacara in 2014, and returns there from February 29 to March 2. I’ll be leading the Santa Cruz Mountains lunch on Friday, March 1, and then hit the grand tasting and the dinner celebrating Adam Lee, whom I’ve written about in this newsletter multiple times. Info and tickets here.

Women Winemakers & Culinarians Celebration: Santa Barbara County is a hotbed for women winemakers, but we’re also home to numerous female chefs as well. So this annual affair, happening March 7-10, expanded its mission to include “Culinarians” as well, and extended the schedule from the one-day Saturday fest into special dinners and a Sunday bubbly party. Info and tickets here.

Central Coast School of Wine: After working for wineries in Oregon and on the Central Coast, including Folded Hills most recently, Sam Schmitt started the Central Coast School of Wine up in Atascadero. He’s running a full schedule of classes, including the one that I’m teaching on March 20 about how critics review wine. Info and tickets here.

Just 8 Supper Club @ Clean Slate: Clean Slate Wine Bar co-owner Jason Scrymgeour attended one of the A2Z Cellar Raid dinners I hosted last year, so we’re trying a similar format at his Solvang wine bar. I’ll be bringing some gems from my cellar to pair with Chef Melissa Scrymgeour’s eight-course menu, all for just eight guests on three separate nights: March 21, April 11, and May 9. Info and tickets here.

S.L.O. Coast Wine Classic: The S.L.O. Coast is one of the most exciting wine regions in California right now, with many forward-thinking, young-ish producers adding energy to the established strength of Edna Valley–based producers. I’ll be running panels for their annual shebang, happening at a ranch in the hills behind Pismo on April 6. Info and tickets here.

Rhône Rangers: The Rhône Rangers are rolling into Santa Barbara on April 9, when I’ll be leading a seminar that will be followed by both trade and consumer tastings. Details are forthcoming, but will eventually be posted here.

Saunters & Sips: The Sta. Rita Hills Wine Alliance is bringing pinot noir, chardonnay, and more cool-climate wines back down to seaside Santa Barbara with this second annual tasting event on April 13. The 2024 version will be at the Carousel House in Chase Palm Park on the waterfront, and I’ll be running a couple of panels while the tasting is going on. Info and tickets here.

Natural Coast Wine Festival: The second annual Natural Coast Wine Festival is going down again in the new event space owned by Satellite S.B. on April 20. Info and tickets here.

Taste of Santa Barbara: I’ve been on the advisory board of the Santa Barbara Culinary Experience — a West Coast offshoot of the Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts — since it began in 2019. “Taste of Santa Barbara” is our annual week-long event, with myriad dinners, wine tastings, screenings, and more. This year, it goes down May 13-19 at various venues across Santa Barbara County. Info and tickets will be posted soon here.

Museum of Natural History’s Wine & Food Fest: Set beneath the oaks right around the beginning of summer each year, the Santa Barbara Wine + Food Festival is a favorite for both me and the greater wine-loving community. This year’s event was shifted a week to June 29 to avoid the conflict with Summer Solstice, which had happened in recent years. Info and tickets here.

---

Chris Potter Memorial

Thanks to the many of you who reached out about last week’s tribute to my good friend Chris Potter, who died suddenly on February 3. Last Friday was one of the hardest days for me and many of our friends, as we lit candles in front of his paintings as his body was cremated, and seeing how much the community cared about our buddy meant a lot. We ran his obituary in the newspaper this week, and we will have more memories of Chris in next week’s paper. His memorial is scheduled for February 24, 1 p.m., at Dos Pueblos High School. Please RSVP here if you plan to come.

---

From Our Table

Here are some stories you may have missed:

• Ryan Cruz reports on the ridiculous delays and bureaucracy that caused the owner of Revolver Pizza (which we devoured during the Super Bowl) to pull out of his plans to open a new spot called Linden Hall in Carpinteria.

• Shannon Brooks suggests taking a vineyard tour with the ever-gregarious Keith Saarloos.

• Sean Magruder speaks to some small-batch vintners pouring at the recent Garagiste Festival.

• I finally finished my story on the Santa Barbara Fish Market’s newish café in Goleta, where I’ve been eating a lot.  

• I shared a long dinner with bouchon founder Mitchell Sjerven, who dished on what’s led to his sustained success and the challenges to come for the restaurant business in Santa Barbara.

• For Wine Enthusiast, I reported on the stunning white, pink, and orange wines being made up in Paso Robles by the progressive producers based in Tin City.

---