It's all about the pinot--sort of

Santa Barbara wine country is experiencing a post-Sideways boom, and as much as I’m glad that the vineyards there are getting the attention they deserve, I’m a little apprehensive at what all the media attention will mean for the area in the long run. Napa and Sonoma are really spectacular, but they’re also full of attitude and they charge a fortune for tastings. One of the reasons I love Santa Barbara wine country is that most of the wineries there are very down to earth. Sure, you’ll pay for tastings at most places, especially the big wineries like Fess Parker, Gainey and Firestone/Curtis, but they charge $5 a head for 6-8 wines and you get to keep the glass. There are still a lot of little wine shacks tucked off the roads where you taste some really delicious wines for free (and the wine comes without any attitude).

Glenn and I did a couple of trips up to Santa Ynez, and we found some amazing places. A couple of my favorites: Beckmen Vineyards, Bedford Thompson Winery, Zaca Mesa, Kalyra and Babcock. The last time we were at Bedford Thompson, the owner’s dog stuck his head in the car as soon as I opened the door and led me over to the tasting room. Both of the owners pour wine for tastings, and they treat all the guests like old friends. They don’t charge and you can hang out at the picnic tables for as long as you want. It’s totally idyllic. Whenever I hear people touting Napa, where we paid $14 per person at each winery to taste 3-4 wines, I tell them to try the Santa Barbara wine area and, before Sideways, they had never heard of it.