Santa Barbara Wine Tasting Events Calendar Special Winemaker Dinners California Gayot

August 14-February 28
Beginning August 14 and continuing through February, Los Olivos Café will exhibit the fine art photography of Mark Robert Halper. Indeed, the entire town of Los Olivos will transform into a meandering gallery of sorts, with the restaurant joining eight tasting rooms and one hotel showcasing Halper's portraits of local winemakers. For details, visit www.losolivoscafe.com. Los Olivos Café, 2879 Grand Ave., Los Olivos, CA 93441, 805-688-7265.

September 4
If Doug Margerum cooks as well as he makes wine, the Margerum Wine Company is the place to be September 4 from 1 p.m.-4 p.m. This Harvest Festival open house will include a meal cooked by Margerum, special pricing on wines, and access to limited and library wines. The cost is $35 per person, and includes a logo glass and a $10 refund on wine purchases. Margerum Wine Company, 5249 Foxen Canyon Rd., Los Olivos, CA 93463, 805-686-8500.

Mondays
Ease into the week with an affordable evening of food and wine sampling at Herzog Cellars. Mondays from 6 p.m.-7 p.m., guests receive a tasting flight of three wines and small bites from the Oxnard-based winery's restaurant, Tierra Sur, for just $5 per person. Reservations are required. For more information, call 805-983-1560. Tierra Sur Restaurant, Herzog Wine Cellars, 3201 Camino Del Sol, Oxnard, CA 93030, 805-983-1560.

Monday through Thursday
After work, unwind in the Four Seasons Resort, The Biltmore Santa Barbara's luxe Ty Lounge, and enjoy a revolving selection of red, white and sparkling wines for just $5. Affordably priced samplers of Point Reyes blue, Monterey dry Jack and Humboldt Fog goat cheeses will be available as well. Monday through Thursday, 5 p.m.-7 p.m. Four Seasons Resort, The Biltmore Santa Barbara, 1260 Channel Dr., Montecito, CA 93108, 805-969-2261.

Wednesdays
Cafe Firenze presents Wednesday Night Wine Tastings every week from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Patrons can enjoy a different winery each time, including local favorites such as Opolo, Cantara Cellars, Rancho Ventavo and Carina Cellars. Italian wines from the restaurant's private wine list are featured on the last Wednesday of the month. Wine flights are $10, and a special "Taste of Firenze" wine bar menu is available in addition to the regular menu. Cafe Firenze, 563 W. Los Angeles Ave., Moorpark, CA 93021, 805-532-0048.

Wednesday
Every Wednesday at Root 246, guests can meet the winemakers and vintners behind some of the region's best and newest wines, and pair their products with fresh, simple dishes from chef Bradley Ogden. Featured wineries change every week. A recent menu, designed for Niner Wines, included an amuse of cocoa-dusted foie gras mousse, followed by a salad with sweet potato crisp, smoked brook trout and an apple-persimmon salad. The entrée featured Rosen Farms rack of lamb, ratatouille, merguez sausage and an olive tapenade. Dessert? A six-layer devil food chocolate cake with malt ice cream sundae. The cost is $45 per person. Root 246, Hotel Corque, 420 Alisal Rd., Solvang, CA 93463, 805-686-8681.

Saturdays & Sundays
Enjoy local wines paired with the decadent duo of chocolates and cheeses. Participating wineries are members of the Ventura County Wine Trail. Tours begin every weekend at 11 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. Tickets are $75 per person; 24-hour advance reservations are required. For more information, call 805-988-0717.

Saturdays & Sundays
Spend the day visiting tasting rooms and meeting local winemakers. Sounds like Napa or the Santa Ynez Valley, but now Ventura County has its own wine trail. Though most of the grapes are grown elsewhere, the region is home to a number of quality wineries, ranging from small-batch boutique operations to the kosher goliath Herzog Winery. The tour runs every weekend from 11 a.m.-4 p.m., shuttling passengers to four wineries and a farmers' market. Itineraries change depending on the day. The cost is $75 per person. Ventura Visitors Center, Ventura Visitors Center, 101 S. California St., Ventura, CA 93001, 805-648-2075.

Santa Barbara Wine Tastings & Events