champagne tasting

Santa Barbara County Sparkling Wine Map: a Champagne Lover’s Guide

May 5, 2017 By calicoastblog 14 Comments

First-ever Santa Barbara County Sparkling Wine Map: Where to Get Local Bubbles

It’s known by many names: Champagne, Sparkling Wine, Bubbly, Bubbles, Cava or Champers. California Sparkling Wine can’t be called Champagne — it’s not from the Champagne region of France — but it’s made in the same methode traditionelle, or method champenoise, used in Champagne. But Santa Barbara’s “champagne” is also delicious…and it’s local!

Santa Barbara county has perfect conditions and grapes to make high-quality Sparkling Wine. Santa Barbara county is one of the world’s premier growing regions for Chardonnay & Pinot Noir – 2 of the main grapes in traditional Champagne. And lucky for us, there are more than 40 Sparkling Wine producers in the county trying their hand at it.

Now you can use the Santa Barbara Sparkling Wine Map for you to find them all. Many producers don’t make enough quantity to have bubbles on a regular tasting list, but you can always ask at the winery. If they have some bubbles available; they’re likely to pour them for you. A good guideline: if you like the winery’s white wines, you’ll probably like their Sparkling Wine.

You’ll find Sparkling wine in Santa Barbara, Summerland, Los Olivos, Solvang, Santa Ynez, Buellton, Lompoc, Santa Maria Valley and Los Alamos, with more on the way. Even wineries without tasting rooms and getting into the bubbles business – the online-only producers are from some of the county’s highest-rated winemakers.

Download the Santa Barbara Sparkling Wine Map.

Contact me if you’d like copies for your tasting room!

Goat Bubbles: Santa Barbara’s OG of Sparkling Wine

December 2, 2016 By calicoastblog Leave a Comment

One of the original sparkling wine makers in Santa Barbara county using the traditional method to make bubbles — méthode champenoise — was Flying Goat Cellars. Norm Yost and Kate Griffith have been picking early, fermenting grapes, providing the proper environment for a second fermentation in the bottle and disgorging in the Lompoc wine ghetto since 2005. Flying Goat is one of the few bubbles producers in the county to master handcrafting sparkling wine at its own facility, where every step of production is done in-house.

Norm’s been a Pinot Noir maker, drinker and fanatic since landing in the Santa Ynez Valley in 1979. But for him, the Sta. Rita Hills‘ and Santa Maria Valley’s high acidity, low sugars, and great flavors were perfect for sparkling wine.

Flying Goat is the first to open a Bubbles Bar in their tasting room, where you can taste all 5 of their stellar sparkling wines. Sounds like you need a road trip!

Goat Bubbles:

Rosé (a fruity Pinot Noir)
Blanc de Blancs (Chardonnay)
Blanc de Noirs (Pinot Noir)
Brut Cuveé (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay)
Crémant (a tart fruit Pinot Blanc)

Nation’s Only Sparkling Wine & Champagne Festival Returns

September 26, 2015 By calicoastblog Leave a Comment

This event has been discontinued.

In just one week, the nation’s only sparkling wine & Champagne festival returns to Pismo Beach Oct 1-3. Yay! This year, BubblyFest features all-new activities as well as last year’s favorite Gatsby-themed cocktail party plus Saturday’s Grand-Dame-Sparkling tasting of them all with an unforgettable ocean view.

On Thursday night, there’s a sparkling wine dinner at brand-new Pismo Pier restaurant The Oyster Loft, on Friday a sparkling excursion-ar (that’s an excursion seminar!) with Laetitia Vineyard & Winery, the largest producer of sparkling wine on the Central Coast — and catered by Chipwrecked of Pismo Beach. See their age-old Coquard basket presses and watch how they rack and riddle their sparkling wine while tasting all 7 bubblies Laetitia produces.

Then, for the real sparkling wine lover, a Friday educational seminar featuring a distinctive panel of winemakers with these amazing wines to taste: Taittinger, Veuve Clicquot, Flying Goat Cellars (maker of beloved Goat Bubbles) Riverbench Winery and Halcyon Wines.

On Friday night the popular jazz-bubbles-Gatsby party returns, this time at the Wine Cellar at Old Custom House, where you can try 4 new unique sparkling cocktails and dance the evening away. Gatsby-themed 20s outfits provide the fabulous backdrop!

Saturday’s main event — the Grand Tasting — brings together over 50 Sparkling Wineries from all over the world on the cliffs of the Pacific Ocean. Enjoy unlimited bubbly tastings, light snacks, and engaging open seminars from Sabering Workshops to Champagne Cocktail talks. Check out The Bubbly page to see the wineries coming to this event.

We can’t wait!

BubblyFest - nation's only dedicated Sparkling Wine & Champagne Festival - photogarphy by Liz Dodder

Nation’s 1st Sparkling Wine & Champagne Festival: BubblyFest by the Sea

September 17, 2014 By calicoastblog Leave a Comment

This event has been discontinued.

Stop everything you’re doing and read this now! Why? Because the nation’s first weekend-long festival dedicated to champagne, sparkling wine and bubbles is coming this October! To a sun-drenched Central Coast location on the sand: Pismo Beach.

And the coolest thing about it? There will be over 15 local producers from Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. Did you know you can not only eat local and drink local, but you can drink local bubbles? This is great news for the Central Coast locavore (as well as anyone participating in Edible Santa Barbara’s Eat/Drink Local challenge during the month of October).

Laetitia Blanc de Blancs, San Luis Obispo Sparkling Wine — Photo by Toki Lee Photography

The event site tells us, “BubblyFest By The Sea promises over 40 Sparkling Wine and Champagne Producers with the gorgeous Pacific Ocean as your backdrop. Upscale, educational, with a touch of humor thrown in: this is a weekend not to miss!”

Friday starts with a trade tasting in the afternoon. If you’re a Central Coast shop or restaurant, this is your chance to buy local sparklers to offer. From 6-8 join a Gatsby-styled champagne cocktail party at the Dolphin Bay Resort. At this swanky speakeasy the crowd will be spiffy, the drinks will be bubbly and the jazz will be hot.

Saturday’s Grand Tasting is the main event, with over 40 local and international sparklers to try with artisan cheeses, chocolate, breads and oysters. Sip, stroll and enjoy the sun and sea just steps from historic Pismo Beach Pier. Sunday sees a champagne brunch on the sea at Dolphin Bay Resort’s acclaimed Lido restaurant for the ultimate Sunday Funday complete with music and waves.

So go ahead and celebrate now…POP! We all know that sound…drink up, get ready and we’ll see you Oct 24-26 in Pismo Beach.