Clos Pepe

I'm very excited to be heading out to help set up our France vs Santa Barbara Blind wine dinner at Plenty on Bell tonight. I appreciate the strong support we got from our Alta Maria Vineyards and Native9 Wines fans--we sold the thing out! And James Ontiveros is scheduled to be in the house too!

More wine education for the locals this week: I have jumped in on short notrice for this week's Cultural Sunday at Arrowsmith's Wine Bar--an oasis of culture and goodness in the local wine scene. I will be presenting: The History of Wine: From Pangaea to Pinot Noir. An hour to catch up on the last 200 million years, told in an energetic and momedic style, and then Q&A. All soaked with the delicious wines curated by two amazing humans: Tim Arrowsmith and Anna Arrowsmith. Buckle in, this will be a fun tale of Dionysus trolling Apollo and vice versa!

Sunday, 8/18 starting promptly at 5 pm. Free to join us, wine by the glass and bottle available! Ms Chanda Hagen will be joining me, of course!

Saturday 3-6 at Steller’s Cellar in Old Orcutt: SBC vs France Blind with your host Wes Hagen: the unnofficial Wine Olympics--who will win gold?

Deets: "This exciting and educational tasting will pit the great wines of Santa Barbara County from the mind of James Ontiveros and Justin Willett (Akta Maria and Native9) vs their varietal counterparts from France.

SBC Sauvignon Blanc vs White Bordeaux.

SMV Chardonnay vs White Burgundy from the Cote de Beaune

SMV Pinot Noir vs Red Burgundy from, the Cote de Nuits

SBC Cab Sauv. vs Red Bordeaux from the Medoc.

Wes Hagen will taste blind with the participants, give some history and context, and open up conversations and voting to see preference and whether the assembled vinophiles can discern Old World or New World.

You asked for exciting new tasting formats, and we listened. Come and learn the methods of deductive tasting and drink some delicious wines from both sides of the pond.

Make a night of it with plenty of restaurants in walking distance from the tasting: Far Western, Uliveto, Bella Forno, etc.

Which wines will win the coveted Gold Medal? We'll find out. See you in Old Orcutt on Saturday!