Good to the last drop

I LOVE wine! I am a self proclaimed wino and a couple of weekends ago I had a weekend in wino and foodie paradise. One my favorite places to get away to for a long Weekend is Santa Barbara California! I went up there to celebrate a milestone birthday with one my dear friends! She had never been wine tasting up there and I couldn't wait to show her why I loved this place so much!

We started the weekend on Friday morning by boarding a wine tour bus! We had schedule a full day of wine tasting in the San Ynez valley. The first winery we went to was Curtis vineyards owned by the Firestone family. I’ve been to Firestone winery on another trip and wasn’t impressed. So I was a little skeptical about going to Curtis. I was pleasantly surprised. I wasn’t really impressed with the white wines, however I really enjoyed a couple of the reds I tried, so much so that I bought a bottle.

I wont bore you with a play by play of every winery we visited that day and all the wines we tasted. What I will say is wine tasting gives people a great opportunity to learn about wine. I’ve met several people who before going to wine tasting say “I don’t like red” or “I don’t like whites”. However once they go wine tasting their wine pallet expands. They discover that like more wine then they thought they did.

Also wine tasting is fun, on this trip we were on the tour with two other girls who we didn’t know but by the end of the day and several wineries later we were great friends. Or at least until the buzz wore off! Another reason why wine tasting is great, is because by tasting more wines you'll learn as I did that there is a perfect wine to fit every mood and occasion.

For example now that spring is here and the days are warmer and longer. I like to drink more white wines and I found one that I am totally obsessed with at the moment. It is a 2007 Malvasia Bianca produced by Mandolina Wineries in none other than Santa Barbara County. This wine is light and fruity with just a hint of sweetness. It is wonderful on a warm afternoon with a nice cheese plate, add some good music and you have my ideal spring afternoon!

The funny thing about this wine is I did not taste it in Santa Barbara in fact I tried it a couple weeks before at a my neighborhood wine store. Of course I would live in a neighborhood with a wine store, I couldn't imagine living in a neighborhood without one!

If you can't get out to wine country I suggest you look for your local wine store and see if they have a tasting room or even a tasting event. Most wine stores do, and it's a great way to try a few different wines from different vineyards in one place. It's fun to go with friends so next time you and your friends want to out for a drink go to a wine bar and do a tasting.

The moral of the story is don't judge a wine by it's label. Whenever you get the opportunity to try a new wine take it. Because you never know, your next favorite bottle may only be a corkscrew away!

Cheers!