Going Sideways

Take a trip through Santa Barbara and its beautiful environs, site of the loopy hit movie of 2004.

by Jane F. Garvey

October 1, 2005

I n the wine world, the query, "Have you seen the movie?" alerts the listener that he or she is being asked about Sideways, the sleeper movie hit of 2004 about the antics of two wacky bachelors in the Santa Barbara County wine country. 
 
Santa Barbara, one of California's mission cities, curves along a bay discovered in 1542 by Juan Cabrillo, who claimed everything in the region for Spain. Today, the city is home to some 90,000, while Santa Barbara County (pop. 400,000) stretches north from the city70 miles to Santa Maria and south to Rincon.

Food and wine are major reasons to come to Santa Barbara, both city and county. More than 80 Santa Barbara wineries are located across the county. While some are large operations, such as Cambria, owned by Kendall-Jackson, many are small producers doing extraordinary work, and worth seeking out.

Sideways Wineries And More
As in Sideways, drop in at the Fess Parker Winery in Los Olivos. Foxen, Firestone, Kalryra (where the pair meets Stephanie), Sanford Winery and Andrew Murray are the other Sideways wineries.

Don't overlook smaller ones that didn't make the movie. New Orleans native Iris Rideau owns just such a winery, Rideau Vineyards, with its tasting room in a restored historic 19th-century adobe.

The 800-acre Bien Nacido Vineyard is the source of many of the most prestigious winery's prized grapes. You'll find many Santa Barbara wines made of grapes from this vineyard.

The Miller family, also owners of Atlanta's historic Candler Building since 1979, bought this prestigious vineyard in1969, and have preserved its historic original adobe. At the company's commercial winery, some 45 different boutique producers operate out of that single facility.

Arcadian, which has some Atlanta investors, is just one of the boutique wineries that operates out of the Millers' commercial operation.

Excellent Cuisine
When it comes to food, Santa Barbara is a gastronomic adventure. It is known of course for seafood. But its most famous culinary tradition is Santa Maria barbecue accompanied by pinquito beans, salad and French bread with strawberry shortcake to showcase local fruit.

The Hitching Post in Buellton and the Far Western Tavern in Guadalupe are two good sources for it.

More contemporary cuisine flourishes in Santa Barbara County. Patrick Rand at Patrick's Side Street CafŽ typifies the region's young chefs, and makes his dishes to the wine. "Recipes roll when I taste a wine," he says. Try the silky asparagus soup with the 2003 Curran Grenache Blanc from Santa Ynez Valley, and his caraway-roasted potatoes and sirloin steak with chimichurri, served with the 2001 Russack Syrah, also from Santa Ynez Valley.

Arts, gastronomy, viticulture, natural beauty, history -that's why Santa Barbara with justifiable aplomb calls itself "The American Riviera."

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Winery Tasting Rooms
Andrew Murray, 2901-A Grand Ave.,
Los Olivos, 805-693-9644;
 www.andrewmurrayvineyards.com

Beckmen Vineyards, 2670 Ontiveros Rd.,
Los Olivos, 805-688-8664;
www.beckmenvineyards.com

Bien Nacido Vineyard, 132 E. Carrillo St.,
Santa Barbara, 805-969-5803;
www.biennacidovineyards.com

Cambria Winery, 5475 Chardonnay Ln.,
Santa Maria, 805-937-8091;
www.cambri awines.com

Daniel Gehrs, 2939 Grand Ave.,
Los Olivos,805-688-2455;
www.dgwines.com

Firestone Vineyard, 5017 Zaca Station Rd.,
Los Olivos, 805-686-3940;
www.firestonewine.com

Foxen Vineyard, 7200 Foxen Canyon Rd.,
Santa Maria, 805-937-4251;
www.foxenvineyard.com

Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards, 1645 Copenhagen Dr.,
Solvang, 805-686-5506;
www.llwine.com

Rideau Vineyard, 1562 Alamo Pintado Rd.,
Solvang, 805-888-0717;
www.rideauvineyards.com

Sanford Winery, 7250 Santa Rosa Rd.,
Buellton, 805-688-3300, 800-426-9463,
www.sanfordwinery.com

Stolpman Vineyards & Winery,
1659 Copenhagen Dr., #C, Solvang,
805-688-0400; www.stolpmanvineyards.com

Zaca Mesa Winery, 6905 Foxen Canyon Rd.,
805-688-9339; www.zacames.com

Where To Eat
Bouchon Santa Barbara, 9 W. Victoria St.,
805-730-1160; www.bouchon.net
Dinner only, specializing in local produce and wines.

Far Western Tavern, 899 Guadalupe St.,
Guadalupe, 805-688-5312;
www.farwesterntavern.com

Hitching Post, 406 E. Hwy. 246, Buellton,
805-688-0676; www.hitchingpost wines.com

Los Olivos Café & Wine Merchant,
2879 Grand Ave., Los Olivos, 888-946-3748;
www.losolivoscafe.com
Site of a Sideways scene.

Patrick's Side Street Café,
2375 Alamo Pintado, Los Olivos;
www.patrickssidestreetcafe.com.
Fine Santa Barbara wines paired with great regional foods.