Photos: Santa Barbara Vintners Festival Spring Weekend

Written by
A cooler-than-average day at the Santa Barbara Vintners Festival in Buellton (Photo: Ken Pfeiffer)
A cooler-than-average day at the Santa Barbara Vintners Festival in Buellton (Photo: Ken Pfeiffer) (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

A little bit of rain didn’t seem to dampen the spirits of wine lovers and foodies at the Santa Barbara Vintners Festival Spring Weekend. The cooler weather actually made for comfortable conditions to enjoy sips of delicious reds, whites and rosés from some of the area’s finest wine makers.

The rain went away by early afternoon and it wasn’t too windy to enjoy being outdoors at River View Park in Buellton.

Plenty of food vendors offered small bites from pizza to ceviche, to chocolate, perfect to pair with Pinot.

Although it’s about a 45 minute drive from Santa Barbara, this is one of my favorite wine events of the year. The sprawling green grass provides plenty of room to walk around and enjoy the afternoon.

The crew at Zaca Mesa were all smiles (Photo: Ken Pfeiffer)
The crew at Zaca Mesa were all smiles (Photo: Ken Pfeiffer) (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
A highlight of my tasting day was enjoying a sip of this 2012 Ken Brown Pinot Noir . The grapes came from "Rita's Crown Vineyard" in the Santa Rita Hills (Photo: Ken Pfeiffer)
A highlight of my tasting day was enjoying a sip of this 2012 Ken Brown Pinot Noir . The grapes came from “Rita’s Crown Vineyard” in the Santa Rita Hills (Photo: Ken Pfeiffer) (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
Winemaker John Hilliard of Hilliard Bruce Vineyard (Photo: Ken Pfeiffer)
Winemaker John Hilliard of Hilliard Bruce Vineyard (Photo: Ken Pfeiffer) (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
Stafford's Famous Chocolates  were just one of the many treats (Photo: Ken Pfeiffer)
Stafford’s Famous Chocolates were just one of the many treats (Photo: Ken Pfeiffer) (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
(Photo: Ken Pfeiffer)
(Photo: Ken Pfeiffer) (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
After a brief round of rain, skies cleared for the afternoon at the Santa Barbara Vintners Festival Spring Weekend in Buellton (Photo: Ken Pfeiffer).
Adam Phillips Band entertained the crowd (Photo: Ken Pfeiffer)
Adam Phillips Band entertained the crowd (Photo: Ken Pfeiffer) (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
Auryvedic Indian cuisine chef Nimita, KCRW's Lisa Osborn & KEYT-TV's John Palmentari (Photo: Ken Pfeiffer).
Auryvedic Indian cuisine chef Nimita, KCRW’s Lisa Osborn & KEYT-TV’s John Palminteri (Photo: Ken Pfeiffer). (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)