Following a tour of the property, including a stop at the sorting table as freshly harvested grapes were being sorted and a visit to the barrel room, we entered a private tasting room.
We also tried their Puppy Love, a blend of Grenache Noir and Alicante Bouschet, the 100% Alicante Bouschet, Cabernet Franc and Eglantine, a Cab Franc, Malbec, Cab Sauv and Merlot blend.
A fun appetizer on the menu is the Green Deviled Eggs and Ham, a green deviled egg with a ham croquette. When it came time to order our main course, I couldn’t resist the Pan Seared Shrimp & Grits. Delicious!
Susan comes from a cattle ranching background, and when her parents bought the restaurant, their aim was to entertain people the same way they did at the ranch.
The Palace Grill has been a downtown Santa Barbara fixture for more than 25 years, serving a wide array of food choices, but with a focus on Creole and Cajun. We started with a Cajun martini, marinated with jalapeño and served with cherry peppers in a Mason jar.
He put that idea on the back burner until he lost his job in 2004 and thought to himself 'what the hell?' Starting with $78,000 and a naive stubbornness, M2 was born.
“The secret is to be ahead of the curve and on top of our game,” says Gerry Cordiano. “All of our vineyards are young. As they grow and mature, we will be better than Napa/Sonoma and Paso Robles. Our soil is harsher here. That makes for stronger more flavorful grapes.”
Diane and Ken Wilson own the Wilson Artisan Wineries as well as the Grape Leaf Inn. There are eight wineries all totaled and I visited three of them, starting with Matrix Winery. Formerly Rabbit Ridge Winery, the Wilsons purchased the property in 2007.
She wanted to feature sparkling wines that represented a sense of terroir. She re-paid the loan as soon as she could so she could make the winery uniquely hers.
