Archive for May, 2010
Chardonnay Symposium Comes to BBQ Country
Attention Chardonnay enthusiasts! The ultimate celebration of this noble varietal is coming to the Santa Maria Valley with the first annual Chardonnay Symposium on Saturday, July 31 hosted by the Santa Maria Valley Wine Country Association.
In the words of wine writer Steve Heimoff, “Chardonnay — America’s favorite white wine — is about to have its very own public event. The Chardonnay Symposium. About time.” Hear, hear!
The full-day event begins with morning informational sessions featuring speakers selected from California’s most notable Chardonnay growing regions, including Jim Clendenen of Au Bon Climat, Brian Talley of Talley Vineyards, Denise Shurtleff of Cambria Winery, Richard Sanford of Alma Rosa, and Randy Ullom of Kendall-Jackson.
Full-day tickets cost $100 and include a choice of morning panel discussion, lunch, transportation, admission to the Grand Tasting, a Riedel wine glass, and gift bag. Tickets for the Grand Chardonnay Tasting Event are included in the full-day cost or may be purchased for $45 separately. The tasting event will take place at Tres Hermanas Winery. Visit the symposium’s web site for tickets and more information.
Now, we won’t be so cheeky as to suggest that Chardonnay is the ideal pairing for Santa Maria Style Barbecue (a local Syrah or Pinot Noir tends to be a more appropriate match), but there is no question that the varietal is a perfect pairing for the soils and climate of the Santa Maria Valley. Chardonnay thrives amid the valley’s long, moderate growing season, which is forged by its rare “transverse” geography. Simply put, the valley runs west to east, opening right up to the Pacific ocean at the far end. This orientation encourages the influx of cool marine air, resulting in exquisite growing conditions for Burgundian varietals, among others.
So come on out and enjoy the ultimate Chardonnay experience, and don’t forget to savor authentic Santa Maria BBQ at one of our local restaurants while you’re in the neighborhood.
Got A Minute for Santa Maria BBQ?
A tip of the cowboy hat to Wine Country Minute for featuring Santa Maria Style Barbecue this week in a piece titled “California Cu’ing,” which turns the spotlight on our sizzling culinary tradition as well as the wines of the Santa Maria Valley.
Wine Country Minute is a web site and e-newsletter that helps you discover the best that the wine country has to offer, from food to travel, shopping to wine appreciation.
On the subject of Santa Maria barbecue, Wine Country Minute writes, “The meat, plus a special dry rub of salt, pepper, garlic salt…sets the regional dish apart from the standard,” adding that native pinquito beans are also essential to the experience.
They add: “Turns out the red wines from the Santa Maria Valley pair pretty well with this sort of fare. Santa Maria Valley combines California’s longest growing season with the cool ocean air off the Pacific. The result is a complex cadre of well-balanced wines. The Syrahs can boast intense black fruit, often with a peppery essence and Pinots tend toward earthy with a nice balance of red and black fruits.”
They conclude: “Next time you fire up the grill, experience a taste of the Central Coast’s wine country with Santa Maria Style barbecue.”
‘Nuff said!
Live The West in Santa Maria Valley
Listen up, pard’ner. Santa Maria isn’t just a unique destination for enjoying remarkable local barbecue and wine. It’s one of “The Greatest Places to Live the West,” according to the latest issue of American Cowboy magazine.
To meet its criteria, the magazine sought out places with Old West charm, open rangeland and outdoor activities. A total of just 20 places made the final list.
The resulting article’s section on Santa Maria touts the homegrown culinary tradition of Santa Maria Style Barbecue (of course!), as well as Santa Maria’s mild climate, wineries, Elks Rodeo and status as an All-America City.
Launched in 1994 as a Western lifestyle magazine, American Cowboy is a bi-monthly publication distributed to more than 95,000 subscribers nationwide. Owners Active Interest Media say that “American Cowboy is the cultural chronicler of the American West, covering every aspect of the lifestyle including personalities and legends, history and heritage, travel and events, art and entertainment, sports, food, and fashion.”
So come on out, live the west, and don’t leave town without a taste of authentic Santa Maria barbecue!
Celebrating National Barbecue Month
In the Santa Maria Valley, barbecue is never out of season. Nevertheless, we must celebrate the advent of National Barbecue Month this May, which always reminds us that the nation’s weather and barbecues are both beginning to heat up in earnest as we turn the corner toward summertime.
Naturally, this is also a perfect time of year to visit and experience the wondrous flavors of our bountiful valley. The temperatures are reaching a perfect pitch, the grapevines are bursting with fresh green growth, the strawberries are in season, and the Santa Maria Style Barbecue is, as always, sizzling.
And no visit to the valley is complete without a meal at one of our landmark Santa Maria BBQ restaurants. Click here for a list of restaurants that showcase this local culinary tradition.
Of course, if you can’t visit right now, you can still become a barbecue hero at home by adopting the methods and ingredients of Santa Maria barbecue. Click here for tips and recipes, and here for a how-to video. Enjoy!
