Matt Kettmann

I can't believe that it's only been a little more than a decade since Jim Fiolek left his post as the head of the Santa Barbara County Vintners Association , today more simply called Santa Barbara Vintners . Fiolek — who actually attended the same high school as me , though a generation before — started as a volunteer in 2006 and professionalized the organization during his tenure, hiring a staff and paying salaries. That evolution — which will be celebrated during the 40th Annual Santa Barbara Vintners Festival on October 19 — was a strong indication of how quickly Santa Barbara was becoming a centerpiece of California's wine industry, rising alongside Central Coast neighbors like Paso Robles to challenge the decades-long dominance of Napa and Sonoma. The backbone, then as now, is the region's viticulturists and winemakers, who truly craft some of the most exciting wines on the planet every year, renowned from our humble shores to such epicurean proving grounds as New York, London, and Paris. Little did anyone know how many challenges that Fiolek's successors would face, from battling county planners to surviving a pandemic. Indeed, that decade of headwinds has kept the Santa Barbara Vintners in a fairly similar organizational status as it was in 2013, while other regions like Paso, Lodi, and even Temecula gained significant ground in funding, outreach, and visitation. , the Vintners hired Morgen McLaughlin , who further modernized the organization, increased its budget, and touted the industry's greater benefits to the region. She smartly courted media near and far, drawing much-needed critical and cultural attention to the stunning wines being made here. We spoke regularly, often for articles, but just as often to catch up on what was happening in wine country, with our various insights and observations flowing both ways. But Morgen spent most of her time fighting against a proposed winery ordinance that most believed would have made it harder for wineries to operate in a regulatory environment that was already one of the strictest in the country. That ordinance, which involved five years of planning that followed community conflicts between a few wineries and some of their neighbors , was summarily killed by the Board of Supervisors in 2016. ( Click here to read about that decision and find links to eight other stories that I wrote about it.) McLaughlin emerged entirely victorious — a rarity in planning politics — but wine country ultimately lost a lot of momentum, as the time she would have dedicated to marketing, fundraising, and outreach was consumed by often nasty politics. No wonder she took the exit route to the Willamette Valley wine country when she could. To replace McLaughlin , the Vintners board opted to go outside of the wine industry, hiring nonprofit expert Alison Laslett to take the reins in the fall of 2017. (Fun fact: Photographer Paul Wellman took that portrait in my garage.) Aside from having to learn about wine from the ground up and figure out a way to raise enough money to compete with places like Paso, Laslett would wind up staring down the COVID-19 pandemic, the scariest economic time ever for Santa Barbara wine country. In the midst of all that, Laslett and her team hatched a revolutionary idea to create a Business Improvement District , or BID, that added a tiny fee to each bottle of wine sold. Much like is done with tourism regions to fund things like Visit Santa Barbara or commercial areas to fund things like Downtown Santa Barbara , the Wine BID would build in an automatic funding mechanism to support the Santa Barbara Vintners' efforts to promote the region. I thought it was a good idea that almost no consumers would notice or object to. Paying about $1 more for a $60 bottle of wine is an added cost that most people — especially those who can afford such luxuries — are used to these days, and the $1 million or so raised annually would have done a lot to help the region. Santa Barbara would have been the first in the world to approve such a measure, giving us a competitive advantage and asserting our position as an industry leader. But as some very vocal opposition mounted — they had some logical points, but it felt mostly philosophical in nature — the idea was abandoned in October 2020 . Since then, Temecula and Livermore created their own BIDs, and there is talk of it happening in Paso Robles and Monterey as well. If this continues, it's likely that BIDs will become a necessary tool for wine regions to stay competitive. There's a second chance in the works right now. While Laslett hasn't really spoken much about it to me or issued any press releases, I have heard from many vintners that the groundwork is being laid for another run at the Wine BID. Given that lack of public information, I was surprised to see my colleague Nick Welsh write about it back in May , when some of that philosophical opposition (from someone who hasn't sold wine in years) popped up during a mostly procedural Board of Supervisors vote on the renewed effort. After seeing that, I reached out to the Vintners and asked that they loop me in on developments going forward, with the strong suggestion that being quiet about this push is unlikely to help the cause. They agreed, but I haven't heard anything since, so I guess there's nothing new to report. The sense I get this time around is that the opposition is less dug in, and that vintners are realizing that the region could use some financial resources to better compete with their neighbors, especially as wine sales slow for many of them. It's about time they recognize as much, as Santa Barbara is getting a bit spanked otherwise, at least when it comes to organizational clout. For my job at Wine Enthusiast , I work with wine organizations all across the state, from Temecula to Mendocino, and am in touch with many others beyond that. Whether via marketing emails or direct conversations, I hear from most of them more often than I do from the Santa Barbara Vintners. I have to assume that lack of communication is directly related to a lack of adequate funding, which would be greatly enhanced with a BID. If Santa Barbara Vintners does join the Wine BID party, Laslett and her team should finally have the stable backing required to focus on what the organization was founded to do in the first place: Tell the masses about the great things happening here. I've certainly been trying to do my part over the years, and it would be great to have even more voices out there doing the same. So, yeah, a long decade indeed. Vintners Fest Turns 40 Enough with the drama, now for the fun: The 40th Annual Santa Barbara Vintners Festival goes down on October 19, 1-4 p.m., at Vega Vineyard & Farm in Buellton. More than 60 wineries and nearly 30 restaurants will be serving, and there will be live music by Generic Clapton, a grapevine giveaway, an instant cellar raffle, and a silent auction. There's a range of other ticket prices, from the basic $125 to the $175 early entry to the $25 non-drinking options. This year, guests seeking a special, more private experience can rent one of Vega's new “Pop's Place” cabanas , which includes eight tickets, two parking spots, a charcuterie plate, two bottles of wine to drink, and a six-pack of selected wines to take home for $2,500. Those itching for some sparkling wines will rejoice that the festival features the largest assortment of Santa Barbara bubblies in one place at the Bubble Lounge. Pouring in that space this year are Carhartt, Foxen, Future Perfect, The Hilt, Lumen, Margerum, Native9 & Ranchos De Ontiveros, Presqu'ile, Riverbench, Saarloos & Sons, Sanford, Strange Family, and Sunstone. And for those seeking new flavors, there are six new wineries to try: CrossHatch Winery (under a new owner); Dreamcôte Wine Co. El Viñero Four Brothers Wine Co. Slouch Hat Wines ; and So Far Out Wine Company See sbvintnersweekend.com From Our Table Here are some of my recent articles that you may have missed: The Vintners Fest will probably be the first place that you can try the only chenin blanc grown in the Sta. Rita Hills, as Pali Wine Co. plans to pour its newest creation that day. It's a very promising inaugural vintage, and I get into all this particulars of why they planted it in this story. On the heels of this fun but informative story I did pitting pinot noir versus cabernet sauvignon Wine Enthusiast asked me to do one on the stars of the white wine world. So here you go: sauvignon blanc versus chardonnay , starring, among other luminaries from Napa (Rombauer!) and New Zealand (Kim Crawford!), our very own vintners Kathy Joseph of Fiddlehead Cellars and Brandon Sparks-Gillis and John Dragonette of Dragonette Cellars Blast from the 15-year-old past: a feature that I wrote to preview the 2009 Vintners Festival , with Jim Fiolek calling out Santa Barbara's “alma.” Dragonette gets called out as a newbie in this one! Fri, Oct 11 8:00 PM Santa Barbara Sat, Oct 12 11:00 AM Santa Barbara Sat, Oct 12 2:00 PM Santa Barbara Wed, Oct 23 7:00 PM Santa Barbara Fri, Oct 25 7:00 PM Santa Barbara Wed, Oct 09 5:30 PM Santa Barbara Thu, Oct 10 8:00 PM Santa Barbara Fri, Oct 11 7:00 PM Carpinteria Fri, Oct 11 8:00 PM Santa Barbara Sat, Oct 12 11:00 AM Santa Barbara Sat, Oct 12 2:00 PM Santa Barbara Wed, Oct 23 7:00 PM Santa Barbara Fri, Oct 25 7:00 PM Santa Barbara Wed, Oct 09 5:30 PM Santa Barbara Thu, Oct 10 8:00 PM Santa Barbara Fri, Oct 11 7:00 PM Carpinteria Fri, Oct 11 8:00 PM Santa Barbara Sat, Oct 12 11:00 AM Santa Barbara Sat, Oct 12 2:00 PM Santa Barbara

When George Thurlow was an aspiring war reporter covering the rise of leftist guerillas against the notoriously brutal, American-backed government of El Salvador in 1981, the gunshot he suffered during a firefight on his fourth day would be the 29-year-old's easiest injury to heal. The wound left open, even four decades later, is the memory of Thurlow's driver Gilberto Moran, who, also 29 years old, was killed in that same incident. That they, and a severely wounded Associated Press photographer, were gunned down by the police — possibly accidentally, likely intentionally — only adds haze to Thurlow's attempt to recover from, make sense of, and forgive himself for those brief moments in time. That grappling continues to this day for Thurlow, who'd leave the front lines but stay in journalism, eventually becoming the publisher of the Santa Barbara Independent from 1994 to 2006 before becoming the assistant vice chancellor in charge of alumni issues at UCSB, his alma mater. But a big serving of catharsis comes in his new book, El Salvador: Blood on All Our Hands , a vivid retelling of his very brief war reporting career and the emotional soul-searching he's endured in trying to find Moran's grave and determine what really happened. “I thought it was gonna be Vietnam,” said Thurlow of the 12-year-long conflict that ended in 1992. “I wanted to be there early as a journalist to cover it because, if it was going to be another Vietnam, the journalism out of Vietnam was terrific. But it didn't turn into Vietnam. We just killed 70,000 people.” Thurlow's reporting on the blatant atrocities being committed by the Salvadoran government against their poor citizens would be shocking even if they were discovered in retrospect. But the American government was well aware that these crimes were happening in real time, and kept funding the murders in the name of fighting communism. It was such a mess, from the top of the Reagan administration to the death squads on the bottom, that most just want to forget it all. “There's no book really like this,” said Thurlow, explaining that there are very few English-language publications on the civil war. “This is a different perspective. I've talked to many of the journalists who were there, and none of them have any interest in writing a book. I get the sense that many of them don't want to revisit it.” Much of the story is about the ambitions of a young writer from Visalia, California, trying to make a name for himself. While at UCSB, Thurlow was empowered by pepper sprayings during the bank-burning days of Isla Vista in 1970, and then learned newspapering on the staff of the Santa Barbara News & Review before moving on to the Woodland Daily Democrat , whose publisher baked his Salvadoran mission. But Blood on All Our Hands is more broadly about the failures of parachute journalism, in which foreign correspondents drop into the middle of complex scenarios needing to deliver the salacious stories that sell at home. As a former aspiring young journalist myself — and one who dropped in for short stints as a twentysomething to cover postwar geopolitics in Africa and the Caucasus — I very much relate to Thurlow's early ambitions and later reflections. Indeed, George was my publisher at this newspaper when I embarked on those overseas adventures, and knowing that he'd been shot added inspirational gravitas to his standing in my emerging reporter mind. But despite the shortcomings of parachuting in to report a story, we both believe that more journalism is almost always better. “Anything we can do to improve the discussion, particularly about the U.S. role, is important,” said Thurlow. “What's going on in Gaza? That's the one if you were young and wanted to get ahead of a story that's particularly brutal and going to go on for a while.” Not that El Salvador's story ever reached a happy ending, as the effects of their civil war gave way to the rise of criminal gangs. A crackdown instigated in 2022 by President Nayib Bukele has since imprisoned about 80,000 people, with due process mostly thrown out the window. Because of that, he's been labeled an authoritarian autocrat, and yet he remains incredibly popular, as crime has decreased. “We all know they're breeding the whole next generation of gangs,” observed Thurlow of the massive lockup campaign. But it's scarier than that. “We have to be careful, because this is a lesson for us,” he said. “People will support fascism if you get the guy off the corner who's hassling you. And of course, he's being emulated in all of these other countries.” Though his book is done — with plans for a larger release in the future by the academic publisher Brill —- Thurlow's story is not. Having retired from UCSB in 2020, his research continues, and he's preparing for the day when the ghosts of Moran finally emerge. “Emotionally and intellectually, I'm trying to prepare for the day that his grandson knocks on my door,” said Thurlow. “Then what do I do? Is it real? Do you have proof?” The fog of war, it seems, only grows murkier with time. See elsalvador81.com Sat, Oct 12 9:00 PM Santa Barbara Sun, Oct 13 1:00 AM Santa Barbara Sun, Oct 13 11:00 AM Santa Barbara Wed, Oct 23 7:00 PM Santa Barbara Fri, Oct 25 7:00 PM Santa Barbara Sat, Oct 26 11:00 AM Santa Barbara Fri, Oct 11 7:00 PM Carpinteria Fri, Oct 11 8:00 PM Santa Barbara Sat, Oct 12 11:00 AM Santa Barbara Sat, Oct 12 2:00 PM Santa Barbara Sat, Oct 12 3:00 PM Santa Barbara Sat, Oct 12 8:00 PM Santa Barbara Sat, Oct 12 9:00 PM Santa Barbara Sun, Oct 13 1:00 AM Santa Barbara Sun, Oct 13 11:00 AM Santa Barbara Wed, Oct 23 7:00 PM Santa Barbara Fri, Oct 25 7:00 PM Santa Barbara Sat, Oct 26 11:00 AM Santa Barbara Fri, Oct 11 7:00 PM Carpinteria Fri, Oct 11 8:00 PM Santa Barbara Sat, Oct 12 11:00 AM Santa Barbara Sat, Oct 12 2:00 PM Santa Barbara Sat, Oct 12 3:00 PM Santa Barbara Sat, Oct 12 8:00 PM Santa Barbara Sat, Oct 12 9:00 PM Santa Barbara Sun, Oct 13 1:00 AM Santa Barbara Sun, Oct 13 11:00 AM Santa Barbara

For the Land chardonnay features a seascape by Chris Potter | Photo: Courtesy When wine broker Daniel Berman plotted to craft his own bottles for the first time, the founder of Rincon Wine Group wanted to honor the landscape that drew him here from New York almost 15 years ago. For the Land 's inaugural bottling needed to be broadly appealing and in a fresh style that reflected the coast. But informed by his sales background, Berman also needed bottles to stand out visually on the shelves, explaining, “We're given eyes for a reason.” He was already a fan of the colorful, dramatic landscapes painted by Chris Potter, the prolific, Santa Barbara-born artist who died suddenly at age 49 this past February. “Chris's art really evoked an emotion for me,” said Berman. “That's what I wanted in the wine and on the label.” A couple years ago, when he reached out to Potter, the artist was open to the idea. So wrapped up in the regulation-ruled world of wine, Berman was worried about the rights of the image and the fees and all those particulars. But Potter just wanted a few cases of wine as payment. Said Berman, “That was the easiest deal ever.” It was also the easiest part of the process. “It's very common knowledge, but corraling any artist's attention can be a little challenging,” said Berman, explaining that Potter was also in the midst of his very public fight against a rare form of cancer. As Berman's wine moved quickly toward bottling, the artist — who gained fame years ago for quitting his corporate stock broker job to create a painting a day — eventually told Berman that he was ready to have the painting photographed. But two days later, on February 3, Potter died in his sleep. After giving space to Potter's mourning family and friends — about 700 of whom attended his funeral at Dos Pueblos High — Berman reached out to his widow, Julie Beaumont Potter. ”She was so kind and generous to me,” said Berman, to whom Julie said, “Chris loved doing these deals. We'll make it happen for you.” For the Land finally had its look. “I already knew that I liked Chris a lot, just from my brief interactions with him, but his family was amazing,” said Berman. “I was really humbled by that experience.” Family is what lured Berman out to California in the first place. He's the cousin of The Ranch Table's Elizabeth Poett, which makes him the nephew of the Santa Barbara Independent' s co-owner/editor-in-chief, Marianne Partridge. When he was growing up, he visited their Rancho San Julian property every summer, usually around Fiesta. “I always remembered being so sad when I had to leave Santa Barbara,” he said, “and I was so excited to come back.” After watching Elizabeth give New York City a go for a few years, Berman — who was raised nearby in White Plains and Westchester County — decided to do the same out west. “She was a bit of an inspiration and like a big sister to me,” said Berman. “I always wanted to give California a try.” By then, Berman knew a good amount about European wine. His dad was a “humble collector,” flush with top-shelf Bordeauxs purchased when such things were affordable. “I was the lucky beneficiary of that,” said Berman. “I got to drink really good wine at an age that I shouldn't have.” While figuring out next steps after graduating from Temple University, he worked at AOC Fine Wines, a shop in New Rochelle. “Two months later, I was the manager of the store,” said Berman, then just 22 years old. “I spent my time reading and educating myself on wine throughout the day.” But that Old World knowledge only helped so much when he came to Santa Barbara in 2010. “I didn't know California wine at all,” said Berman. “I had to relearn everything basically.” He found work in hospitality for Firestone Vineyard and Foley Family Wines, rolling out the red carpets for VIP visitors, many of which were wholesale buyers. “I got introduced to a whole channel of this business that I had never known about,” said Berman. Intrigued by the chance to sell a wide range of global brands to top restaurants and retailers, Berman got a wholesale distribution job with Angeles Wine Agency and then Young's Market, staying there for nearly nine years as it was taken over by Republic National Distributing Company. Meanwhile, he was tuning into the Santa Barbara wine scene, whose boutique-sized, craft-focused producers were a far cry from the massive brands that his company sold. “I started to feel more and more as an outsider, which was not a feeling that I wanted to have,” said Berman. “I enjoy being part of the community.” In 2021, Berman joined the board of the Vintners Foundation, where he led the development of an annual golf tournament. He met a lot of winemakers along the way, realizing that their wines were fantastic but little known. “That gave me the catalyst to start Rincon Wine Group,” said Berman. “I could see there was demand for what they were producing, but they didn't have the means or know how to have their wines in wholesale. The customers and the accounts wanted to buy them, but they had no means to buy them. All of those factors combined to where I saw an open door and I decided to walk through it.” His first client was Alison Thompson of Lepiane Wines. Then came Story of Soil, Kaena, LaBarge, Dreamcote, and so on. Rincon Wine Group now represents about 20 producers and a half-dozen importers. “It was a small snowball on a very steep hill that quickly gained traction,” said Berman. “I was highly determined because I was confident that this was going to work, and that's paid off in spades. Other than marrying my wife, it was the greatest decision of my life.” With his own wine, which was made from Sta. Rita Hills fruit by Story of Soil's Jessica Gasca, Berman is careful to not step on his clients' collective toes. “I've worked too hard to get my producers presence and to sell their amazing products,” he said. ”If I created something that competed, I'd be doing a disservice to everybody.” His aim was for an easy-drinking, refreshing chardonnay, priced to sell at $28. “Chardonnay has incredible transparency and sense-of-place in our area,” he said. “That's what I wanted in this wine.” Others must want that too, as the 166 inaugural cases of For the Land's 2023 chardonnay are almost sold out just a month after release. Berman is doubling that amount for the 2024 vintage, which will be a Santa Barbara County blend thanks to the addition of Santa Maria Valley grapes. “For the Land is a tribute to the place it's made,” explained Berman. “It just shows off the beautiful corner of the world we live in.” That, too, is what Chris Potter was all about. Said Berman, “The painting really brings everything together.” See forthelandwine.com and rinconwinegroup.com , or try the wine by-the-glass at Convivo The Boathouse , and Lucky's By Ashley Cornelius, Bargaining Chair/Santa Barbara Teachers Association | Sat Oct 12, 2024 By Steering Committee for Clergy for Choice Central Coast, Rev. Mark Asman, S.B., and six others | Sat Oct 12, 2024 Sun, Oct 13 11:00 AM Santa Barbara Sun, Oct 13 3:00 PM Santa Barbara Sat, Oct 12 11:00 AM Santa Barbara Wed, Oct 23 7:00 PM Santa Barbara Fri, Oct 25 7:00 PM Santa Barbara Sat, Oct 26 11:00 AM Santa Barbara Sat, Oct 12 11:00 AM Santa Barbara Sat, Oct 12 2:00 PM Santa Barbara Sat, Oct 12 3:00 PM Santa Barbara Sat, Oct 12 8:00 PM Santa Barbara Sat, Oct 12 9:00 PM Santa Barbara Sun, Oct 13 1:00 AM Santa Barbara Sun, Oct 13 11:00 AM Santa Barbara Sun, Oct 13 3:00 PM Santa Barbara Sat, Oct 12 11:00 AM Santa Barbara Wed, Oct 23 7:00 PM Santa Barbara Fri, Oct 25 7:00 PM Santa Barbara Sat, Oct 26 11:00 AM Santa Barbara Sat, Oct 12 11:00 AM Santa Barbara Sat, Oct 12 2:00 PM Santa Barbara Sat, Oct 12 3:00 PM Santa Barbara Sat, Oct 12 8:00 PM Santa Barbara Sat, Oct 12 9:00 PM Santa Barbara Sun, Oct 13 1:00 AM Santa Barbara Sun, Oct 13 11:00 AM Santa Barbara Sun, Oct 13 3:00 PM Santa Barbara

Ojai Mountain Vineyard and Jalama Canyon Ranch are both hosting these beloved outdoor dinners on October 19 and 20.

Get swanky to support farmworker health and Direct Relief at the Bacara on November 8-9.

There was a lot of consternation a few years back when the conglomerate Vintage Wine Estates gobbled up two iconic Central Coast brands. The general wine-loving public tends to react angrily whenever a bigger company buys a small one, and there are plenty of obvious reasons for that, even if not all of them are always true. But we also can rejoice when the tides turn and the little guy wins, which is what just happened in both of these cases. The first of these acquisitions was syrah pioneer Qupé Winery , which Vintage bought in 2018 when the brand's main investor Charles Banks went to federal prison for wire fraud. (Banks is now out of prison, but it's unclear what he's up to. His daughter, however, owns two wineries up in Oregon Qupé founder Bob Lindquist, who had brought Banks on five years earlier to keep the winery alive during tough times, was then cut loose from the brand that he created in 1982. His stories of what happened in that period do not paint Vintage executives in the brightest of lights, but there's usually another side to the story as well. The second deal was Laetitia Winery , which Vintage acquired in 2019 from owner Selim Zilkha, who was simply getting older and wanted to get out of the wine business. Since buying Laetitia in 2001, the Iraqi-British retailer-turned-oil investor was generally praised for investing in the winery's facilities and its large vineyards in both Arroyo Grande and the Cuyama Valley. If anything, he may have planted too many grapes in retrospect. Vintage kept rising after those deals, just two of the 60-plus brands they owned. Then they went public in 2021, raising $600 million in an IPO. And then everything started to crumble, to the point that the company delisted and declared bankruptcy this past July. But that bad news turned into good news for these two wineries. Both were just purchased out of bankruptcy by the exact people who should return them to their former glories. Laetitia's longtime winemaker Eric Hickey, whose dad was one of the winery's first employees four decades ago, acquired the Arroyo Grande brand with the help of two investors with local ties. I was personally very happy to hear this news last Friday, as Laetitia was one of my first wine clubs and a place that I used to visit frequently with family and friends. I've known Eric for maybe 20 years by now, maybe longer, and that he's now in charge is really satisfying. And then, on Sunday night, I learned that syrah superstar Andrew Murray acquired Qupé, bringing it all back home, as he said. When it comes to Santa Barbara County winemaking history, it doesn't really get much more legendary than Qupé, through which Lindquist elevated the status of California cool-climate syrah more than anyone else anywhere. Given that a cool-climate syrah is my favorite style of wine — after all, as I've written before, Qupé's 1987 Bien Nacido syrah was probably the best wine I've ever had when I cracked it in 2018 — I think we owe Bob and Qupé so much credit and praise I wrote a lot more about both deals this past week. Read about the Laetitia deal here and the Qupé deal here . I cracked a bottle of Laetitia over the weekend to celebrate, and need to rustle up a Qupé to do the same this weekend. Four Fun Wines to Try Given that I'm reviewing more than 75 wines every week , I could fill every Full Belly File with great wines to try. I may start a completely new newsletter for that one day. But every so often, I run into curiosities that deserve wider attention, like that Pali chenin blanc I recently covered. (If that chenin blanc gets you excited, check out others from across the Central Coast by Rococo RZN Outward , and Common Thread , among others.) Here are a few more worthy of your early attention. Private Property Santa Lucia Highlands Syrah-Gamay 2023: This unique blend by Scott Caraccioli, who owns the Escolle Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands, doesn't have a whole lot of precedent. “I don't think I have ever had a syrah-gamay, or seen/heard of one,” Scott told me. “As I was tasting in the cellar, I felt like they would complement one another well, but also have the commonality of pulled granite. I'm pretty stoked with how it ended coming out.” Me too, from the sharp peppery aromas to the tightly wound palate of fresh berries, lavender, and more pepper. Private Property is the second, more affordable label of Scott's primary, bubbles-focused brand Caraccioli Cellars, which also happens to be one of the best places to taste wine in Carmel-by-the-Sea. See caracciolicellars.com Terah “Siletto Vineyard” San Benito County Aligote 2023: Palestinian-American winemaker Terah Bajjalieh boldly dives into the less explored varieties across California, from the Sierra Foothills and Lodi all the way down through the Central Coast. For her take on Burgundy's lower-status white grape, Bajjalieh headed to San Benito County to tap the late legend Ron Siletto's eponymous vineyard, a testing ground for so many varieties that I just sadly read is for sale. Hopefully someone keeps that place alive, because Terah's aligote is floral, clean, and tense, just like the best of Burgundy. Her verdejo from the nearby regenerative project Paicines Ranch is also a thrill. See terahwineco.com Brander Los Olivos District Sauvignon Gris 2023: Fred Brander took cuttings of this nearly forgotten “gray” variety from Bordeaux and planted them in his estate vineyard in the Los Olivos District back in 1990, making it one of the first in California to grow the grape. The nearby Gainey Vineyard is following suit and steadily increasing their plantings of sauvignon gris, which they acquired from Brander. Brander's longtime winemaker Fabian Bravo turns the rosy-skinned grape into a stellar standalone wine, super zippy, and fresh with tart, grassy aromas and stony, lime bubblegum flavors. See brander.com Las Jaras Russian River Valley Trousseau Gris 2022: This super eclectic and downright electric brand by actor Eric Wareheim and winemaker Joel Burt is both a lot of fun and really eye opening. This grape, once apparently better known as “gray riesling” in California, makes for a very mineral-driven, citrusy wine. That it comes from old vines at the Fanucchi-Wood Road Vineyard means that there is some subtle complexity going on, even at the lean level of just 10.7 percent alcohol. Their chillable red blend called Glou Glou — a 12.5 percent mix of zin, carignan, petite sirah, and charbono — is reliably refreshing as well. See lasjaraswines.com From Our Table Here are some stories that you may have missed: Christina McDermott reveals that Soul Bites managed to raise a good amount of money and keep their doors open for now. Lauren Chiou reports on the opening of The Sports Bar at the Chumash Casino. George Yatchisin interviews Yotam Ottolenghi in advance of his October 14 appearance at The Granada Theater. Leslie Dinaberg tastes California-made, ready-to-drink Mission Cocktails Thu, Oct 17 7:00 PM Santa Barbara Fri, Oct 18 5:30 PM SANTA BARBARA Sat, Oct 19 10:00 AM Santa Barbara Wed, Oct 23 7:00 PM Santa Barbara Fri, Oct 25 7:00 PM Santa Barbara Sat, Oct 26 11:00 AM Santa Barbara Thu, Oct 17 7:00 PM Santa Barbara Fri, Oct 18 5:30 PM SANTA BARBARA Sat, Oct 19 10:00 AM Santa Barbara Wed, Oct 23 7:00 PM Santa Barbara Fri, Oct 25 7:00 PM Santa Barbara Sat, Oct 26 11:00 AM Santa Barbara Thu, Oct 17 7:00 PM Santa Barbara Fri, Oct 18 5:30 PM SANTA BARBARA Sat, Oct 19 10:00 AM Santa Barbara

The granddaughter of the Goleta Mexican restaurant’s founders takes over the family legacy.

Proud mom Emi Gillio helps out Nicholas at The Sando Truck | Photo: Courtesy Crunchy, succulent meat. Tangy, sweet, salty sauce. Cloud-soft bread. That's it, the three components that comprise the Japanese katsu sandwich. And that's exactly what you'll get from a red-and-white truck in the Funk Zone from noon until late night most days of the week. “This is the way they do it in Japan,” said Nicholas Gillio, who unveiled The Sando Truck in a parking lot on East Yanonali Street in September. “I just wanted to keep it very traditional.” The Santa Barbara-raised son of rare coin expert Ron Gillio , who's been dealing in precious metals here since 1971, Nick is also deeply tied to Japan thanks to his mother, Emi Gillio, who's from Yokohama City. She returned briefly to Japan to give birth to Nick near her family, and he lived there for his first two weeks. Since then, Nick has visited every four years or so, and even attended a month of kindergarten there. Those trips introduced him to the katsu sandwich, an ubiquitous snack in Japan, sold from convenience store shelves to subway station vendors for quick, on-the-go eating. Gillio has long wished for a greater variety of classic Asian cuisine in Santa Barbara — “I wish there was a yakitori spot,” he mused — and saw an opportunity to bring us a dedicated katsu service. “It's been fantastic,” said Gillio of the early attention for The Sando Truck, which is parked Wednesday to Sunday in the lot outside of Paradise Springs Winery and Test Pilot bar. “We're trying to fill that late night void, and we get a good hit after 9 o'clock.” Now 36 years old, Gillio started in hospitality as a bellman at the Hotel Palomar in San Diego in 2011, eventually becoming an assistant manager in The Rowan in Palm Springs before moving home to work at El Encanto and, briefly, the Alisal Ranch . His latest post was as opening manager of The Drift Hotel on State Street in the summer of 2022, where he also oversaw the Dawn Cafe and Dusk Craft Bar “It's always been in the back of my mind,” he said of what led to this career change. “I thought, ‘Nick, while you're still somewhat young, just pursue it.'” He left Drift in May, and dove into the research, reading and watching as many YouTube videos about katsu as he could find. He determined that making the menu tight, the recipes straightforward, and the ingredients high-quality were the keys to doing it right. “Keeping it down to a few items, it's all about simplicity, kind of like In ‘n' Out,” said Gillio, who uses Mary's Chickens and pork from Ideal Meats. “It's such a simple sandwich that I don't want to use a cheap chicken or a cheap pork.” But the main ingredients weren't even his biggest concern. “The bread was the most important thing for me,” said Gillio, who hunted down a preferred producer of Japanese milk bread called shokupan. He cuts off the crust and then fries that to make uber-fresh panko to crust the flattened meat. He currently buys the tonkatsu sauce, but would one day like to develop his own, and is also crafting large-format to-go boxes so that companies can purchase 20 sandwiches to share with the office. The pork or chicken sandos are sold in three- or six-packs. “I think of three as a snack and six as a meal,” said Gillio, and they are quite filling despite their demure appearance. Rounding out the menu is recently added chicken karaage and an airy potato salad made by his mom, who you might find helping out inside the truck. She came to town from Japan in 1981 to study English at UCSB — having her first son just 18 months before Nick — but never lost her love for making and eating the cuisine of her homeland. “He's very meticulous,” said Emi of her son, while pointing to herself and exclaiming, “DNA!” Her potato salad can be made into a meatless sandwich, and Gillio will start selling an egg salad option as well, debuting that at the finale of the Santa Barbara Half-Marathon on November 3. There are also chips, sweets, and drinks, and he's planning more specials too, like sushi rolls and the fried rice balls called yaki onigiri. He knows that it may take time to attract a steady Santa Barbara audience. “Right now, it's about educating the customer,” said Gillio. But those who've been to Japan don't need those lessons, like the one woman who lived there for four years and now stops by The Sando Truck frequently. “This reminds me of Japan,” she told him. “This reminds me of getting out of the train station in Nara.” That was music to his ears. Said Gillio, “That's exactly what I want.” The Sando Truck, 210 State St., is open Thu-Sat, noon-midnight; Wed & Sun., noon-9 p.m. thesandotruck.com

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The idea of wrapping up a bottle of red wine to present as a gift to someone special during the holidays may pop into your head easily enough.