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Thursday - Napa Wine

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Touring Wineries in Santa Barbara, California

Santa Barbara is one of the more scenic areas in what is technically known as Southern California. Touring the area with a professional service is definitely the best way to get out on the tasting trail.

Touring Wineries in Santa Barbara, California

Santa Barbara is a beautiful coastal city located in the middle region of California. Billing itself as the ?American Riviera?, Santa Barbara is directly between Los Angeles and San Francisco, making it a great place to visit no matter where in the state you are staying. With many different shops and a great nightlife, as well as beautiful views of the ocean and the Santa Ynez Mountains, this area is a perfect spot for your next California trip. If you enjoy wine, you are also in luck. There are plenty of services to get you from here to there on the wine trail.

Spencer's Tours (805-884-9700) offers the services of their luxury vehicles for your next wine tour in the area. Trips can last from five to eight hours with these personalized tours, and you will be able to enjoy not only the wineries in the area but also all the natural beauty this region has to offer. As your guide, Spencer Winston will be able to drive you around in his wide variety of plush vehicles while also explaining the history of the area, as he is a member of the Santa Barbara Historical Society. Whether you want to spend all of your time hitting the wineries or you would prefer to see some other historic places, Spencer's will be happy to arrange your stops for you.

The movie ?Sideways? was filmed and took place in the Santa Barbara region, so many wine and movie lovers have come to this area in order to see the Sideways Wine Tour in person. As Santa Barbara tours go, this is a great choice. You can see many of the region's 100 wineries as well as follow the footsteps of the main characters of the film. 18 stops are included in this self-guided tour (which will be followed by Spencer's upon request) ? they range from the ?Ostrich Park? to many different wineries such as the Andrew Murray Vineyards and the Foxen Winery.

Spencer's Tours can also arrange for you to stop at other attractions in the area ? such as the town of Santa Ynez, the surrounding mountain area, and the Santa Ynez Mission. Also worth seeing while enjoying your Santa Barbara tour is beautiful Cachuma Lake, and nature hikes through the fields of wildflowers in the region. You can choose which of the wineries you want to visit, or allow Spencer's to help guide you to some of the highly thought of wineries and vineyards in the Santa Barbara region. You can also enjoy many different tasting rooms, as well as plan for a delicious gourmet lunch on the way.

Santa Barbara is not as well known as the Sonoma and Napa Valleys when it comes to wine ? but this beautiful region in the middle of California's coast is fast becoming a destination for wine lovers. You can verify this yourself by taking a wine tasting tour.

Xavier Moldini is with WineriesforYou.com - free information on wine tours.

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9:59 AM

May - Wine Cassis-

Wine Cassis For Your Reading Pleasure

What Wine Goes With What Food?

We've all heard the rules: red wine with meat, white with fish or fowl. But just as with all rules, this one was made to be broken. There's a growing recognition that there's both more and less to choosing how to pair foods and wine.

The most important factor, of course, is to choose a wine you enjoy. Spumante with Chinese take-out may make the so-called experts shudder, but if that combination works for you, that's all that matters. After all, you're the one eating the meal. However, personal tastes aside, there are some guidelines and suggestions for combining wines and foods that can enhance your enjoyment of each.

Start by thinking of wine as a condiment. You're choosing one that will interact with the foods, just the way a spice does. In fact, wine does affect the taste of food, similar to the effect of spices. Wine contains acids, tannins and sugars, all of which work with the food to create different tastes. Your goal is to find the proper combination that will allow you to enjoy the flavors and characteristics of both the food and the wine.

Wines, like food, can taste sweet, tart or bitter. Food can also be salty (not a property of wine, but salty foods affect its flavor). It's that sweet/tart/acidic interaction that determines the way different food/wine combinations will affect each other.

Sweet Foods

Foods that are somewhat sweet, such as a honey-mustard glaze on chicken will make the wine taste drier (less sweet) than it really is. A slightly sweet wine such as a White Zinfandel or Riesling could work well.

Acidic Foods

Choose wines that are higher in acid when serving acidic foods. Try pairing salad with a balsamic vinaigrette or a lemony-kissed fish dish with a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.

Bitter Foods

When serving food with a bitter twist-say, bitter greens in a salad-enjoy it more with a fruity, full-flavored wine such as Merlot or Chardonnay. If you're grilling a steak, try a wine such as red Zinfandel or Shiraz. The tannins in these wines can sometimes give them a slightly bitter taste, but the fat in the meat can tone down this tendency.

In addition to the basic tastes, consider pairing foods and wines that have the same feel to them - light with light and full with hearty. A full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon could overwhelm a light fish, and the taste of a delicate white Zinfandel would be lost when accompanying beef stew.

And what about sparkling wines? Only those produced in the Champagne region of France may be called Champagne, but all sparkling wines, no matter their name, are suited to festive occasions. They make an excellent start or finish to any meal.

At times, pairing opposite foods and wines can be surprisingly effective. Hot and spicy foods such as fiery curries or Chinese hot pot can work well with sweet dessert wines. The contrast in flavors can create new nuances in taste and act to cleanse the palate.

A fun way to pair wines and food is to match them by their geographic source. Doesn't it make sense that a French wine would be the best accompaniment for coq au vin?

And for those times when you aren't serving a full meal, don't forget the natural pairings of wine and cheese. There's a reason these two are so often combined. Wine and cheese complement each other exquisitely. Mild to sharp cheeses work well with red wines, as do soft cheeses such as Camembert or Brie. Dry whites are excellent with goat cheese. Sweet wines call for a more intense cheese.

But no matter what combination of food and wine you choose, remember that the most important ingredients for a memorable occasion are the friends and loved ones you invite to share the experience with you.

About the Author

Morgan Slater demonstrates a detailed knowledge of wine industries through his writing for Ecef. Find more articles by Morgan Slater at ECEF

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