On Saturday, May 7, beneath the Santa Ynez Valley sunshine, an extraordinary group of women gathered at the beautiful 27 Vines boutique vineyard. Glasses clinked, laughter carried across the vines, and tables overflowed with wines and culinary creations that told the story of a region where women are not just participating in the wine industry… in Santa Barbara wine country, they are helping lead it.

The occasion was the Women Winemakers and Culinarians Grand Tasting, held just ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8, and during Women’s History Month, celebrating the women shaping the future of wine and food along California’s Central Coast.

Santa Barbara County quietly holds one of the highest percentages of women winemakers anywhere in the world. Yet beyond the statistics, what defines the region is something harder to measure: camaraderie.

As a wine writer who has spent years telling the stories of women in wine, I rarely see the level of collaboration that exists here in Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Barbara wine country.

From pioneering winemakers to newcomers debuting their first vintages, the event felt less like competition and more like a shared celebration of craft, mentorship, and community.

Why Santa Barbara Wine Country?

For pioneering winemaker Kathy Joseph of Fiddlehead Cellars, Santa Barbara wine country has always been a place of possibility.

“I came to this area specifically because of the climate and the opportunity to break the ice,” she said, “to make fabulous pinot noir and sauvignon blanc in districts that were yet to be discovered.” Joseph arrived decades ago when the region’s potential was still emerging. “I was driving the forklift, digging in the dirt, and making all of those decisions,” she recalled. “Perhaps it’s an area where women were fearless. We’ve made incredible inroads here.”

Today, the region continues to attract talented winemakers drawn by both its climate and its open-minded culture.

The Unique Terroir of Santa Ynez Valley

For Megan McGrath Gates, winemaker at Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards, the landscape of Santa Barbara County plays a defining role in its wines.

“First and foremost, I’m a scientist,” she explained. “I love being able to apply that skill set to something so tangible, romantic, and inspiring.” The region’s geography is unusual in California.

“The transverse mountain ranges run east to west,” Gates said. “They intersect with the Santa Ynez Mountains and create river valleys that channel cool ocean air inland.” That east-west orientation allows Pacific breezes to flow deep into the valley, producing one of the longest and most diverse growing seasons in California wine country. “It’s the climate and soils formed over millennia that make this such an extraordinary place to grow grapes,” she said.

Camaraderie Among Women

For many of the women gathered at the tasting, Santa Barbara wine country stands apart not just for its terroir but for the community within the industry.

Gretchen Voelcker, winemaker at Luna Hart Wines, described the support network she has experienced. “There’s a strong foundation here of women being a big part of the wine community,” she said. “Because of that, we’ve built networks where we can come together, support each other, and support organizations that need help.”

That sense of collaboration is often cited as one reason Santa Barbara County has become such a dynamic wine region.

The New Generation of Women Winemakers

Some of the most exciting energy at the event came from newcomers stepping into winemaking for the first time.

Jennifer Gray, who launched Jennifer Gray Wines in 2025, described debuting her wines at the tasting. “It’s incredibly exciting,” she said. “There’s such a sense of community here. I felt so much love sharing my wines today.” Gray began her wine career through education before working harvest and eventually launching her own label. “I’m turning 50 this year,” she said with a smile. “And I thought, if not now, when?” Her wines, she explained, are driven by curiosity and creativity. “Winemaking has become this incredible creative outlet.”

A Culinary Component

Wine was only part of the story at the Women Winemakers and Culinarians event. Local chefs and food creators highlighted the agricultural richness of the Central Coast.

Cookbook author Anna Vocino, known for her Eat Happy series, spoke about California’s extraordinary produce. “We have the best produce here in California,” she said. “We’re lucky to have it almost year-round.” That abundance shapes the culinary identity of Santa Barbara wine country. “There’s a constant influence of seasonal produce,” she explained. “It inspires everything we create.”

A Gathering Built by Women, for the Community

Few people embody the spirit of collaboration in Santa Barbara wine country more than Karen Steinwachs.

Steinwachs, founder of Seagrape Wine Company and one of the organizers of the Women Winemakers and Culinarians event, has long championed the power of bringing women together across the wine and culinary industries.

“This event really celebrates the depth of talent we have here,” Steinwachs explained. “Santa Barbara wine country is special because the women here truly support one another. There is a spirit of generosity and collaboration that you don’t always see in other regions.” For Steinwachs, the gathering is about more than wine. “It’s about mentorship and visibility,” she said. “Many of us have been working in this industry for decades, and it’s incredibly meaningful to see new voices emerging and to help create space for them.”

Events like the Women Winemakers and Culinarians Grand Tasting also serve a broader purpose, raising funds for Santa Ynez Valley Community Outreach and supporting vital programs throughout the region.

“Wine brings people together,” Steinwachs added. “When we can gather like this, celebrate the work being done by women, and give back to our community at the same time, that’s incredibly powerful.”

Supporting the Santa Ynez Valley Community

Beyond celebrating wine and food, the event also raised funds for Santa Ynez Valley Community Outreach, a nonprofit that supports seniors, veterans, and families across the region. The organization operates Meals on Wheels programs serving hundreds of meals daily and provides housing and support resources for those in need. Events like the Women Winemakers and Culinarians tasting bring together the region’s wine, food, and hospitality communities while supporting vital local services.

Celebrating Women in Wine on the Central Coast

Toward the end of the afternoon, sparkling wine glasses appeared as guests gathered to toast the women shaping Santa Barbara wine country.

Sunny Doench, founder of Future Perfect Wine summed up the spirit of the day perfectly. “I love traditional method sparkling wine,” she said with a laugh. “Tiny bubbles, tiny troubles.” She paused before raising her glass. “What could be better than women getting together, encouraging one another, and celebrating
with bubbles?”

Looking across the vineyard as women winemakers, chefs, and guests raised their glasses, the answer felt clear. In the Santa Ynez Valley, women are not simply making exceptional wines. They are shaping the future of the region itself. For those of us lucky enough to be part of this community, there is something deeply powerful about raising a glass together.  

BY JAMIE KNEE

Eighth Annual Grand Tasting Comes to the Santa Ynez Valley on March 7

Back in 2015, vintner Karen Steinwachs of Sea Grape Cellars spearheaded an event to celebrate the higher-than-usual percentage of women winemakers working in Santa Barbara County. The momentum only kept building over the years, becoming an official nonprofit organization, the Women Winemakers & Culinarians Foundation, and leading to more extensive gatherings. 

This year, instead of grouping their parties all on one weekend, the organization is spreading events more throughout the year. The Denim & Diamonds gala, for instance, will be on April 11 while the BroBQ — hosted by the men behind these women — is on August 8. 

But the eighth annual Grand Tasting — where nearly 50 female producers gather to share their bottles and bites at once — still coincides with International Women’s Day, and goes down at 27 Vines on March 7. Tickets are on sale now, so we asked Steinwachs for an update on what we can expect. 

We all know that wine is in a tight spot these days, so how are our Santa Barbara women winemakers and culinarians doing? 

It’s certainly challenging. None of our costs have come down (rent, bottling supplies, tariffs) so many are putting in more hours multi-tasking than before rather than being able to hire. It feels “steady,” but visitation to the area affects both direct sales, wine club signups and retention, and our wholesale partners, both restaurants and retail wine shops. 

Happily, we truly all are working as being in the same boat, together and collaboratively. We do have some new gals that will be showcasing their talents at the grand tasting, so energy is high and hope springs eternal. We are determined to hang on and ride out!

Tell us about the history and the mission of this event. 

We inherently knew we had more women winemakers than anywhere, but were inspired by Patricia Arquette’s Oscar speech in 2015 to tell the world! A small group of us gathered that year at Sonja Magdevski’s tasting room to toast and taste, and then it just kept evolving to dinners, grand tastings with our culinarian colleagues, and a 501c3 Foundation. Very organic of course!

Our mission is to recognize female winemakers and culinarians’ craft, creativity, and leadership, and to raise up those gals just coming into our family of food, wine, hospitality and farming. Our “Winds Beneath Our Wings” initiative and upcoming mentorship and scholarship programs are the backbone of this part of the mission. 

And we give back to the community with a non-profit chosen each year by all the winemakers and culinarians where we believe that donation can have a local and significant impact to that nonprofit.  This year’s Grand Tasting will benefit S.Y.V. Community Outreach. They are pretty incredible: lunch for seniors, meals on wheels, checking on home-bound, domestic violence tranquility room, and more.

What’s different about the 2026 edition? 

We’ve split it up throughout the year. We had our Sunday Supper in January, which was a delicious vegetarian meal prepared by Chef Brooke Stockwell and culinarian Anna Vocino — who is also the voice of Mrs. Potato Head in upcoming Pixar movie! — with wine by Samra Morris of Alma Rosa, Christi Heck of Lavender Oak, and, a new-to-us gal, Natalie Albertson of Native Bloom.  

The Grand Tasting at 27 Vines on March 7 will honor International Women’s Day. Denim & Diamonds on April 11 will honor both of our 2026 Winds Beneath Our Wings ladies and bestow the Cape & Crown Award to Judy Adams for 50 years of hauling our grapes.  

And then, the “men’s revenge to vegetarian Sunday Supper” — the BroBQ — is on August 8.  We’re also looking at sometime in the summertime/early fall for the return of Sips and SHE-nanigans.

Who are some of the new participants in 2026? 

On the culinary side, there’s Preaw Chamchoi from Kanok Thai, Rachel Alcocer of Miss Rachel’s Jams, and Jessica Bambach from Helena Avenue Bakery. Our newest generation of winemakers pouring for the first time this year include Jennifer Gray of Jennifer Gray Wines, Emily Myers of Eislynn, Natalie Albertson of Wildflower, and Brittney Rogers. Their energy and happiness is so great and reminds all of us that we produce products of joy.

What can first-timers expect?

I’m biased of course, but many tell us it is the best wine & food tasting. It’s in a beautiful setting at Dianne and Dan Dominguez’s 27 Vines. It’s rather intimate so there is very little crowding. And the most important difference is that each of these gals providing tastes are the actual maker of that wine or bite or taste. It’s simply a happy day of camaraderie between winemakers, culinarians, and guests.

The Women Winemakers & Culinarians Foundation’s Grand Tasting is on Saturday, March 7, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at 27 Vines in the Santa Ynez Valley. Get more details and tickets at sbwomenwinemakers.com/events. 

By Matt Kettmann

The Year is 2025

Lane Tanner is one of the first women in California wine history to have an eponymous wine label. In 1981, she arrived in Santa Barbara to work in the enology lab at Firestone Winery. Most women in the California wine renaissance began their careers in the lab. First, they had science degrees; and second, the cellar was a man’s place. What these pathfinding women shared as they made their way into winemaking was a cunning confidence and capacity for risk-taking, born from a motivation to succeed on their own terms. Tanner was no exception. Her own label began in 1989 at the behest of a wine colleague who created an opportunity she simply couldn’t refuse. Tanner never looked back amid the challenges and heartbreaks, retaining her ambition and conviction throughout.

To honor her indelible contribution to the Santa Barbara wine scene, the Women Winemakers and Culinarians Foundation (WW&CF) celebrated Lane Tanner this past spring at a raucous wine dinner. A packed house of friends and colleagues lavished praise on Tanner, who brought dozens of large-format bottles with vintages dating back to her beginnings, marking her trajectory with her signature Lane Tanner style: poised, elegant, bouncy and seductive.

“When I first got here in 1984 and met Lane, she was part of the inner circle of winemakers and it was a small circle back then,” remembered Bryan Babcock of Babcock Winery. “The Foxen guys, Jim Clendenen, Frank Ostini, Bruno D’Alfonso—she was part of the first wave. She had a mojo and she was fierce. You didn’t want to mess with her. I consider her one of my mentors. She was the Queen of Pinot and took it seriously. She had tunnel vision.”

In her early career, colleagues teased Tanner for her winemaking decisions, which tended toward lower-alcohol, higher-acid wines. “I grew up in a household with a lot of brothers and Lane was like my sister,” said Billy Wathen of Foxen Winery at the party. “I was a grape-grower and what she taught me I didn’t realize until 15 years later. We always used to laugh at Lane for picking too early, joking about waiting two weeks after Lane. It took me years to realize she was right. When you taste her wines after all those years, compared to all of us who waited, it is bitchin’.”

Tanner’s style was all her own, said her younger sister Susan Beckmen. “She was unlike anything anyone else was doing at the time,” she said. “Other winemakers, as well as critics, scoffed at her style. Forty years later those first wines are beautiful and have more than proven themselves over the test of time. Many of those early skeptics have embraced Lane’s winemaking style and have adopted it themselves.”

Tanner wholeheartedly says the WW&CF party was a pinnacle, particularly as she has sometimes felt deeply misunderstood and judged even while being lauded and praised. It’s the closest cuts that have stung the most. Friends who turned their backs. Canceled fruit contracts. Tanner shared examples during our conversation about not being taken seriously, tackling misdirected praise and fielding criticisms—both for her wine style and for her free-spirited way of life, including her signature “Love your pal, Lane” on her labels.

She challenged the social mores of the time; some were not ready for it, even under the guise of a progressive wine culture. Winemaking is an incredibly vulnerable profession, crafting something one hopes will be enjoyed and lauded by critics and colleagues, today and for years to come. The test of time always seems slow when the clock is ticking.

“The party was one of the absolute biggest highlights of my career, because I was finally acknowledged,” she said. “A lot of people have acknowledged me privately, but I’ve never been publicly acknowledged. To have so many of my old friends publicly acknowledge me was just overwhelming.”

The Year is 1989

At the time, Tanner was running her wine company, LR Consultants (the R is for Ruth, her middle name after her grandmother), doing enology and consulting. Her primary client was Hitching Post Wines. She and Frank Ostini, owner of the Hitching Post II restaurant in Buellton, were married in 1985 and Tanner began making wines for the restaurant. Ostini’s devotion to wine began in college as a committed garagiste winemaker himself. The two met at Firestone in those early days. As Tanner was running the only lab in the nascent Santa Ynez Valley wine scene, the 20 or so winemakers hung out there. Rick Longoria, Jim Clendenen, Bob Lindquist, Adam Tolmach, Billy Wathen and Fred Brander, to name a few. Ostini was part of the gang. As they got together, Tanner formalized his bespoke bottles to make them commercially viable for the restaurant. After Firestone, she went to run the lab at Zaca Mesa at the request of winemaker Ken Brown, whom she subsequently followed to Byron Winery, where she did lab work in exchange for space to make Hitching Post wines.

“Lane had the skill set to get the job done, she loved wine and was a really fun person,” said Brown of Ken Brown Winery. “All the things you need in this life. She was in Santa Barbara at the perfect time to prove a woman could run a successful winery. And why not? I never blinked on that one.”

The first Hitching Post wine was a Pinot Noir from Sierra Madre, Tanner’s favorite vineyard. “The fruit from Sierra Madre is like nothing else,” she gushed. “There’s a sweetness and a tarweed aromatic essence that’s very specific. It’s really a charm.”

“The wine was delicious,” recalled Ostini. “Lane was always focused on balance, finesse and preserving the fruit. She’s an amazing winemaker. There was magic. She took our crude home winemaking and refined it. I think we were good partners. Not having lived her perspective I really didn’t know how tough it was, being a woman in the industry. Trying to stick up for yourself.”

The benchmark wine at the time was the 1976 Sanford & Benedict Pinot Noir. “That wine turned heads,” Ostini said.

The attention the wine garnered started the Pinot Noir craze for these young, passionate winemakers. Everyone was chasing it. The group was always together—at the lab, parties, wineries, talking shop and tasting. “All of us were close friends,” Tanner said. “It was such a special time, something you can’t re-create.”

After tastings, Tanner would take the bottles for analysis. Most were Burgundian Pinot Noirs. She cemented those flavors in her mind and realized the coveted wines shared a lower pH profile on account of the region’s challenging growing season, requiring picking early before the rain. She also tasted grape samples growers would bring to her lab and identified the delicate time frame where grapes turned from green “to scintillating,” generally in the low 20s Brix range.

“The other influence on my style was making Hitching Post [Wines],” Tanner explained. “They made steaks over an oakwood BBQ and had smoky flavors on the plate. We didn’t need more smoke in the wine. I developed a more neutral approach.”

The Hitching Post Wines were a success. In 1989, though, Tanner and Ostini amicably divorced, leaving Tanner without her primary client. (They remain good friends today.) As part of the split, Ostini gave her half the barrels of that vintage. “It was a rough period,” Tanner said. “I didn’t have a home, I didn’t really have a job, but I did have wine. Half of the barrels were Sierra Madre and half were Sanford & Benedict.” These vineyards at the time were, and still are, vaunted in Santa Barbara wine country. While she was going through a rough patch emotionally, she had liquid gold at her fingertips.

Tanner has always been a step ahead, ready for serendipitous options that have presented themselves at opportune times. She grew up autistic and dyslexic, her intelligence doubted. Early on, she created unique ways of coping, developing an uncanny ability to read a room and unwavering confidence in her abilities. She knew she was smart. She received a full scholarship to study chemistry at San Jose State and graduated top of her class.

Her determination to experience all of life is palpable, almost instinctual. Spend any amount of time with her and her joie de vivre lights up the room.

“I’m at a party and I meet this tall, good-looking guy, and he says, ‘Lane, what are you doing these days?’ I tell him ‘Not much, kind of in-between things.’ And he goes, ‘I’ve always loved those Hitching Post Wines.’” She told him about the barrels. He immediately asked if she would consider bottling her own wine. He was Larry Pearson, a Santa Barbara wine distributor, with a select portfolio, including Salon Champagne, one of the most expensive and iconic champagnes in the world. He told her he’d buy all her wine, cut her one large check and distribute it throughout the U.S. on the condition that she brand it Lane Tanner wines.

“I told him I couldn’t do that,” Tanner remembered. “Back then nobody had their name on a label—like Robert Mondavi. Nobody had their whole name on it. A few people, like Longoria had his last name, but whoa, your whole name? Being a female, I was intimidated with the idea. But he convinced me. ‘Trust me, this is really going to work,’ he said.”

Lane had the skill set to get the job done, she loved wine and was a really fun person. All the things you need in this life.KEN BROWN OF KEN BROWN WINERY

And it did. Tanner made 1,000 cases of wine each year that Pearson of Pearson & Hawkins distributed as promised, until he sold his company to the Henry Wine Group, which continued the relationship with Tanner until about 2000, when the wine industry began to struggle. The dot-com bubble burst, the economy was in a downturn and distributors went from buying pallets of wine to cases of wine. “I was limping along,” Tanner said. She quit the wine industry before she could leave the industry, on account of her loyalty in fulfilling her grape contracts. She had established long-term grape contracts, a practice rarely employed today. At their expiration in 2009, Tanner retired her label. She convinced a wine buyer friend at Trader Joe’s to buy her entire vintage. She was cut one last big check. The tellers at her bank made a Xerox copy for her to keep in perpetuity.

The Year is 1980

Tanner never planned a life in wine. She grew up in Kelseyville, a small Northern California town. After graduating from San Jose State University, she worked for a meteorology company tracking pollution.

“I was following pollution in a helicopter into the Grand Canyon from the Four Corners Power Plant,” Tanner recalled. “I was doing these major pieces of work.” She traveled all the time. A couple of years in with no home life or relationships, she quit. Her plan was to spend the summer at her mother’s then move to San Francisco in the fall. The phone rang, with someone asking if her mom could work the wine bottling line at Mt. Konocti Winery in town. Tanner said she’d do it. There, director Bill Pease learned Tanner was a chemist and asked if she would consider staying for enology work. She had never heard the word.

“I didn’t even drink wine,” Tanner recalled. “At my last job we drank brandy and tequila.”

Her first day on the job she was waiting in the lab for someone to explain her new position when Pease and André Tchelistcheff walked in. Pease introduced Tanner as the new enologist. Tchelistcheff suggested Tanner join them in their tasting. Mt. Konocti made a plethora of different wines under a grape co-op model and Tchelistcheff was the consultant. They tasted dozens of wines. Tchelistcheff was the preeminent winemaker and wine consultant in California. Many credit him with revolutionizing California wine. On that summer morning, he was asking 23-year-old Tanner her opinion.

“Do you remember the first time you ever swirled a glass of wine?” Tanner laughed. “I’m watching these two guys and I’m milliseconds behind because I’m good at mimicking. They’re swirling and swirling. I’m not doing a great job, but I’m swirling. Then they throw it in their mouth and they gurgle and I’m gurgling. They spit into these spittoons. I can’t spit. They gave me a cup. I’m literally drooling in this cup.”

Tchelistcheff started quizzing Tanner about what she’s tasting. Can she smell this? Does she taste that? She’s realizing she must be doing something correctly. Tanner knew she had an acute sense of smell and taste, though until that point it had haunted her; aromas were often overwhelming. Suddenly she was being rewarded for what she thought was a curse. After the tasting, Pease told Tanner that Tchelistcheff was impressed. Would she consider staying on as their enologist?

“I still had no idea what an enologist was,” Tanner said. “I told him, ‘I can see you lied to that man, whoever he is. Here’s what I’ll do: I will be your enologist, but as soon as you can lay me off, you lay me off.’”

Tanner stayed through harvest and Tchelistcheff learned Tanner was getting ready to leave. Did she want to stay in wine? “At that point I had learned what a god this guy was so I couldn’t say no.” He asked Tanner to go to Santa Barbara to interview at the new Firestone Winery, where he was also consulting. She would work as the lab assistant. This decision changed the course of her life.

The Year is 2012–2025+

Tanner claims she is retiring this year, though we’ve heard that before. After her first retirement, in 2012 she teamed up with Doug Circle, who had recently purchased Sierra Madre Vineyard, and convinced him he needed to make wine with that fabulous fruit, with her as the winemaker. While Circle, a farmer, enjoyed the vineyard side of the business, he decided to discontinue winemaking. As if on cue, Will Henry, formerly of the Henry Wine Group that his father once owned, was looking to start a wine brand.

“I was looking to start Lumen and was looking for bulk wine to start our first vintage,” said Will Henry. “A colleague mentioned Doug Circle had incredible Pinot for sale from Sierra Madre. I made an appointment to taste barrels. I show up and Lane is there. I ask, ‘What are you doing here?’ She said, ‘I made this wine. What are you doing here?’ I had goosebumps because it was Sierra Madre by Lane Tanner. A match made in heaven. I took all of it.” The two began a decade-plus partnership until this year, when Tanner will step away.

“My true love for wine didn’t come until I started making my own wine,” Tanner said. “Being independent, it’s mindboggling how wonderful it makes you feel. As a female, at that time, you didn’t get that feeling very often. Most women became wives or secretaries. I was working for myself. I was making money. I was doing everything I wanted to do.”

As we sat in her pink house, overlooking the Santa Maria Valley agricultural landscape against the backdrop of the signature hazy Pacific Ocean sipping a 2016 Lumen Sierra Madre Pinot Noir, I asked if she would she do it all over again?

“Where else in your life could you go through harvest and get dirty, work out and get fit, then take a few months off in January and February, when you buy your ballgowns and gems and attend events with bazillionaires that treat you like a goddess,” Tanner continued. “I’m from Kelseyville and I’ve met royalty. I’ve traveled all over the United States to sell wine and have food with fabulous chefs who know your name, and you never would have met them in your life had you not been making wine. And then, you start getting dirty again. It’s the best of a zillion things.”

BY SONJA MAGDEVSKI NOVEMBER 24, 2025

Now Officially a Nonprofit, the Women Winemakers and Culinarians Foundation Goes All Out for Good Causes

This past weekend, Santa Barbara County raised a glass to the talented women shaping the local wine and culinary scene with the return of the Women Winemakers & Culinarians Celebration. Taking place from March 6-9, this four-day event honored the achievements of female winemakers and chefs, bringing together a community dedicated to their craft and to supporting one another.

International Women’s Day, celebrated March 8, has long been a moment to recognize the impact of working women, and in Santa Barbara County, that recognition extends to the incredible female winemakers who make up nearly double the industry’s average worldwide. Co-founder Karen Steinwachs has often remarked on how the region’s maverick spirit has fostered an environment where women thrive in winemaking. What started as a small gathering has blossomed into a multi-day festival highlighting the best that Santa Barbara has to offer in wine and food, all while giving back to the community. The 2025 beneficiaries are Nature Track Foundation and Mo’s To-Go (a program of the nonprofit Momentum Work Inc.).

The weekend’s events included a heartfelt tribute to Lane Tanner, one of Santa Barbara’s pioneering women winemakers, at the Lane Tanner Tribute Dinner on March 6. The evening at Zaca Creek Tavern was filled with stories, a carefully curated meal, and a celebration of Lane’s remarkable contributions to the industry as she transitioned into a consulting role. On March 7, Sips and She-nanigans, a lively soirée at Fess Parker Winery, brought together industry professionals for a glamorous evening.

The weekend’s centerpiece was undoubtedly the Grand Tasting on March 8, held at 27 Vines. This walk-around tasting was an immersive experience, with over 30 women winemakers pouring their finest vintages and numerous chefs crafting exquisite bites to complement the wines. Set against the backdrop of the awakening spring vines, the event showcased the diversity and depth of Santa Barbara’s winemaking talent. Each table told a story — not just of the wine in the glass, but of the hard work, passion, and perseverance of the women behind it. Attendees had the opportunity to engage directly with the winemakers, learning firsthand about the craftsmanship and dedication that goes into every bottle.

Among the standout wineries present were Cambria Winery, Camins 2 Dreams, Carhartt Family Wines, Clementine Carter Wine, Cote of Paint Wine, Dreamcôte, Fiddlehead Cellars, Future Perfect Wine, Loubud Wines, Luna Hart & Piazza, MarBeso Wine, Radicata Wine Co., and Seagrape Wine Co. to name a few, each offering wines that beautifully represented the region’s distinct terroir. The culinary offerings were equally impressive — organized annually by co-founder Brooke Stockwell, Executive Chef, Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Café — with chefs presenting locally sourced dishes that elevated the tasting experience. From bold reds to delicate whites, each sip reflected the unique character of Santa Barbara, reinforcing why this region is such a standout in the wine world.

Santa Barbara County has long been a hidden gem in the wine world, and events like this reinforce its growing reputation. The unique east-west orientation of the valleys creates microclimates perfect for various grape varietals, allowing winemakers the freedom to experiment and innovate. The camaraderie among winemakers here is palpable, and perhaps that’s why so many women have found success in this region — supporting one another, breaking barriers, and setting new standards of excellence.

As I wandered through the tasting, glass in hand, I couldn’t help but feel immense pride for the women around me. The Women Winemakers & Culinarians Celebration is more than just an event, it’s a movement that uplifts and honors the hardworking women in the wine industry. It was a chance to connect, celebrate, and continue pushing forward. We’ve come a long way baby!

For more information, see sbwomenwinemakers.com.

By Jamie Knee, Santa Barbara Independent

New Nonprofit, Women Winemakers and Culinarians Foundation, Announces Two New Beneficiaries of Proceeds from 2025 Lineup of Women-Led Wine and Food Fundraising Events in Honor of International Women’s Day 

January 29, 2025 – Santa Ynez, CA – Spanning four days in March 2025 – March 6-9 – the now-annual Santa Barbara County Women Winemakers and Culinarians Celebration (www.SBWomenWinemakers.com) returns with a fundraising event series held in honor of International Women’s Day. The 2025 events will include the now-eighth annual Grand Tasting food and wine showcase, this year on International Women’s Day, Saturday, March 8, where the winemaking talents of more than 30 Santa Barbara County women winemakers will be on display in Santa Ynez, California. The Santa Barbara County Women Winemakers and Culinarians Celebration will once again benefit regional nonprofits, this year with event proceeds earmarked for donations to NatureTrack Foundation and Mo’s To-Go, both Santa Barbara County-based initiatives promoting and supporting inclusivity. Tickets to the March 8, 2025, Grand Tasting, as well as ancillary food and wine events running March 6-9, are now available at www.SBWomenWinemakers.com.

The March 8 Grand Tasting will again be held at boutique vineyard venue, 27 Vines, on the outskirts of Santa Ynez. The daytime happening (11:00 AM to 2:00 PM), an alfresco wine tasting reception complete with elevated hors d’oeuvres, will feature 35+ woman winemakers, all of which will be on-hand to pour tastes of their wines and talk with event guests. Passed and stationary appetizers will be offered by their female counterparts in the Santa Barbara County food world, nearly two dozen female chefs/culinarians. Live music by Arwen Lewis will add to the event’s convivial ambience, and returning to this year’s event will be the popular “Estrogen Collection” wine bottle opportunity drawing.

New to this year’s Grand Tasting, provided courtesy of beneficiary, NatureTrack Foundation, will be the optional use of  “Freedom Trax,” which convert wheelchairs into all-terrain devices. Guests with mobility challenges are encouraged to contact the Women Winemakers and Culinarians Foundation to make arrangements to experience this year’s outdoor event without limitations. Event co-beneficiary, Mo’s To-Go, will also be onsite with their own culinary station.

“The tangible excitement in the anticipation of sharing the fruits of our wine and food labors with our guests, is compounded by the knowledge that we’re helping our beneficiaries,” said Santa Barbara County woman winemaker Karen Steinwachs, Board President of the newly-formed, all-female Women Winemakers and Culinarians Foundation and co-founder of the annual celebration. “As our mission states, ‘Recognize, Raise Up, Give Back!’”

Other events in the four-day series include the Thursday, March 6, 2025, Lane Tanner Tribute Dinner (& Stories), to be held in The Buellhouse at legendary wine country hospitality property, Zaca Creek. Tanner, one of the very first women winemakers in Santa Barbara County, is passing the winemaking torch for her current label, Lumen Wines, moving from wine production into consulting roles. The March 6 Tribute Dinner will honor her lengthy and pioneering career in the industry with a mingling hour and sit-down buffet dinner, followed by what are forecasted to be colorful stories about Tanner, one of the most dynamic woman winemaker personalities in the County’s history. Tickets for the Thursday evening event, which starts at 5:30 PM, are available at www.SBWomenWinemakers.com/events.

Fess Parker Winery will once again host the Friday event, March 7, “Sips and She-Nanigans – a Sassy Soirée.” Fess Parker’s “Fesstivitiy” sparkling wines will start the dressy evening which will also include a red carpet photo opp upon event entry, heavy hors d’oeuvres, wine service hosted by multiple Santa Barbara County wineries, a not-to-be-missed silent auction featuring food, wine, and hospitality experiences, stand-up by several female comics hailing from Los Angeles, and a discussion panel and screening to include behind-the-spotlight lady heroes that make winemakers and chefs look so good.

The Friday evening fundraiser’s panel discussion, hosted by Anna Vocino, a Santa Ynez Valley resident, founder of Eat Happy Kitchen, comedienne, voice-over actor and your typical multi-tasker female, will feature women who are the “wind beneath the wings” for winemakers and culinarians, such as sous chefs, assistant winemakers, viticulturalists, winery and restaurant owners. Vocino (Jimmy Kimmel Live, Snapped: Killer Couples) will be joined by fellow comics in live performances; all further details TBA. Friday evening tickets are also available via www.SBWomenWinemakers.com/events.

Concluding the weekend of vinous celebration, Vega Vineyard & Farm will proudly host the Sunday, March 9, Women Winemakers’ “Bubbly Bash,” with a menu led by Chef Louise Smith and featuring sparklers and “breakfast wines” from participating women winemakers. The festivities kick off with a sparkling wine tasting, where the effervescence of carefully crafted bubbles takes center stage. The morning transitions into a brunch, expertly curated with a selection of wines. Tickets are now available at www.SBWomenWinemakers.com/events.

International Women’s Day has been celebrated worldwide since 1909, with a focus on working women’s achievements and issues. In a working environment which records about 10% of the global wine industry as female lead winemakers, Santa Barbara County continues to see a much higher percentage of women winemakers than most regions in the world – with nearly double the average and growing each year, as is evidenced by this year’s Women Winemakers and Culinarians Celebration winemaker event roster.

The March events bring together the varied sampling of the County’s female winemakers and culinarians in a show of support for each other and other working women, world-wide; those who toil and labor while honing and elevating their craft in their workplace, while also balancing work-lives with family and community service.

A total of $20,000 in proceeds from the 2024 Santa Barbara County Women Winemakers and Culinarians events was donated to She Raised Her Hand, an initiative that provides opportunities for women veterans to find community, purpose, and strength in their identity as veterans.

Participating 2025 winemakers, wineries, and distillers confirmed to date include:

Karen Steinwachs, Seagrape Wine Company; Sunny Doench Stricker, Future Perfect Wine; Kathy Joseph, Fiddlehead Cellars; Alison Thomson, Lepiane Wines; Helen Falcone, Falcone Family Vineyards; Brooke Carhartt, Carhartt Family Wines; Mireia Taribó and Tara Gomez, Camins 2 Dreams; Brit Zotovich, Dreamcôte Wine Co.; Anna Clifford Lancucki, Final Girl Wines; Gretchen Voelcker, Piazza Family Wines and Luna Hart Wines; Laura Hughes, Loubud Wines; Dana Volk, Dana V. Wines and Happy Mommy Wines; Jessica Gasca, Story of Soil; Wynne Sargeant, Peake Ranch Winery; Alice Anderson, âmevive; Megan McGrath Gates, Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards and Toccata; Kristin Bryden, Zaca Mesa Winery; Amy Christine, Holus Bolus and The Joy Fantastic; Claire Bilsky, Provignage and Est Ouest Wine Co.; Allyson Bycraft, Babcock Winery & Vineyards; Anna deLaski, Solminer Wine Co.; Cecy Castillo, Mi Casa Wine Company; Kelsie Norris, Allan Hancock College Winery; Clarissa Nagy, Nagy Wines and Riverbench Vineyard and Winery; Amber Hogan, Amber Rose Wines; Kristin Harris Luis, Cote of Paint Wine; Brittany Rice, Sunstone Winery; Marrissa Schoonover, Jaffurs Wine Cellars; Magan Eng, Kunin Wines; Jill DelaRiva Russell, Cambria Winery; Adrienne Rule, Rideau Vineyard; Kira Malone, Pars Fortuna Wine; Christi Heck, Lavender Oak Vineyard; and, Sarah Suput, Rock 12 Distillery (all additional participating winemakers/wineries, TBA).

The women winemakers will be side by side at the March 8 Grand Tasting event with some of Santa Barbara County’s leading culinary ladies, the latter of which will also be present to chat with guests and showcase their edible contributions to complement their colleagues’ wines.

Culinary talent for this year’s event will be organized by Brooke Stockwell, Executive Chef, Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Café, and will include Mo’s To-Go chef Emily Edah; Taylor Tate, executive pastry chef, peasants FEAST; Joy Reinhardt, chef/owner, Ellie’s Tap & Vine; Sarah Price, owner/operator of Lompoc-based Sassafras Mobile Food Truck and Restaurant; Melissa Scrymgeour, chef/co-owner, Clean Slate Wine Bar in Solvang; Terri Buzzard, executive chef, Gleason Family Vineyards; Lisa Thompson, chef at Global Gardens; Louise Smith, chef/owner, Louise’s Kitchen Table; Amy Dixon, owner/baker, The Baker’s Table; Anna Vocino, entrepreneur/founder, Eat Happy Kitchen; Shannon Casey, owner of Rancho Olivos; Golzar Meamar, chef/owner, All Purpose Flower; private chef Casandra Farris, Sass Catering; Kimberly Zimmerman, owner, The Juicy Life; Shanté Norwood, owner/baker at Té’Stees Cupcakes; and treats- and truffle-maker Jessica Foster of Jessica Foster Confections. Foodie donations will be made by Shawnda Marmorstein, owner, Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Café and Café Farm. Additional event chefs and participating food businesses will be announced over the next few weeks.

The March 6-9 events are sponsored in part by Visit the Santa Ynez Valley, 27 Vines, Jump On The School Bus, and Allan Hancock College’s Viticulture and Enology programs. Tickets for the March 8 Grand Tasting are priced at $149.00++ per person and include plentiful appetizers, sweets, and wine tastings. The March 8 event venue, 27 Vines, is conveniently located in the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley. Santa Ynez area event parking information will be distributed to all ticketed guests prior to the event date, and hotel reservations may be made in advance by visiting www.visitsyv.com/where-to-stay-in-santa-ynez-valley/hotels-bed-breakfast.

For more information about the March 6-9, 2025, Women Winemakers and Culinarians Celebration please contact Anna Ferguson-Sparks, Stiletto Marketing, at 1.877.327.2656 or restaurants@stilettomarketing.com.

About Women Winemakers and Culinarians Foundation:

The mission of the Women Winemakers and Culinarians Foundation is to empower and support female winemakers and culinarians by fostering a community that champions their craft, creativity, and leadership. We are dedicated to advancing their voices in the culinary and wine industries, while actively promoting education, mentorship, and collaboration. Additionally, we commit to benevolent giving, partnering with charitable organizations that enhance the quality of life in the California Central Coast through programs focused on sustainability, empowerment, and community development. Together, we strive to cultivate a thriving ecosystem that celebrates diversity, nurtures talent, and uplifts those in need. Recognize, Raise Up, Give Back. Additional information about our efforts and events may be found at www.SBWomenWinemakers.com.

About NatureTrack Foundation:

NatureTrack Foundation’s mission is to provide opportunities to embrace the natural world with respect and wonder, offering free, docent-led K–12 field trips, and monthly beach and trail events for wheelchair users using motorized Freedom Trax units which we also lend out. Further information is available at www.NatureTrack.org.

About Mo’s To-Go:

Mo’s To-Go is a fully inclusive scratch kitchen where 100% of your deli and catering order supports people with disabilities. We employ a team of dedicated and diverse team members that look forward to making and serving you with quality food platters, perfect for any event. Mo’s To-Go is under the family of services of non-profit organization, Momentum WORK, Inc. More information about Mo’s To-Go may be found at www.MosToGo.org.

Tags:

Santa Barbara County Women Winemakers and Culinarians Celebration, Women Winemakers and Culinarians Foundation