TASTY INVESTMENTS : The Santa Barbara Wine Futures

by Joanie Hudson, joaniehudson@gmail.com

Elements Restaurant & Bar presents Santa Barbara Wine Futures at the beautiful Santa Barbara County Courthouse on May 10th. The elegant evening affair will feature live classical music, tasty hors d’ouevres, and samples of pre-release wines straight from the barrels from over 35 local wineries.

Exclusively attending and pouring at the event will be Sea Smoke, whose world-class Pinot Noir is among the most difficult to get your hands on in the country. Also in attendance will be Ampelos, Carr, Whitcraft, Dierberg, Margerum, Kenneth-Crawford, Demetria Estate, and Foley, whose growing multi-brand portfolio recently brought on star winemaker Kris Curran.

Futures events draw crowds from miles away, each consumer seeking their own allotment of the most highly coveted wines of the vintage. The wines to be poured have been hand-selected by the winemakers as a comprehensive representation of the best of what’s to come. This type of pre-release tasting, whose origins are in Bordeaux, provides customers access to small-lot wines, some of which may never even see store shelves, and the opportunity to purchase the wines at a discount for delivery at a later date.

From a winemaker’s perspective, there are a slew of benefits to taking part in a well-executed event like this, including increased market exposure, guaranteed advanced sales before bottling, and a brand new base of wine-savvy customers. For the consumer, the opportunities are one-of-a-kind. And the excitement and energy can be palpable. This is, after all, a lot about discovering a promising new winemaker or finding that spectacular wine before it makes magazine headlines and either soars in price or sells out.

At the end of the day, it is witnessing the buzz of the up and coming, chatting with them and enjoying their wine, that make an event like the Santa Barbara Wine Futures so anticipated. The lineup, many of whom have opted to take part in only this wine futures event all year, reads like a “who’s who” list of the area’s best winemakers. And Elements, regionally famous for a catering operation defined by quality fare and service, promises a pairing menu designed to delight. Add the historic elegance of the Courthouse halls (enhanced by candlelight and live classical music) and this is one evening well worth the experience.

Joanie Hudson is a Santa Barbara-based writer who’s popular food and wine pairing blog can be found on the Santa Barbara Winery website, www.sbwinery.com.